Welcome to Checking In, a review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.
Describe the hotel in three words: Palatial Arabian perfection.
What’s the deal?
Fairmont, the luxury hospitality giant behind such iconic hotels as the Peace Hotel in Shanghai, the Plaza Hotel in New York, and Fairmont San Francisco, is showing us that a historical brand can make like fine wine and get better with age. One of its most recent openings, Fairmont Doha, welcomed guests and delegates just as the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicked off, and it is unlike any Fairmont hotel that has come before it.
Above all, location, location, location. Fairmont Doha secured its prime spot in one half of the majestic and instantly recognisable Katara Towers, a stunning landmark designed to translate the crossed scimitars of Qatar’s national seal into architecture. (Meanwhile, the other half of the soaring building houses the all-suite Raffles Doha, also under parent group Accor). At 36 storeys, Fairmont Doha rises above the Persian Gulf and the Lusail cityscape. Local attractions such as the avant-garde National Museum of Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif, and Doha Golf Club are a short drive away.
Fairmont hotels are doused in heritage and classic appeal, but often lack modernism. Not so in Doha—this ultra-fashionable opening opts for a new look and feel, balancing the existing design DNA of the brand with timeless tastefulness to find the sweet spot for luxury travellers, standing as an exemplary flagship hotel in the Middle East to lead the legacy of the Fairmont brand into a new age. Its fabulous interior features could fill up an entire brochure, so here are the most notable ones: the 57-metre-tall chandelier in the lobby, made up of teardrop-shaped bulbs, is the tallest in the world. Also in the lobby are three lounge cocoons, each made of a different material found in Qatar, and the winding lines of the marble floor mimic sand dunes, combining the culture of the location with the modernity of the building. Bespoke design brand No Uniform created the gorgeous wardrobe for the staff, around 40 different looks, and the embroidered gowns could fit right in at an haute couture show. Luxury yacht design served as inspiration for the 361 rooms and suites, and the nautical theme is echoed in the floor-to-ceiling windows, blue-and-beige colour palette, soft Italian leather, vaulted ceilings, and clean, curving lines—the stately cruise ship cabin vibe is strong. Simply put, the level of care lavished upon crafting the perfect first impression is remarkable, and there is a lot of vibrant personality that Fairmont has injected into the hotel.
The best room?
No complaints from us about the Junior Suites; each comes with a generous sitting area, walk-in wardrobe, and spacious bathroom, and the whole thing is fringed by an outdoor terrace that had our knees wobbling when we peeked over the edge at the Doha coastline.
But if we are judging by scale, grandeur, and overall impressiveness, then without a doubt, the best place to stay at the Fairmont Doha is the Presidential Suite. Calling it a “suite” is a misnomer—it’s a house within a hotel. Spread across two floors, the 787-square-metre duplex features a grand staircase with a showstopping chandelier, bar and salon, show kitchen, gym, cinema room, plunge pool, three bedrooms, opulent bathrooms in marble with gilded accents, ample dressing rooms, and balconies. It feels like a modern palace, and the art curation is top-notch, too, with works by Michael Thacker and Kristin Breiseth.
Did they greet you by name at check-in?
Yes, all the way from the airport through to our (very) early check-in, which was a simple and quick process, and was efficiently done in the room upon arrival to maximise comfort.
Was a welcome drink ready and waiting when you arrived?
Yes. Although we landed in Doha on a red-eye flight and subsequently checked into the hotel during the wee hours, a chilled bottle of bubbly and a selection of confectionaries and fruits were diligently waiting in the room, to be enjoyed after a much-needed power nap.
Private butler for every room?
Only for suite-level guests, but not to worry—what we loved about our stay was how attentive the team members were, with a ready-to-help attitude that extended to all travellers, regardless of their room category. When we expressed a casual interest in admiring the splendid Katara Towers from the waterfront plaza, the front-desk staff immediately shepherded us to a golf cart, and we were promptly delivered to our destination; they also arranged a time for pick-up to bring us back to the hotel once we were done sightseeing.
Fairmont also goes the extra mile with the Fairmont Gold programme to offer guests its signature hotel-within-a-hotel experience that comes with exclusive benefits, privileges, personalised service, and dedicated leisure spaces during their stay. At Fairmont Doha, this translates to access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge for private check-in, concierge assistance, and complimentary food presentations throughout the day, as well as the Fairmont Gold outdoor pool, which is reserved for Fairmont Gold guests.
Is the sheet thread count higher than 300?
Yes, and the sleeping experience is simply dreamy—the thread count of Fairmont Doha’s bed linen is a neat 450, which is not strictly necessary, but feels phenomenally good, like you’re being swaddled by clouds. It’s made with 100 per cent Egyptian cotton with a sateen finish.
Is there a heated floor in the bathroom? What about a bidet?
