The 10 best beach hotels and resorts in Doha include Sheraton Grand Doha, Banana Island Doha, Doha, Four Seasons Doha, Grand Hyatt Doha, Hilton Doha, InterContinental Doha, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, Ritz-Carlton Doha, Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village & Spa, and St Regis Doha.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, remains a relatively unknown holiday destination. Nearby Dubai gets far more press exposure, but we think Doha offers a much more authentic and less commercial snapshot of the Middle East. Visit this magical destination now, before the masses descend!
Qatar also tops the list of the wealthiest countries in the world with the highest GDP per capita. Its rapid growth has created some stunning architecture and cultural highlights, such as the Museum of Islamic Art.
1. InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa
InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa is a prestigious 5-star hotel located in the upscale West Bay Lagoon area, offering stunning views of the Arabian Gulf and Doha’s skyline and is conveniently close to the city center, offices, and exhibition centers.
The hotel features 375 elegant rooms and suites, blending contemporary interiors with an Arabesque style. Among these are 120 exclusive Club rooms and suites, which offer additional privileges such as personalized check-in and check-out, welcome drinks, and complimentary garment pressing. Guests in Club rooms have access to Club InterContinental on the Mezzanine floor, providing complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and light refreshments. Club InterContinental also offers access to a business center and meeting room.
InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa prides itself on its excellent service and extensive facilities. The Spa InterContinental offers a luxurious experience with 16 treatment rooms, couple suites, a private indoor pool, relaxation rooms, a juice bar, a sauna, a Jacuzzi, and unique features like the Spa Wave Bed and Quartz Bed.
For recreation, the hotel provides a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center, fitness studio, two tennis courts, two squash courts, a free-form outdoor swimming pool, a shaded kids’ pool, and an outdoor shaded playground. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s private 400-meter white sandy beach, perfect for a leisurely stroll or sunbathing.
There’s an impressive array of 14 award-winning dining options to choose from, each catering to different tastes. Guests can savor authentic Peruvian cuisine at La Mar Doha by celebrity chef Gastón Acurio, enjoy the chic Parisian ambiance at Manko, or experience immersive beach dining at La Mar Beach.
The Belgian Café, the largest in the world, serves Belgian and European dishes, while Novecento provides a refined French-Italian menu. Coral offers all-day international dining with live cooking stations, and Mykonos is the only true Greek restaurant in Qatar. The Pool Bar is perfect for waterside relaxation, La Vue provides sophisticated sunset views over Doha’s skyline, and Villa Beirut delivers delicious traditional Lebanese cuisine.
Review: InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa
A new, dynamic star is rearing its’ head in the Gulf; Doha is the place to go; visit soon before the masses descend. Your must-stay hotel is the luxurious 5-star InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa, located on the longest private beach in the city, just minutes from the heart of the city. InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa is a luxurious 5-star hotel in Doha, Qatar. This hotel features many amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa, multiple restaurants, and a fitness center.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Doha
Four Seasons is one of our favorite hotel brands, and the Four Seasons Hotel Doha doesn’t let down. This five-star hotel in Doha, Qatar, has been reimagined with modern grandeur, sparkling sunlight and sea views. This Four Seasons luxury hotel offers an elegant lobby, energetic restaurants, and classy lounges.
Their beachfront urban retreat has been transformed into a vibrant hotspot while remaining true to its Qatari roots. The private beachfront here runs parallel to the hotel and is a strip of white sand backed by lurid green palms. Plenty of loungers shaded by parasols, offer the perfect place to relax by the sparkling water.
Because of its height, the spacious guest rooms offer stunning sea views, and most rooms have a step-out balcony. Plus there’s a lavish outdoor pool and an array of dining options. The full-service spa and wellness center further enhance the luxury experience.
Of course, there is no Four Seasons rewards program, but if you are a regular guest of the Four Seasons or even want to try this iconic brand for the first time, you can take advantage of loyalty style benefits at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
3. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, with a world-class spa, a modern fitness center, and elegant restaurants and bars as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools and lush landscaped gardens.
