I booked this hotel through the Qatar stopover program, which is something set up or collaborated by Qatar Airways to offer hotels, ranging from basic to luxurious beachfront hotels from one to 4 nights. This is targeted towards guests stopping over while flying with Qatar Airways. The hotels are highly discounted. It is only for passengers holding a Qatar Airways ticketed ticket. There are several hotels that you can choose from. For my one-night stay in Doha, I decided to stay at the Embassy Suites. The property looks good on pictures and it seems that the location is pretty nice. The property appears to be rather new too. I just wanted something affordable and simple since I would only be there for the night. I intend to check in late, check out early and out in the city. This will be my first time staying at an Embassy Suite.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked the base-level room and this time around I booked it through the Qatar Stopover Program. It is only open to passengers flying with Qatar Airways with a Qatar Airways-issued ticket. The program plans to introduce and promote the country. Hotels are offered at a huge discount and you can also choose the level of property you want to stay in. They range from 4-star properties to luxury beachfront properties. You can then choose the specific property you want to stay in. For booking via the Qatar Stopover Program, the payment is made straight away. They do have 3 days cancellation period. If anything is affected by your flights, you will be automatically covered. I managed to contact the hotel in advance to put down some requests and also to get them to tag my Hilton status. I wasn’t expecting them to accord me any privileges but that was insignificant as the rate was almost 70% cheaper than booking directly. I got upgraded by the hotel a couple of days ahead and it is even to their best Superior Seaview Suite. This suite would have cost around 1000 QAR a night. Getting it for just 38 SGD or 103 QAR is such a steal! I even get to earn around 4800 Hilton points. Information on the evening social hour was also provided. Do note that they have both smoking and non-smoking rooms over here so do make sure to inform them of your preference ahead to the hotel in advance. As a non-smoker. I hate and mind smoking room. Embassy Suites by Hilton Doha Old Town comes with 151 guest rooms and suites spread across 18 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size | No.of Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Studio | Yes | 36 Sqm | 12 |
| King Studio with Seaview | Yes | 36 Sqm | 16 |
| One Bedroom Suite | Maybe | 45 Sqm | 84 |
| One Bedroom Suite with Seaview | Maybe | 45 Sqm | 6 |
| One Bedroom Superior Suite with Seaview | Yes | 64 Sqm | 4 |
| Two Bedroom Suite | No | 45 Sqm | 27 |
Checking In
I got to the hotel at about 4pm. Even though I landed in Doha at around 1 pm, I went to check out some of the Qatar Lounge and got lunch in the lounge first before heading down to the hotel. One bad aspect about Doha right now is the ban of Uber from Doha Airport. You can only take a taxi ride from the airport which is much more expensive than a Uber ride. You can take an Uber to the airport. The ride is only about 15 minutes. There is a security check before you enter the lobby area. The hotel looks so fresh despite it being 2 years old.
I am very excited about my first-ever Embassy Suite stay. Upon arrival, the bell team came out to help me with my bags and to bring them through the security scanner. I appreciate the security which makes me more reassured. The hotel has a pretty grand lobby area. This is a lot better than I expected. I was warmly welcomed by the staff. It is very quiet at the hotel and barely anyone despite it being peak check-in hours. Check-in took quite some time despite there being no one. I was informed to be in their superior suite. This is a very surprising upgrade. Despite arriving at this time, the suite was not ready but the staff was rather nice and offered any other rooms or suites to me. She offered me another lower-level suite but since it is a smoking room, I didn’t want it. Given that I was headed out to check out the city, I came back in the evening to collect the key cards. By the lobby area is The Library and a sitting area of sorts. This is also where the Evening Reception is served. They only offered non-alcoholic drinks. I didn’t get to check it out since I was out exploring the city. It is a pretty cosy spot if you want a change of environment or get some work done.
One Bedroom Superior Seaview Suite
This is their best suite and the best category here. It measures a lovely 64 Sqm. That is an awesome elite treatment. I was assigned a suite on the highest floor of the hotel too which is on the 14th floor. Upon entering the suite, you can find an overflow area which is an additional storage area to the left. There is a wardrobe over here. This is a good spot for some of your bags and luggage. This is a full suite and it comes with a half bath. This is very useful and handy especially if you are having guests over or in a huge group. The suite can be connected to a room next door to make this into a two-bedroom suite.
