I was inquiring for a hotel accommodation for our company’s visiting consultants when i came across some good offers from different hotels in Qatar. But it was the one from Shangri-La Hotel Doha that catches my interest – since they just had their Grand Opening last February 23 and 24, 2016. And after finalizing a few details with their Customer Sales Executive, i decided to book an overnight stay just to try it out for myself.
Usually, i cross-check hotel rates from different online booking sites because their rates are lower compared to the rack rates. But this time, i tried calling few hotels directly. Good enough, i got a better deal compared to what the booking sites would usually offer. I realized that hotels can be more flexible with their promotions and can give more freebies that the booking sites cannot provide.
So when we finally agreed on the booking, i thought the offer is too irresistible not to take as it would also be a great post-valentine surprise for my wife.
We checked-in at 5:30pm since both of us are still coming from work. We were greeted by the staff at the counter. She’s very polite but almost forgot some details of the reservation (the Horizon Club). But after a few checking here and there, it was quickly sorted out with a bonus of a late check out of up to 5:00pm the following day.
We were given an executive suite located at the 30th floor with a nice view of the city and the view of the corniche from the Ooredoo Tower side. It was so spacious that the living room is separated from the bedroom. And for us, what we usually look for is a nice, big bathroom… and it did not fail us. We were just so delighted.
After settling our things inside the room, we decided to make a quick tour of the hotel so we can plan our activities. We visited the facilities starting with the lower floors going up.
There are two restaurants and a bar at the 1st floor of the hotel: Yabby (generally a seafood’s restaurant), Fuego (an Argentinian steak house), and The Den (a lounge bar). At the second floor is the all-day dining restaurant, Sridan who happens to be offering an eat-all-you-can seafoods buffet every Thursday nights (not so inviting to a seafood-allergic freak like me). Guests, however, must have their pockets ready as the food there are a bit pricey.
Located up at the hotel’s 7th floor are the hotel’s amenities like the swimming pool, the gym and Shangri-La Doha’s luxury spa – Chi, The Spa.
Up into the hotel’s 42nd floor is the Horizon Club – see more details here. It’s an exclusive members only lounge. And since we are booked as a Horizon Club guest, we are entitled to all its privileges including all-day beverages, evening cocktails and canapés, and an exclusive buffet breakfast with the 360 degree panoramic view of the city.
Originally booked for 4 persons, we were even able to invite a close friend for breakfast since our son had an overnight camp (which i overlooked during the booking). Nonetheless, we were also able to share the experience and even had the compete family on-board later before our check-out time.
It was our first family outing this year since our New Years Day celebration at Governor West Bay with our friends from AZADEA (my wife’s former company).
No matter how short it is, we we’re able to maximize our visit. Our family’s staycation at Shangri-La Hotel Doha was truly an awesome experience!
EXTRA!
The hotel’s notable advantage is its location, being at the center of Doha’s business district – West Bay area, it is only a stone throw away from the new Exhibition Center and it even has an access to the City Center mall.
Currently, City Center Mall is home to three fully operational 5-star hotels namely: Marriott Marquis (formerly West End), and Oryx Rotana and Shangri-La Hotel on the other side. Merweb Hotel, also in City Center, is set to open soon. It was, however, a bit strange that the entrances of Oryx Hotel and Shangri-La Hotel sit right next to each other, even their pool area are side by side on the same podium level. But even though this is the case, they still maintain their own privacy and exclusivity.
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Sounds like a great staycation for you and your family. 🙂