The Ritz-Carlton, Doha

Did he flat out lie? Well, I can’t prove what he believed at the time, so will refrain from calling him a liar. Being a Titanium Elite member, I requested a suite upgrade. He falsely claimed that none were available. I pulled up the app and tried to make a booking for the same dates and showed him how many suites were available to book. He did the classic “Oh, the app is not updated with the actual availability” excuse. So I said if I go ahead with the suite booking now, is he sure that it won’t get booked? And if it did, would the hotel refund me the money (as it was pst the cancellation time)? He went quiet, which is when I realized that he didn’t want to give me the suite upgrade. The problem with this Ritz is that they don’t let you forget that THEY are doing YOU a favour for the opportunity to stay in their hallowed hotel. But save for the breakfast staff, the other staff were anything but welcoming/friendly. And behind the opulent facade, you see signs of the hotel being dated/in poor repair (eg the shower fittings are so old fashioned a la Victorian style, the toilet seat in the spa was broken…). Would I stay here again? A definite no!

A very luxury couples winter holiday in Doha. The Ritz Doha lives up to, or even exceeds, the expectations of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel name. Upon arrival staff are extremely attentive, providing an amazing stay. The rooms are very spacious and beautifully designed and decorated; they have a homely, yet luxurious feel. We opted for Half-board service; breakfast, although minimal, was one of the best hotel breakfasts I have had. With outdoor seating, this made the breakfast experience even more enjoyable. Dinner, again although minimal, was up to an amazing standard. The hotel also has the famous STK Steakhouse which is a must visit. The location of the hotel is perfect; taxis are extremely affordable, and a buggy is available to drop you to the nearby Mall. The private beach is again one of the best private beaches with a peaceful atmosphere yet a beautiful city view. There are again buggy’s available to drop you; however, it is only a short walk from the pool. Be mindful that visitors are advised not to walk from the beach to the pool through the lobby. Overall, our stay was phenomenal and we would highly recommend a visit to Doha.

My husband and I stayed here along with some friends over the weekend for a bit of a staycation after a long work week. We do this every so often at hotels around Doha as a way to relax. This stay would have been a 5-star review except for 2 things: 1. I got stopped at the front door for having a speaker in my bag. The security person told my husband that they don't allow these because they're afraid we'll play music too loudly and disturb the other guests. This is a portable speaker that I like to use during conference calls and play music when I'm getting ready in the morning. Anyway, they eventually let us through with it. But as soon as we got to our room, guess what we saw there.... that's right! A Bluetooth speaker much bigger than the one I brought. So that was weird... 2. They are not allowed to serve alcohol to you while you're sitting in the water at pool bar. You would have to get out of the water to drink your cocktail. I guess it's a new rule but 90% of the reasoning behind why we chose this hotel was because their pool was gorgeous and we thought we'd be able to spend the day in the water with a drink and relax. Other than that, everything was great! The food and drinks in the B-Lounge were excellent as well as STK. The customer service was top notch. I liked how they bring you coolers of ice and water while you're lounging in the pool. The room was one of the best I've stayed in a long time! It was clean with a good view. Literally everything but the 2 things I listed above were fantastic! We will definitely be back for the food but I think we'll go elsewhere for our next staycation.

The real reason for providing a rating of five is that the people who we interacted with were very good and caring. You can feel the sincerity in most of the staff, which is unlike many places that we visit throughout America in Europe. They’re very accommodating and relatively flexible which we appreciate. This hotel is old, but it is definitely relatively well kept and has a standard that anyone could appreciate. The only thing that is problematic is that the lobby and some of the other spaces are filled with cigar smoke, which is very strong.

Another Great weekend at the Ritz Carlton Doha Checking in is always smooth, greeted with a big smile. Thanks to Temurmalik. Nice spacious suite, great breakfast. The staff is very attentive and helpful. Checking out was smooth and pleasant. Mohamed at the counter was quite pleasant. Keep it up team. Best, Muhammad Chishti