Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha have welcomed their first guests, marking both brands’ debut in Qatar. 

The dual-branded, five-star properties in the U-shaped Katara Towers are currently exclusively open to Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 guests and the VIP delegation. The hotels will welcome guest room reservations once the tournament finishes on December 18. 

Raffles Doha is reportedly Qatar’s only all-suite hotel, home to 132 suites offering personalised butler service, bespoke amenities and views of the Doha skyline.

The property also boasts nine spa and fitness suites, each with their own treatment rooms, with some offering private outdoor terraces and plunge pools. 

The hotel features four food and beverage outlets including Raffles Doha’s Alba, the first overseas outpost for the celebrated restaurant by chef Enrico Crippa; L’Artisan, which offers modern dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Blue Cigar, a lounge which boasts 6,000 literary classics and a bespoke cigar collection; and the Malaki Lounge, which spans the atrium lounge and ground floor and will mainly be used for afternoon tea.

At Fairmont Doha, guests will find 270 rooms, 92 suites, four themed suites and one presidential suite – all inspired by the interiors of luxury yachts.

The property houses an exclusive lifestyle floor, Fairmont Gold, which offers a hotel-within-a-hotel experience with gold mosaic wall tiling, rich wood panelling and a large furnished terrace with panoramic coastline views. 

Restaurants at the hotel will include Masala Library, offering ‘progressive’ Indian cuisine from restaurateur, television host and author Jiggs Kalra; Vaya, a restaurant with open kitchens and interactive service stations where south American-inspired dishes and drinks are prepared table-side; and Dôme, a stylish tea lounge designed for afternoon tea and French-inspired drinks and nibbles.