K108 Hotel

Stay: 16 February 2017 (Thursday)
Booked by: Agoda
Paid: QAR 268
Room: 405

Everybody will ask the origin of the strange name "K108".
I was told before, "K" is the initial of the owner, a Qatari minister, and "108" is the total number of the rooms.

The hotel is totally a nice hotel, with nicely designed.
The lobby is beautifully designed with curved ceiling.

It was my second time staying in this hotel, the first was in 2013 during a business trip in Qatar.
It was not changed at all, I can say.

Normally, this hotel is over my weekend getaway budget, but that week, the price was relatively lower than usual.
Booked with Agoda at QAR 268 for single stay, while it was QAR 275 at Booking.com for double stay.
Got Room 406 (facing the back and only shower), but I requested the Receptionist to change with a room with bath tub, then got Room 405, which was nicely facing the front and with a nice bath tub.

With Agoda, the cost with breakfast was additional QAR 20, which was quite a bargain considering adding the breakfast at site costed QAR 65.
But when I checked the breakfast meal, it looked very basic.
I wanted to order the famous burger, but it was available only after 11AM.

Regarding the restaurant Yum Yum, it was quite popular and had good review.
Initially, it has a Michelin star chef from France, but he left.
A friend told me it was good before, but not anymore after the chef left.
Their popular one was the hamburger, which was not on the menu.

I used the gym, which was quite nice, located on the rooftop. The equipment was ok, pretty standard.
The pool was nice too, with temperature controlled water.
The view from the rooftop was quite nice, we could see the corniche in the far.

Will come back to stay, and to try their burger.
I heard the profit was for the charity purpose.

One thing bothered me was the drinking hotel boiler.
The small device produced hot water with plastic smell.
By the way, as complimentary, 2 small mineral water bottles and 2 softdrink cans were provided for free.

La Villa Hotel

Stay: 12 January 2017 (Thursday)
Booked by: Agoda
Paid: QAR 189
Room: 608

Located near Ghanim Bus Terminal, behind Kingsgate Hotel, 5 minutes walking from Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA).
Chose here because joining Ooredoo Marathon the next day early morning.

What I liked:
- Location, in souq areas, about 5-10 minutes walking from Museum of Islamic Arts and Souq Wakif. Lots of local restaurants and shops around.
- Good value, one of the cheapest options in Doha, renovated room.
- Room was small but bed was big. Room with window, good soundproofing glass window.

What I didn't like:
- No water kettle in the room. I ordered hot water for drink from the Room Service, they brought me a pot of hot water, but the taste of the water was awful, it was the taste of the plastic pot. In their newer branch La Villa Palace Hotel (I stayed in the previous week), it was available in the room.
- No hairdryer in the room. I tried to borrow but they said it was not available. In their newer branch La Villa Palace Hotel (I stayed in the previous week), it was available in the room.
- Room soundproofing was not good, could hear noise from the hall and other rooms.
- Shower door could not be closed tightly that water come out during shower causing floor wet. But better than La Villa Palace which had no choice than flooding the whole bathroom floor during shower.
- Morning call was 10 minutes late.
- Mold on the clothed wrapped drawer next to the bed.
- Wifi sometime stopping.

La Villa Palace Hotel

Stay: 6 January 2017 (Thursday)
Booked by: Agoda
Paid: QAR 189
Room: 307

Newly opened hotel by renovating previous building.
Sister hotel with "La Villa Hotel" and "La Villa Inn".
Good value, though the room was small.
Many doors, seems like they made now smaller rooms from the original building bigger rooms.

What I liked:
- The staffs were friendly.
- The water kettle was provided in the room and the hair dryer too. Two water bottles were provided.
- The location, surrounding many local shops.
- Though I didn't use it, there was a small gym.
- Though I didn't use it, there was a large private parking in the hotel (not on the road).

What I didn't like:
- The shower, all over the bathroom floor was wet after shower since there was nothing to prevent the shower water flooding the whole floor. No bath tub.
- The room wall was thin, so I could hear people checked out in the morning. Also the pigeon/doves voice woke me up from the window.

Souq Wakif Boutique Hotel

Stay: 23-26 December 2016 (3 nights)
Booked by: Direct booking
Paid: QAR 1850 (3 nights, with breakfast for 3 persons with extra bed)
Room: 103

Booked this hotel for my family visit to Qatar.

The hotel concept was magnificent, a collection of 8 boutique hotels (buildings) inside the great Souq Wakif, Qatar number one tourist spot, nearby the other biggest tourist spots like Corniche and Museum of Islamic Arts.

The design of each hotel was nice too, they were boutique hotels anyway.

However, the above might be the only good things about this hotel.

What I didn't like:
- The reservation team, namely Hassan and Hany. Their responses were not timely, their follow-ups were bad and many emails were not responded. I requested also them to arrange the visa for my family, but they informed the visa was rejected just one day after application without further information.
- The receptionist, namely Sameer. He insisted my booking was a room for 3 persons without extra bed. I had to argue with him, telling him how come he asked us to sleep in a double bed room for 3 persons without an extra bed, before finally he called the hotel reservation team and got the correct info that my booking was with extra bed. Even after the confirmation, he informed us that no extra bed was available, all was booked long time ago. I told him that I booked the extra bed 2 months before. Finally another hotel staff, not wearing jacket suit like Sameer, informed me that he would arrange an extra bed from other building.
All 3 staffs mentioned above were proud Arabic who didn't know to work in hospitality.
- The room was small, comparatively small, considering the room price.
- The swimming pool was small, the gym, though large, was not well equipped. The jacuzzi had to be operated myself (was no water).