The entrance sort of lets you in the middle of the living room. I love the modern warm finishes and the place is very well maintained. The living room is rectangular in configuration which allows for great use of space. The living space comes with a sofa set matched with armchairs which surround a coffee table. This could fit around 4 people nicely. Left on the tables are some dates and sweets. This is a very lovely amenity consisting of how much I paid.
Mounted on the wall is a large high-quality smart-screen television. It comes with a good number of both local and international cable TV channels. It is a good size for the suite.
The living room also comes with a full-size dining table with sitting for 4 pax. This will definitely be very useful if you are here on long-term stays or having some takeaways. The spot is cosy and lovely. The dining table also more or less acts as the working desk in the room. Outlets are available nearby and the wifi works well in the room.
The minibar area stretched along the side over here. They could have made this into a little kitchenette or a wet bar area. It can then be better equipped with a microwave or some sort. The space is very spacious over here. It is equipped with plenty of bottled water, a Nespresso coffee machine and a kettle. There is also a mini fridge that is left empty for your use below.
The suite comes with a view of the surrounding area and the sea in the far ground. I didn’t really get to see it since I literally arrived at 8pm and left at 5am. I left the blinds drawn most of the time. The windows are also really dusty. The bedroom is separated from the living room with a sliding door. This layout is handy if you need to get some work done or want a separate space. I always enjoyed having a barrier between the bedroom and the living room.
Immediately to the right, you can find the walk-in wardrobe which comes with three spacious wardrobes and a luggage compartment which could fit a carry-on size luggage well. There are plenty of hangers, bathrobes, bath slippers, a safe and laundry bags. Ironing kits and a hair dryer are also available here as well. It is rather surprising that they do not have any portable luggage stand provided.
The bathroom is the most flashing aspect of the suite and the bedroom. It is so spacious and impressive. 10 people could fit inside here. It comes with double doors and with frosted glass. This is nicer than some Hiltons out there. There are double sinks and plenty of counter space. All sorts of amenities are available here. I love the look of the mirror. The toilets and showers are located in separate rooms and on opposite sides.
The bathtub and standing shower are in the same showering space. The freestanding bathtub is huge and I love the set-up here as you can get from the tub into the shower easily without water from getting all over the place. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent. They use the same amenities as Hilton and DoubleTree. There are Crabtree and Evelyn products in large pump-size bottles.
The plush king-size bed is in the middle with plenty of pillows. I love that it is in a firmer size. The sheets were high quality and smooth. Flanking both sides of the beds you can find nightstands with controls for the lighting and power outlets. They even had USB ports here too. I appreciate that you can control the privacy or do not disturb sign right here. That is very convenient. There is also an alarm clock with a wireless charging pad.
Facing the bed is another television which is of a similar size to the one in the living room. It is almost an exact replica of the one in the living room.
While this might be negligible, I would prefer if they have key card access for each floor in the elevators. The noise insulation is also not very good as I can hear the traffic even when I am on the 13th floor.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on the 4th floor of the hotel. It is open 24 hours and you can use it anytime during your stay. This might be a thing over here in the Middle East, they have separate facilities for both males and females. Both of them are a replica of each other. The place is lovely and bright. The equipment is well-maintained and clean. The gym overlooks the stadium nearby and it is quite a nice one if you need to get some work out. You can find all the usual equipment.
Swimming Pool
The hotel comes with an outdoor rooftop pool which is open daily from 8am to 8pm. The pool is located beside the terrace area. The place is quite a nice area, especially in the evening when the weather is cooler. The regular-size layout allows for laps to be done. I love that they had these semi-submerged daybeds in the water as well as some daybeds on the side. There are also some cabanas available on a first come first serve basis.
The place comes with a nice view of the surrounding area. It will be nice to come in the evening and to catch the sunset. There is also a jacuzzi on the side.
Conclusion
I did spend much time over here given my tight schedule. It is a relatively short stay. I was in and out in less than 12 hours and most of these were out in the city too. It is just to shower and sleep. I didn’t manage to check out the Evening Reception and Breakfast. I did enjoy my stay. It is modern and well-maintained. I appreciate the generous upgrade from the hotel. This is a solid 4-star property that is relatively new. I will have no qualms about coming back again for another stay the next time I am in Doha. The value is unbeatable when booking via the Qatar Stopover Program. Don’t miss out on this. I will highly recommend it if you are having a transit or stopover here. Pretty good experience for my first Embassy Suites stay.
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