The Grand Hyatt Doha was my home during a business trip to Qatar in late 2016. This was my first trip to Qatar, and while the Grand Hyatt is very nice, the location is a bit removed from the city center. It is the only Hyatt property in Qatar. Thanks to constant construction in Doha, especially near the hotel nearby, getting to and from the hotel a pain. Still, I would recommend this property especially for Hyatt loyalists (and presumably aspiring Globalists).
I used one of my Diamond Suite Upgrades to confirm a Grand Suite King room. I paid approximately $220 per night for a standard room. The property is large, with several wings radiating out from the center. They also have some villas that are multi-bedroom units for more long-term stays. The standard upgrade with a DSU is into a Grand Suite like I received. My room is on the same floor and just down the hall from the Grand Club.
Once arriving, the front desk staff realized I would have Club access, they escorted me to the lounge for check in. There was a bit of a mix up, despite confirming a suite in advance, when I got to my room, it was clearly not a suite. I called, returned to the club, and it was quickly resolved. Once finally in my room, even though I was traveling alone, the extra space was nice since my stay was nearly a week long.
Grand Suite King – Grand Hyatt Doha
Floor to ceiling windows were nice, although I didn’t have much time in the room during daylight to enjoy the view, or the large balcony that faced the pool and the waterfront.
The sitting room had a couch, chair, and a large desk. There is also a guest bathroom near the entry. There are sliding doors to close off this room from the bedroom. Not that I had any meetings in the room, but it would have been well equipped.
Also waiting in my was a bottle of red wine and some sweets. Cookies, candy cars and arabic desserts were good for my sweet tooth. The wine was nothing special, I wasn’t going to take it home, but I had a glass in my room a few nights, and I’m not a wine snob so it was fine.
Then in the bedroom, there was a nice king sized bed, and another TV. The basics are there, with light controls near the bed, and power for charging phones.
Sliding doors close off the bathroom, and there are 2 large closets with hangers and an array of shelves and drawers. The main bathroom is large, with separate bathtub and shower and double sinks. There is a separate room with a toilet and bidet.
Grand Hyatt Doha Grand Club
The club is well equipped, and I ate breakfast there most days. I talked about the Grand Club in an earlier post. There is a nice spread in the morning, including eggs cooked to order. There is an espresso machine and a drink cooler available along with snacks throughout the day.
In the evenings, there is a happy hour from 6-8, with a selection of self pour cocktails, Carlsberg on tap, plus wine and champagne. The table shown above has rotating food and snack items, savory and sweet. I usually don’t like to eat in hotels, and prefer to get out and explore a destination. On this trip, it worked out be lazy and have dinner in the lounge more than once.
This lounge is solid, although it doesn’t meet the high standard of some lounges I’ve visited, particularly in east Asia. For example the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has an amazing spread. I did appreciate the convenience of a lounge just down the hall from my room, and they always had staff on hand. It was easy to check out and arrange my airport transportation from the comfort of the lounge. Note that suites guests receive complimentary one way transportation to the airport for their stay.
Grand Hyatt Doha beach, pool and gym
While this was a business trip, I did try to explore the beach during the limited hours of free time during daylight. One day I got back early enough that I wanted to explore a bit. I was able to walk along the beach and take some photos. The beach wasn’t busy, at least when I was there. The gulf water was so warm, it felt like dipping my toes into a bathtub.
The pool area is large, and this was much more popular than the beach, with various families enjoying the pool. There is a large seating area, and even a restaurant in the pool area. I’m sure the pool is a popular place on warm days in Doha. I only passed through between the gym and the beach.
The gym and spa are on the ground floor and is open to the public, at least for memberships. Both were busy when I visited, so I didn’t take any photos. The gym is not large, but it is well equipped with two rooms full of cardio equipment and weights. There is a stretching area and some other spaces for exercises. While busy, I had no issues accessing any equipment when I wanted to.
Grand Hyatt Doha Restaurants
There are several restaurant options from Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern and a few others. Of those, I only tried the Thai place, which was decent, but expensive even by Doha standards. One of the more impressive parts of the public areas was the high ceilings in the lobby…
Grand Hyatt Doha Final Thoughts
I enjoyed my stay at the Grand Hyatt Doha, and have no hesitation in recommending it. The location isn’t ideal for most business in Doha, and it is far from the airport. On a return trip, I stayed elsewhere; mostly to try something else, but also due to location. I stayed downtown with more to do nearby, and closer to my work location. The Grand Hyatt Doha might be a better spot for a few days of vacation.
My Grand Suite was excellent, and it was a good use of one of my Diamond Suite Upgrades for a nice room, across multiple days. The Grand Club is not world-class, but it is quite nice, it suited my needs and I enjoyed my time there a lot.
