Review of Four Seasons Hotel Doha

Located on a private sandy beach only seven minutes from the Financial District just off The Corniche, the Four Seasons Hotel Doha is steps away from the City Centre Mall and a short drive from the Old Souq and Doha Festival City.

Four Seasons’ representatives will greet you at Hamad International Airport with cold towels, water and mobile Wi-Fi before whisking you off by luxury limousine or taxi to the hotel, around a 40-minute drive.

Must visits in Doha include the East-West/West-East sculpture by Richard Serra, a one-hour drive from the hotel in the Brouq Nature Reserve; a trip to the alleyways of the expansive Souk Waqif with its 1,001 treasures for a taste of authentic Qatari life, a 12-minute drive from the hotel or a visit to the Qatar National Museum – a work of art in itself, inspired by the shape of a desert rose – just 15 minutes away by car. Alternatively, head for the desert around an hour away for a high-adrenaline dune buggy ride; take a cruise in a traditional wooden fishing dhow; head outside the city for the camel racing track or wander around the cultural village at Katara.

The spacious guest rooms and suites have been recently fully transformed by renowned interior designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon, bringing in a light and airy feel, with a palette of sea-inspired colours and a mix of classic and contemporary furnishings. While embracing the latest technology, the design pays homage to Qatar’s heritage with details such as mother of pearl inlays and decorative Arabic motifs.

Guest rooms all offer a seating area, marble bathrooms with rain showers, views over the skyline of Doha or the Arabian Gulf and most have a step out balcony. As usual with Four Seasons, there are customisable beds and choice of mattress topper, hypoallergenic pillows on request and in-roof safes large enough for laptops. Expect 65-inch flat screen televisions in each guest room (75-inch in the suites), a Lavazza coffee/tea maker, daily water/ice delivery, and Christian Lacroix designer bath amenities in the guest rooms with Hermès in the suites. All are equipped with energy-efficient technologies including automated curtains and lighting with temperature management preservation technology within the newly installed floor to ceiling windows.

The premier suites include a three-bedroom, split level penthouse with an expansive entertaining area, framed on both sides by large terraces with sea and city views. Ideal for families, each bedroom has its own marble en-suite, additionally offering a dining table for six people, a full kitchen and an executive desk with sitting area. The Presidential Suite is sumptuously decorated yet with a light touch, as befitting a head of state and VIPs. This two-bedroom suite wraps around two sides of the tower for truly panoramic views and features a majiles-style living room including a grand piano, a separate office, a full kitchen and a dining table for ten. The split-level Royal Suite meanwhile has its own private lift, two bedrooms with marble en-suites, a dining room for 14, a private office and waiting room and three terraces and three balconies overlooking the skyline and the Arabian Gulf.

With five pools and a private sandy beach with adjoining marina and landscaped, manicured gardens, lends a resort feel to this glamorous, urban bolthole on Doha’s waterfront. There are three grotto-style pools with two family pools and five private beach cabanas. Expect cold water spritzes and sunglass cleaning from the diligent poolside service team.

The expansive three-story spa complex meanwhile offers not just 11 treatment rooms and a private spa suite but also squash and tennis courts and a chemical free hydrotherapy facility offering a massaging pool with underwater jets and overhead fountains as well as cold and hot plunge pools. Other spa features include a Roman style laconium thermal suite, a meditative colour therapy room and an ice room. Also available are current pools for resistance swimming, plunge pools, Swiss showers, reflexology foot bath, sauna, steam room and whirlpool. There’s male and female beauty salons and a café serving up healthy meals and smoothies.

The fitness centre is located on the top level of the Spa and Wellness Centre, offering inspiring views of the Arabian Gulf and state of the art fitness equipment to keep you on top of your game. Personal trainers, tennis programmes and a full timetable of classes are available too.

Families are very welcome with a dedicated programme for junior VIPs aged four to twelve years of age. The Kids for all Seasons programme at Doha includes complimentary activities such as jewellery making, kite making and flying, treasure hunts, kids’ tennis programmes and Middle Eastern arts and crafts.

The Four Seasons Hotel Doha opened in 2005 and is considered by many to be one of the best hotels in the world. With a major renovation of its guestrooms, suites, dining outlets and lobby in 2020 by Pierre-Yves Rochon no less, and its impeccable yet unobtrusive service standards, it continues to confidently reign supreme at the top of the tree in a city populated with stunning luxury hotels.

Four Seasons themselves call this a seaside retreat in the heart of Qatar’s capital – it’s elegant, grand and thanks to this new redesign, sparkles with sunlight and sea views, reflected in marble floors and glittering crystal chandeliers. There is also an extensive commissioned art collection plus custom-made chandeliers and furnishings showcasing local and international artists and artisans. This is certainly a retreat on the grand side.

There are nine restaurants, bars and lounges at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha to suit every taste and occasion including the world’s largest Nobu restaurant, dramatically perched above the Arabian Gulf.

There is Elements for all day dining; the Pool Grill - a rustic beachfront café for grilled savouries and treats; the Seasons Tea Lounge in the atrium-style winter garden, offering all day dining and afternoon tea in an atmosphere of Parisian chic; the Après Spa Café with feel good, health-conscious dishes and the Arabica Café for bespoke coffee.

The Marina Terrace meanwhile offers craft cocktails and a metropolitan shawarma menu in a wonderful setting with banked tables offering the best views out over the city; The Pier offers a casually glamorous seaside lounge setting for a menu of artisanal beverages and modern Arabic cuisine whilst The Library Lounge and Study is a wood-panelled, leather chaired hideaway, perfect for an evening martini and conversation.

The Four Seasons Hotel Doha, with a Green Globe Certification, has developed a Sustainability Management Plan encompassing all areas of the hotel including: temperature management preservation technology within the newly installed floor to ceiling windows or each guest room and suite, routinely monitored energy and water usage, energy efficient guest room appliances and office equipment, knee operated taps in kitchens to preserve water along with motion sensors fitted in public restrooms, water efficient hoses and pressure machines are used for outdoor cleaning, green meetings with air-conditioning and settings adapted according to the number of delegates attending. There are also Sustainable Meeting Packages available offering reusable table decorations and potted plants in place of floral arrangements along with paperless meeting options and sustainable food and beverage menus, bio-degradable wrap for laundry garments instead of plastic and room keys made from PVC recycled plastic

In line with its waste management policy, the property has implemented paperless check-in and check-out procedures via a mobile application and glass refillable bottles are used in the guest rooms thereby reducing the amount of plastic waste generated. Eco friendly chemicals and dispensers are used throughout the hotel operations to lessen environmental impact.