Heated floors feel like a redundancy in a city that regularly experiences average temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius in the summertime and hovers around the mid-20s in the wintertime, but the bathroom is pleasant even without warmed tiles underfoot. For one, the design is eye-catching—the walls and ceiling give off a pearlescent effect, and the separate shower, decked out in a mosaic pattern of gold tiles, feels appropriately luxurious without looking gaudy or overdone. As for the bidet, it’s built into the Laufen toilet, with a heated seat control option.
Are the toiletries full-sized?
Yes. Fairmont Doha is stocked with Clarins’s Invigorating body and hair care line; its formulation is designed to revitalise, nourish, and have a gentle cleansing effect on the skin.
Is there a private pool for the room’s exclusive use? How are the spa and gym?
No private pool, except for in the Presidential Suite, but there are both indoor and outdoor pools available if you want to go for a swim—and you probably will, since the weather in Doha can get scorching hot—and there’s even a pool reserved just for Fairmont Gold guests.
If all you want to do is get your body moving on the treadmill or do a few reps of strength training on the weight machines, you’ll find a good selection of state-of-the-art equipment in the gym to do just that, but the Pillar health club can offer a much more immersive workout experience. Fitness expert Harry Jameson developed the personal training and rehab support programme, and the classes offered include HIIT, Pilates, cardio exercises, and more. Pillar also features an innovative spinning room, yoga studio, and climbing wall.
After the gym, there is no better place to go than the Fairmont Spa to rejuvenate those tired bones. Nine elegant treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room, hammam, and vitality pool make up the facilities, and there’s also a hairdresser and barber on-site. Featuring 111Skin and Sodashi facial and body treatments, Maroc Maroc hammam ceremonies, Himalayan salt-stone massages, and more, Fairmont Spa is the ultimate place to let yourself be pampered.
Is the restaurant worth its salt?
Yes, and there’s a good deal of choice, too. Masala Library tops the list; inspired by the culinary philosophy of the legendary Indian food writer and restaurateur Jiggs Kalra, the restaurant combines modern gastronomy techniques with time-honoured culinary traditions to form a uniquely contemporary dining experience that highlights flavours from the Indian Subcontinent. Masala Library’s menu is split into four “theatrical acts” that traverse the land and sea, translating the geographical highs and lows into thematic dishes that range from Chettinad spiced lobster dosa to Levant lamb seekh, peri-peri mango puchka to Chandi murgh tikka, and jalebi caviar to beef kakori kebabs with coriander tabbouleh.
Provok straddles the line between buzzy nightclub with upbeat music and ultra-hip restaurant with its juxtaposed fire-and-ice design concept, its open-plan floors encompassing two distinct dining areas as well as a balcony for unbelievable views of the city and beyond. Expect East Asian cuisine, but not as you know it—Provok fuses Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese flavours to create inventive dishes like the kimchi spätzle and Thousand Years xiaolongbao alongside a nigiri and uramaki sushi selection and teppanyaki plates.
As for the most colourful restaurant in Fairmont Doha, both in cuisine and interior, Vaya brings Central and South American flavours to an all-day dining venue—think everything from Mexican chicken quesadilla, stuffed Andean potatoes, Peruvian lomo saltado striploin steak, lobster and coconut milk ceviche, goat cheese flan, more besides.
Light bites are served at Dôme, the ground-floor pâtisserie counter situated underneath a supersized glass cloche. Pastries and cakes are paired with single-origin coffees and teas.
Do you want to spend Friday night in the lobby bar?
Fairmont Doha does not have a lobby bar, but guests can take part in an equally agreeable, if not more elevated drinks experience at the aforementioned Provok on the 33rd and 34th floors, where the cocktail menu shares the same DNA of Asian-influenced flavour fusion to create a vivid sensory experience. From the Yuwaki menu, the Red Wave—with lemongrass rum, Earl Grey sherbet, Chinese raspberry liqueur, lime juice, and egg white—is a revelation.
Would you buy the hotel if you could?
No doubt. If this is the direction that the Fairmont brand is headed in for its new generation of hotels, count us in—we expect to see great things in the coming months and years. Fairmont Doha’s strategic seafront location in Lusail—hailed as Qatar’s “city of the future”—also means it is at the forefront of the country’s rapid economic development; being in the centre of all that action is surely a good thing. Plus, the views from the high floors are simply phenomenal, and the chic design of the hotel brings joy to the soul.
Score: 8
What Our Score Means:
1–3: Fire your travel agent if they suggest you stay here.
4–6: Solid if you’re in a pinch—but only if you’re in a pinch.
7–8: Very good. We’d stay here again and recommend it without qualms.
9–10: Forget booking a week. When can we move in permanently?
All images courtesy of Fairmont Doha.