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha offers The Ritz-Carlton Beach, set on its own private island adjacent to the hotel. The high-end beach uses the ideal escape, with sun loungers sitting beside the blue-green, blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, celebrates the city’s progressive spirit with an exclusive Club Level, distinctive dining options, modern rooms and suites, a unique spa journey, and legendary outdoor pools.
4. Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village & Spa
Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village & Spa is modeled from a Sheik’s palace, with the rustic authenticity of true Islamic architecture, mixing old-world style and modern-day amenities. Sharq Village is just a quick 10-minute ride from the airport and another 10 minutes from the heart of downtown. Unlike many of the high-end hotels in Doha, this luxury property is located on the other side of the bay, which means you get some great views of the city’s skyline from the beach.
The other advantage, of course, is the sense of seclusion from the rest of the world. The “village” is a sprawling complex that can feel slightly overwhelming. However if you think about it, getting lost between a spa, a gorgeous pool, lounge chairs on a beach, and several amazing restaurants isn’t such a bad problem to have!
Each restaurant and bar also has its own unique ambiance and design style to be in line with the ethnic feel of the menu. Beyond these main restaurants are a series of bars and lounges that are available for a quick bite or drink around the property.
5. St Regis Doha
The St. Regis Doha is part of Al Gassar Resort located in the emerging commercial heart of the city, West Bay, adjacent to the Pearl Island and close to the Diplomatic Area. It is also next door to the InterContinental above.
The surrounding sand dunes and ancient architecture were the inspiration for this timeless Doha landmark. Steeped in Middle Eastern mystique, The St. Regis Doha presents majestic interiors and an extensive range of leisure facilities.
All guest rooms at The St. Regis Doha offer extensive views over the Arabian Gulf’s tranquil blue sea. The exclusive private beach with discreet oceanfront cabanas is pretty special here, and both the InterContinental and the St. Regis take advantage of this patch of sand.
Escape to a sanctuary of rejuvenation at the signature Remède Spa featuring 22 private treatment rooms or dine at excellent restaurants, bars & lounges where accomplished master chefs present exciting new fine dining experiences to the capital of Qatar. Enjoy the ultimate English afternoon tea in Doha at Sarab Lounge, where Diners can choose from a vast selection of teas, infusions, or coffee, served with macaroons and chocolates – and then drift away to the smooth sounds of jazz.
Also on offer is an Olympic-size pool and the crystal clear waters of the Arabian Gulf. Equipment for water sports and activities including luxury floating beds, tennis courts, snorkeling equipment, wind sport, pedal boats, kayaks, paddleboards, boogie boards, beach soccer, beach volley, and a youngster ultimate inflatable water playground are all available for hire on request.
6. Banana Island Doha
Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara is a paradise sanctuary, offering an alcohol-free environment, an island of beaches, and indulgence. Just 25 minutes from the heart of Qatar’s vibrant capital, yet a world away, a luxury catamaran ferry will whisk you across the crystal clear water to reach this breathtaking island. Alternatively, arrive by a private helicopter to get a bird’s eye coastal view.
Banana Island is located on a 13-hectare spit of sand. Sheikhs have been known to try to book the villas here for six months at a time or just buy them outright. That’s how addictive this place is! There are eight restaurants, three pools, a private beach, 141 bedrooms, and the Middle East’s first overwater villas. Yet even at full occupancy, this hotel feels exclusive and peaceful.
In the evenings, beds are scattered with rose petals, lighting has 10 mood light settings, and the towels are folded into different animal shapes each night. Kissing swans and even a grinning monkey can be found, all made out of towels, hanging on the back of your bathroom door.
Fine dining is offered under the stars overlooking Doha’s regal skyline. Among the resort’s eight dining options, try Ted’s for a U.S.-style hamburger or Al Nahham for Arab meze, seafood dishes. Riva is an Italian restaurant with a Michelin starred head chef and probably the best Italian food in Qatar. Although you can’t have a glass of wine, a Ferrero Rocher milkshake is more than pleasing.
