Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Sharq Village and Spa

21 Jan 2010 by Mark Caswell

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The Sharq Village and Spa – one of two properties in Doha operated by Ritz-Carlton – is not your average business hotel. Open since 2007, it’s more of a holiday resort, with 14 Arabic-style villas connected by pristine pathways, a 350-metre private beach, palm trees and azure swimming pools. And not only does it have one of the largest spas in the Middle East, it has one of the most expensive accommodation offerings – the 2,000 sqm Royal Villa costs about QR 45,000 (£7,500) a night.

However, it is very convenient for business travellers, being a ten- to 15-minute drive to the city centre (depending on traffic) and five-minute drive from Doha International airport. The one drawback to this, though, is that it is positioned directly beneath the flight path, so the peace and quiet is frequently interrupted by the roar of aircraft engines overhead.

Staff are very welcoming and professional, always opening doors, offering assistance and wishing you a good day. The lobby makes for a grand entrance with features including marble floors, a Swarovski glass chandelier – hand blown to look like long drops of golden honey, comfy sofas and elaborate displays of fresh flowers. As with all the villas, there are no lifts, as everything is located on either the ground or the first floor.

WHERE IS IT? On the coast of the Persian Gulf, five minutes from the airport and facing the skyline of the city centre across the bay. The famous attractions of Souk Waqif, the Corniche and the Museum of Islamic Art, which opened in November 2008, are all close by.

ROOM FACILITIES The amenities in the rooms are more or less the same, but guests get a choice of either sea views or less scenic “garden” views. In-room features that come as standard include a private outdoor terrace with a table and chairs, a four-poster bed, Arabic-style dark wood furniture, air conditioning, lights that dim, a minibar stocked with snacks and alcohol, an espresso machine, a 32-inch plasma screen TV, private butler service, evening turndown, wired and wifi internet access (QR 100/£17 for 24 hours), and a marble bathroom with a walk-in rainshower, a bathtub, Bulgari toiletries, slippers and a robe.

Irons and ironing boards are not provided but when I called the front desk to ask for one they were quick to oblige. A couple of things I had issues with were, firstly, that the chair by the workdesk was too low for typing, and the water for the shower in the bathroom took a good ten minutes to heat up.  But all in all, I found everything I needed. The décor was also pleasing – understated and unostentatious for a modern Middle Eastern hotel such as this.

HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 14 villas each with a private courtyard, and between them hold 174 rooms and suites (124 Deluxe rooms, 25 Premium rooms, 16 Deluxe King suites, eight two bedroom suites and the Royal Villa, which has eight bedrooms). Standard Deluxe rooms measure about 48 sqm, with suites from 105 sqm.

ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The extremely comfortable four-poster bed, the minibar with a good selection of snacks and alcoholic drinks, the espresso maker and the traditional Arabic style of design to interiors and exteriors.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS There are a number of drinking and dining options at the hotel but the only one I tried was Al Liwan on the ground floor, just off the lobby. It is open for breakfast lunch and dinner (6.30am-12am), and is a spacious venue with an outdoor terrace facing the swimming pools.

This is the place to come for a taste of top-class Arabic mezze – it serves an extravagant buffet of hot and cold starters, mains and desserts. (Although this is what it specialises in, à la carte cuisine is also available.) In fact, there is so much food that you would need a week to try every dish. Favourites were the hummous, babaganough (roasted eggplant pure with lemon juice, garlic and pomegranate syrup), delicate pitta bread, stuffed vine leaves and the delicious lemon juice and fresh mint drink.

Al Dana (open 12pm-3pm and 7pm-11pm daily) is the hotel’s signature seafood restaurant, while Al Jasa, also just off the lobby, is a luxuriously cosy place to select a cake and a cup of tea (there are 27 different varieties). Beyond is a colonial-style cigar lounge (open 4pm-1am) with a beautiful frieze behind the bar made from custom carved Egyptian Marmar stone that reflects light, which makes it look like it is actually lit from behind.

Al Wanis shisha terrace is on the roof but when I visited in January, it had been closed due to a new law stating that smoking water pipes in hotels is banned. Alcohol is available at all the hotel’s restaurants and bars, except in the lobby lounge.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel has more than 1,100 sqm of meeting space, located to the left of the lobby on the ground floor, with a separate entrance for events, and a large foyer for breakouts. There are two ballrooms (each divisible into two) with crystal chandeliers and a capacity of up to 300 in each. There is also a boardroom for eight delegates. Wifi is free in the public areas.

LEISURE FACILITIES As well as a “souk” with high-end retail outlets, salons, a perfumery and a bank, the hotel has a private beach with sun loungers and 1,500 sqm of outdoor freshwater swimming pools (two in total – one of which is an infinity pool). There is also the Six Senses spa, a 6,600 sqm facility built in traditional Arabic style – rustic interiors with whitewashed walls, stone floors, hand-woven textiles, heavy wooden doors and some very soothing water features that incorporate rusty chains and smooth grey pebbles.

Apart from the noise of the planes flying overhead several times an hour, it is a truly relaxing retreat. There are 23 treatment rooms, a private outdoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness centre, saunas and steam rooms, cold and hot baths, heated marble wet beds, and a tranquillity room. I had a 30-minute foot massage that was very therapeutic. A “jet lag recovery” massage is also available. The spa is open daily from 6am to 11pm and treatments are available 9am-9.30pm. The facilities are free for all guests to use.

VERDICT A truly luxurious resort hotel with an excellent spa and great food offerings. A five-minute drive from the airport, it’s ideally located for business travellers, and while modern, is a characterful alternative to the high-rise hotels downtown.

PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in March started from QR 1,229 (£206) for a Deluxe room.

CONTACT Sharq Village and Spa, Doha; tel +974 4256 666; ritzcarlton.com

Jenny Southan

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