TRIED & TESTED
Marriot Marquis City Centre Doha; The Venetian Macau; Cathay Pacific A330-300; Qatar Airways B777-300ER
BACKGROUND Previously combined properties of Renaissance and Courtyard by Marriott, a rebranding exercise in 2014 led to the inception of Marriott Marquis City Centre. Marriott Executive Apartments are still situated in the South Tower of the property.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Since it is a combined property of two hotels that were fairly large, Marriott Marquis City Centre is big and opulent. The lobby is breezy and spacious with welcoming staͿ that politely take care of your luggage. A large mural of a tree behind the reception and an elaborate light installation are signature elements of the lobby. On the left of the ground level are Glo Cocktail Bar and elevators to the North Tower. Towards the right is West End Cafe and Patisserie and elevators to the South Tower. It has the largest inventory in Doha with 577 rooms after the amalgamation of the Marriott properties. The staͿ was gracious enough to ready our Business suite before the check-in time, as our Áight arrived quite early in the morning at Doha Airport.
WHERE IS IT? Hamad International Airport is 20 minutes away, but Doha’s trac is unpredictable at odd hours (very early or late afternoon are peak hours here). It is close to popular tourist attractions such as Katara Cultural Village and the Pearl. The hotel directly connects to the City Centre mall and hailing a taxi is easy considering you are in the heart of the city.
ROOM FACILITIES Our Business suite on the 32nd Áoor overlooked a stunning cityscape. With French windows spanning across the area, the suite is divided into a living room and a bedroom. The workspace is at the entrance with an additional couch and ergonomic seat. Very residential in its feel, the living room is comfortable and comparatively larger than the usual suite. An edgy yellow and blue carpet sprawls across both the spaces complementing an ochre wallpaper in the bedroom. There are two large LCD televisions in both the rooms. An additional desk placed in the bedroom is equipped with power sockets that I used to charge my devices. On the right of the bedroom is the minibar, wardrobe with electronic safe, a nespresso coͿee machine, and the marble bathroom. The living room has a separate lavatory as well. An iron and ironing board was provided in the room and service was prompt. As a guest of the Business suite, we could access the Executive Lounge on the 42nd Áoor that oͿers breakfast, canapps and nonalcoholic beverages throughout the day and holds happy hours in the evenings. A special access key card was handed over to access this lounge. WiÀ is free.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
There are varied options to pick from here. We dined at the bustling Brazilian restaurant Ipanema that prides itself on 15 types of meat, as well as its signature cocktails. Breakfast is laid at Crossroads Kitchen, which serves an impressive buͿet of diverse cuisines including select Indian preparations. Champions Sports Bar is its vivacious lounge for sports enthusiasts, Cucina is the Italian restaurant, Aqua Lounge is by the pool. Meat lovers can enjoy New York Steakhouse, while Quick Bites is an interesting stopover for a meal on the go. There is also Aziza for Lebanese food and an interesting Voda Bar at West End Cafe and Patisserie that serves exotic Áavours of water.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES Sprawling across 1,858 sqm are its 15 meeting rooms. All rooms are equipped with audio-video facilities and wiÀ. Its Al Areen Grand Ballroom can accommodate 700 guests and can be partitioned into six.
LEISURE FACILITIES Saray Spa oͿers Dead Sea inspired treatments. There is also a Àtness centre and heated swimming pool on level 7.
VERDICT A modern business hotel in the middle of the city. Ideal for business travellers looking to indulge in a bit of leisure.