Doha Hotels

Doha, the capital city of the Arabian Gulf country of Qatar, is a fascinating mix of old and new. It has many historic sites and old buildings and yet is one of the Middle East's most modern and thriving cities. The high rise urban skyline contrasts with the traditional boats or dhows in the quay and the emptiness of the surrounding desert. Visitors will be delighted to find that many Doha hotels are the height of luxury.

Doha was founded in 1850 as Al-Bida and is located about half way down the eastern side of the Qatar peninsular. It was made the country's capital in 1916 when Qatar was a British protectorate and remained the capital when Qatar became an independent nation in 1971. Today it is an important business center and a bustling tourist hub.

There is plenty to see and do in the city ranging from museums and historic sites to cultural and leisure experiences. Whether you want to visit the Middle East's largest shopping complex at the City Center Doha, take a boat trip out to one of the islands, enjoy a 4x4 desert safari or explore the Qatar National Museum, you are sure to find something to occupy your time.

Finding somewhere to stay in Doha should not be a problem. Doha hotels range from five star luxury to basic comforts at a budget price. Almost all hotels and apartments are air conditioned to cope with the heat of the summer. The majority of the hotels are modern with comfortable furnishings and plenty of facilities.

The five and four star Doha hotels offer guests a luxurious experience with spacious, well equipped rooms and a wide variety of leisure facilities on offer including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and wellness centers, gyms and private beaches. Most of these hotels have a choice of restaurants offering both international and regional dishes and many have tea rooms where guests can sample many different varieties of tea. Some hotels have bars and nightclubs serving alcohol. These hotels have 24 hour reception desks, tour desks and concierge service to look after the every need of their guests.

If you don't want to splash out on luxury, most of the cheaper hotels are in good locations with plenty of facilities including 24 hour reception desks, swimming pools, room service, restaurants and tea rooms.

Qatar has grown into a major business center in the Middle East and the Doha Convention Bureau was established in 2003 to promote the city internationally as a center for conventions and exhibitions. The Bureau also plans and co-ordinates any events in Qatar. The Qatar International Exhibition Center is in the heart of the city, close to all the major hotels and has a huge expanse of indoor and outdoor exhibition space as well as facilities to look after both exhibitors and visitors. Most of the major Doha hotels have facilities to cater for business travelers and are able to host meetings and conventions themselves.

Whether visiting the city for business or pleasure, there is plenty for the visitor to do. Doha itself is an interesting city to explore with many museums such as the Qatar National Museum, which has exhibitions outlining the history of the nation, Doha Fort which displays traditional crafts or the Ethnographic Museum, which is a restored traditional Qatari house.

If you prefer shopping to museums the modern City Center Doha complex is full of high street and designer stores or try the traditional souqs or markets where you will find all sorts of goods including food, clothing, perfume, crafts, carpets and household goods. Souq Waqif is the oldest souq and like the rest it is full of sounds and aromas. Expect to haggle rather than see a price tag.

Doha is on the coast and the city has a long crescent-shaped cornice running along the sea front. The harbor is full of traditional dhow boats and there are plenty of boat trips available out to sea and to the many islands off the coast. Just a short 10-minute boat trip from the Corniche is Palm Tree Island which is the playground of Doha. The island is set up for family entertainment and there are a host of swimming pools and beach areas, a children's play area, attractive gardens and plenty of restaurants and cafes.

If you want to get out of the city try a desert safari. There are many companies offering 4x4 tours over the sand dunes to an inland sea. These tours can be a real adventure and offer unequalled views of the desert.

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