Twenty-four-karat-gold manicures are available at Anantara Spa, which has eight treatment rooms along with separate hammams and hot tubs for men and women. At the Balance Wellness Center, guests choose among six wellness retreats and access facilities, including 14 treatment rooms, an indoor botanical garden, and the Zest café, serving meals and juices made with organic ingredients. The Surf Club is the hang-out for the kids. There’s also a surf pool, where novices can have lessons on giant artificial waves.
7. Grand Hyatt Doha
The Grand Hyatt Doha has a brilliant club lounge and a particularly gorgeous and safe sandy beach. Here, the water is shallow, and the water temperature is around 30 C in its lagoon-style bay. Because of how the water flows in the lagoon, this area of the sea has become very saline, so you get to swim in a very buoyant and pleasantly warm sea that we loved. When we personally reviewed the Grand Hyatt Doha in detail.
The club lounge at the Grand Hyatt Doha is extremely spacious, so even when it is busy, you can find a space away from other guests. For breakfast, there is a vast spread of continental breakfast items and the option to order eggs. Evening cocktail hour offers a very good choice of still or sparkling wines, beer and spirits, and a buffet that includes a cheese board, crackers, bread, meat, hot snacks, pitta, dips, nachos, and little desserts.
Beyond the club lounge at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, there is a wide choice of restaurants, from traditional Arabian Mezza through Italian to genuine Thai. Isaan is a real Thai restaurant staffed entirely by Thai personnel, and it has won a Time Out award as the best SE Asian restaurant in the Middle East.
The large freeform swimming pool is accessed from one level below reception, so you can exit your room discretely attired in swimwear and bathrobe without offending locals in the lobby area. It is understandably very popular with families, which can make it feel hectic.
Stroll through the delightful gardens down to the very safe shallow sandy beach. The water temperature is about 30 C as the bay is a virtual lagoon. The water is very saline too, so you are very buoyant, which makes swimming even more fun. As if that were not enough, there is a separate, more conventional swimming pool along the far end of the beach surrounded by hedges.
The gym is very large and extremely well-equipped for a hotel fitness center. Alternatively, if you prefer to brave the heat, there is an outdoor jogging track. The spa contains two private couples’ suites that are different in style and each have their own water feature. One has a small plunge pool, and the other a jacuzzi.
9. Marsa Malaz Kempinski
Marsa Malaz Kempinski offers an oasis of comfort, tranquillity, and privacy which reflects the ultimate luxury of a genuine and majestic palace. Its 281 rooms and suites offer breathtaking views over the Arabian Gulf and the Pearl-Doha from the spacious balconies.
Marsa Malaz Kempinski ensures a family-friendly experience in Doha. Joyous activities include a blissful culinary experience with seven restaurants and four stylish bars and lounges, the award-winning Spa by Clarins, a private beach, outdoor pools, a tennis court, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and thrilling kids’ and adults’ activities, including water sports and a kids’ club.
10. Hilton Doha
Hilton Doha is located on the waterfront promenade Corniche, this 5-star hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with views of the Doha Bay. It has a private beach and a spa with an outdoor pool.
A flat-screen TV, minibar, and tea/coffee maker are in each of Hilton’s well-appointed rooms. Each comes with toiletries, a hairdryer, ironing facilities, and a bathrobe. All rooms and suites feature Arabian Gulf views.
10. W Doha
Known for its contemporary design and vibrant atmosphere, W Doha offers a chic beachfront experience. Located in the heart of Doha’s West Bay, each hotel room and apartment is filled with iconic design, tech-savvy amenities, and a stylish ambiance. Indulge in ultimate relaxation with direct beach access and a private beach area just a few steps away.
The choices for guests are endless at this luxury five-star hotel, from a relaxing experience at Doha’s first and only Sisley Paris Spa to a workout in the FIT gym and a swim in the WET pool. The hotel features stylish rooms and a lively outdoor pool. Its trendy dining venues and energetic vibe make it a popular choice for both relaxation and socializing.
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