What was nice:
- The other staff like the room boys. They were of South Indians, friendly and better educated in serving guests than above mentioned 3 Arabic staff.

Gulf Horizon Hotel

Stay: 30 December 2016 (Thursday)
Booked by: Booking.com
Paid: QAR 200
Room: 209

What I liked: 

- Location, in the middle of souqs, walkable distance to corniche, MIA and Souq Wakif. Many cheap restaurants and shops around. 

- Staffs were nice. 

- Room was large. 

- Old hotel but repainted.

What I didn't like:
- Breakfast was so so.
- No water warmer or boiler for drink.
- Wi-Fi was slow.
- Spring bed was old and too soft.

Ezdan Hotel

Other visits: http://joelqatar.blogspot.qa/search/label/Hotel%3A%20Ezdan


Stay: 1 December 2016 (Thursday)
Booked by: Booking.com
Paid: QAR 239
Room: 43003 (Tower 4, Floor 30, Room 03)

Got Tower Room with corniche view, nice view of West Bays towers.
First time they provided 3 apples in the room.

Ordered Shawarma Platter for QAR 25 at Room Service, was nice.

The swimming pool water was quite cold, but got used after swimming a while.
Some people with nice bodies.

During check out, the receptionist asked to wait for the room check. The same receptionist who asked me to wait, then engaged to other customers, resulted I had to wait for long time before I could leave.

Ezdan Hotel, Stay

Stay: 10 November 2016 (Thursday)
Booked by: Agoda.com
Paid: QAR 225
Room: 43501 (Tower 4, Floor 35, Room 01)

For the many times I stayed in this place.
This time booked Agoda.com.
The reception told me that I booked Tower Room, but got free upgrade to Superior Room

Among my many stays here, this time I got the best room due to the view, of corniche (sea side) and the towers between.

What I like:
- The gym and the pool, it's my ritual now on Fridays.
- The restaurants outside the hotel, especially Mokarabia and Remman Cafe.
- The room facilities, i.e. hot drinking water boiler, hair dryer, complimentary bottled water.
- The room service pizza was great, QAR 25 for 2 pizzas (small size), but it took long to come.
- The 24h open supermarket inside.
- Late check out at 2pm.

What I don't like:
- The swimming pool water was too cold.
- The receptionist lady was lack of smile.

Royal Qatar Hotel

Stay Date: 3 Nov. 2016
Booked by: Agoda.com
Price: QAR 212

Positive points:
- Within walking distance (5 minutes) from Souq Wakif.
- The room was OK considering the price.
- Water boiler for coffee and hair dryer were provided.
- Pool was small in the back side of the hotel, but OK.
- Nearby there is supermarket to buy additional drinking water etc.

Bad points:
- The gym was a bedroom converted to a gym, and there was timing for men and women (morning time only for women).
- Visitor could not enter the room after midnight, and this was not informed during the check-in.

Horizon Manor Hotel, Stay

Stay:
- 20-Oct-16 (QAR 220 by Agoda)
- 18-Aug-16 (QAR 250 by Booking.com)


What I like:
- Location, near Museum of Islamic Arts and Souq Wakif, both about 10-15 minutes walking. There is a supermarket called Kabayan, 2 minutes walking. Also several small restaurant (tried the one called Top Corniche for breakfast, paid QAR 10 for 3 parotha with chicken curry, which was not yummy, and QAR 11 for large orange juice).
- The clubs, there are 3 clubs, Krossroad, Fahrenheit and a British Pub. By staying in the hotel, no need to make a membership and the entrance is free (QAR 80 for Krossroad). Krossroad has a good live band.
- The roof top view, the view of Museum of Islamic Art, the souq and the corniche.


What I didn't like:
- The bath tab is too small, that I couldn't lengthen my leg.
- The gym, while the view is good (facing Museum of Islamic Art), the equipment is not many. Need a bench press with side guide.
- The pool, while the location in the rooftop is good, but it is small and too deep. Towel provision is good.


I didn't take it, but the breakfast looked not bad, and worth QAR 49.

the view from rooftop

the view from rooftop

the view from rooftop

Parotha and Chicken Curry at Top Corniche Restaurant, in front of the hotel

Doha Downtown Hotel, Stay

Booked at Agoda for QAR 260.

What I liked:
- Location is considered good since the good and popular restaurants are nearby, like Yee Hwa and Lo Spaghetto. In the same building there is 24h open cafe Java U too.
- The facilities, including the pool, jacuzzi and saunas, though they are not really well maintained. The gym was OK.
- The room facilities with kitchen, water boiler, hair dryer, and I like the hard bed.

What I didn't like:
- I was stay at Ground floor room, no window.
- No bath tub in the room, though in Agoda it was mentioned with bath tub mark.
- The facilities were not well maintained. The water fountain in the swimming pool was not working.