The Movenpick Hotel – Doha
Stuck here for 24 hours due to a missed connection thanks to Qatar being late out of London and I have to say – boring – boring – boring! Hot – 43 degrees at 12.00 so walking is not really an option, I enquired about a shopping centre, people and air conditioning being the attraction. The nearest one was closed due to an electrical fault, the better one was a 75 Riyals (15/20 minute) ride away and I just could not face it.
The hotel room is nice enough, quite large and roomy, with a comfortable bed and a decent rain shower, but it is over the bath and I am not a fan of that. The internet, both Wi Fi and Broadband simply refused to work in my room, and the promised technician never showed despite a couple of chase ups. In the end I decided the world could wait until I get home anyway.
I got the TV to work for a while, Al Jazeera (English) and BBC World were watchable but got boring, the sport seemed to consist of volleyball and unless you are a cartoon fan that was about it. Then the sound packed up. The temperature control on the air was touchy and I fluctuated between hot and cold and no real middle ground.
I was allowed breakfast lunch and dinner, all in the same 1st floor buffet restaurant –plus one refreshment (I grabbed a coffee downstairs) – and for lunch and dinner the menu basically did not change, they just shuffled the dished around. I swear the Sea Bass was the same fish, in the same dish for over 8 hours. It looked revolting. Breakfast was OK, everything else very ordinary. I asked for a second Perrier at dinner but because I had used my “refreshment voucher” this was refused. Charge my room – nope they had no mechanism for that, or simply did not understand it.
The view from the 26th floor was the best thing about the hotel, and not just because I could see the airport and therefor had a clear escape route. The Four Seasons opposite and the Hilton across the way a bit both looked nice and there is a lot of development going on around this area.
I will say the hotel staff are all keen, mostly helpful, except for the internet technician and especially at the front desk and concierge desk where they communicate very well. No booze of course but I could get a mocktail, if I had not used my refreshment voucher, but there you go!
I will not be sorry to say farewell to Doha, and I have to say on what I have seen I will not hurry back.
Written by : Peter Watson
Hmmmmmm, wrong person to upset Peter. I would say that you have a very fair claim here. I was about to make bookings in the near future with this airline, despite previously working for QF for 22yrs, (Another Story), however will now put plans on hold whilst I watch how they deal.
I presume you were travelling in a premium cabin, hence at least some action.!!!