Where to stay in Doha: Mondrian Doha
After we booked a stop over in Doha with Qatar Airways, I knew we were in for a treat. The Qatar Airways stop over experience comes with an almost free hotel choice (as low as $14 a night). However, we opted to pay a little bit more to stay at the Mondrian Doha. It was one of the hotels in their 5 star luxury hotel package. Was this worth it you might ask? Keep reading to seen my honest review of the hotel. A little spoiler alert: If you are thinking of where to stay in Doha, Mondrian Doha is an epic choice. Now, let me tell you why.
You see, this trip was one we booked to relax after the crazy start to the year. Our hotel was going to be one that we needed to spend a lot of time in. So choosing the Mondrian Doha was very intentional. I will admit that I had not seen pictures anywhere, which is quite unlike me. I usually see a hotel I like (mostly on Instagram), then save it in my “hotels to stay in” album.
Then when I get around to researching a location, I look through the album to see if I have saved a hotel for said location. This was not the case with Mondrian Doha. I just always knew I’d like to stay in a Mondrian hotel. So when I saw this as one of the options to book for the stop over experience; albeit paying a little more, I was extremely chuffed.
READ: 72 HOURS IN DOHA, QATAR
Arriving at The Mondrian Doha
We booked airport transfer from Hamad International Airport so our car was waiting when we landed. It was a 40 minutes drive to the hotel and we arrived quite early in the morning. After the long flight, we were so tired and I was worried about not having the option of an early check in. Once we arrived, concierge met us and loaded our suitcases to the trolley. We were ushered into the hotel, had a short security airport-like search and walked to reception.
Now, this is where the magic started.
One of the staff brought a balloon for a very tired Adanna and she perked up in excitement immediately. Then, we were asked if we wanted a room upgrade in celebration of Ramadan for 75% off. I love a free upgrade so tbh, I was not ready to pay any extras. Then he announced it would cost an extra 250QAR (£50) a night to upgrade to one of their best suites. Mr E and I looked at each other and we knew it was an offer we could not say no to. Bear in mind that this hotel came quite cheap since we booked it as part of the “stop over experience”
About Mondrian Doha, one of the best hotels in Doha
According to Conde Nast Traveller, Mondrian Doha is one of the best hotels in Qatar. This hotel is simply a work of art. Before we even got to the hotel, Mr E noticed the architecture just as we turned the corner. I remember him getting excited when the driver pointed out the hotel as we drove towards it.
Mondrian Doha is located in the shopping and entertainment district if the West Bay Lagoon area. It is a very prime area with easy access to Lusail City, the Pearl etc
It is an architecture lovers dream; having been designed by Marcel Wanders. The inspiration behind the design is the work of Dutch Artist, Piet Mondrian. It is bold, creative, eclectic and wow-ing. From when you step into the lobby area, you are transported to something and somewhere rather interesting.
The Mondrian Doha is a top choice for where to stay in Doha. I was not prepared for how epic this hotel was and was stunned to silence several times.
Breakfast at the Mondrian Doha
I love booking a hotel with breakfast especially when you are visiting during Ramadan. We went down on the first morning and the breakfast space was incredible. The room was decorated in white and gold; with the exposed kitchen area ready to prepare whatever was requested. Hot food, cold food, sweet treats, hot drinks, cold drinks, pancakes (my favourite), French toast etc where all available.
Adanna loves pork sausages so I was a little worried she wouldn’t enjoy the chicken sausages. Not my daughter! She loved it and the freshly squeezed orange juice made her a very happy girl.
Restaurants at Mondrian Doha
The hotel is very popular for its cuisine. There are a number of restaurants, a coffee house, rooftop bar and even a nightclub. We were there during Ramadan so a lot of dining was paused in the daytime but we were still able to enjoy the culinary experiences.
There was Walima Doha for Middle Eastern cuisine and Ella Mia Doha for afternoon tea, coffee & cakes. For fine dining and Japanese cuisine, Morimoto is a great choice.
Our Room at Mondrian Doha
We upgraded to the Deluxe Loft Suite that overlooked the Pearl and I gasped once we walked in. To your left was a guest toilet and shower (you know, incase your guests needed one). This mini shower room was flanked by wardrobe spaces; one contained an iron and ironing board.
We walked further in and were met with a huge living area with sofas that could be beds. There was a dining area too. See this place was big enough to actually accommodate 2 beds lol. To the other side was a desk, which had been carefully placed to give whoever used it some privacy.
We walked into the bedroom and it was so beautiful. There is another closet to the side with a huge mirror as if the one by the entrance was not enough.
My absolute favourite part of the room was the bathroom, which was open plan.
The massive stand-alone tub romantically peeked into the room; next to it was the huge rainfall shower and sink. Toilets were tucked away to the side and the whole area just screamed calm and wealth.
What I loved about Mondrian Doha
Swimming Pool
This might actually be the most stunning swimming pool I have seen in my life. It was designed with the same opulence of the rest of the hotel and was just mesmerising. The swimming pool is located within the hotel; it is indoors and heated which I loved. It just felt like another place to relax and enjoy the wonderful hotel. Thanks to visiting during Ramadan, it was empty every time we visited. I will admit that this might have cemented my pick for where to stay in Doha.
The Spa facilities
Although I did not have any spa treatments, I peeked and it was very beautiful, as you might have guessed. My plan was to have a spa treatment in our next destination so I gave Mondrian Doha a pass. This might have been a regret because it meant I only visited the spa on our last day. If I had know it was that beautiful, I would have had a pedicure or anything at all; just to experience it a bit more.
The Lift
Yes, you read it correctly; the lift was magnificent. You push your key card against the fob and the doors open. The next thing you see as you walk into the lift is a mural of a majestic horse. There is also a wall-to-wall mirror to the left- duh…for epic mirror lift selfies. However, it was the mural or painting or whatever that was, that captivated me. In total, we must have used at least 4 of the 8 lifts and they all had different colour schemes. However, the one thing that was the same was the horse art on the walls – dare I say again, Magnificent.
Service
Now you already know that I am very big on service. Infact I judge a hotel mainly by its level of service. Mondrian Doha was exceptional. The only other hotel experience I have had in the Middle East was at Fairmont Dubai. I was not expecting anything less and I was not disappointed.
From when I had sent the mail informing them that I’d be visiting with my baby, everything was top notch. Adanna won’t forget the balloon she received when we checked in as it was such a sweet gesture. There was nothing too difficult for them to organise and everything was possible. We enjoyed the fantastic service when we ordered room service and the daily housekeeping as well.
We were allowed early check-in; infact the earliest we have ever had. Check-in is usually at 3pm but we arrived at 6am and were shown our room without a problem.
Since we were only there for 3 days, we were very particular about where we wanted to visit. Trust me, I had my itinerary to hand lol. One of the concierges mapped it out with me, advised what tour to go on and arranged it for us. He even rang the tour company ahead to ask for a car seat for Adanna.
Is Mondrian Doha family friendly?
Now, I will admit that I did not research how family friendly it was before we went. When searching for where to stay in Doha, I was keen on experiencing the luxury that Middle East hotels offer. I just knew I wanted to stay at the Mondrian so was not so concerned with the extras.
However, I emailed ahead as I always do when I book hotels. I explained that we would be visiting with out toddler and they had her cot waiting in the room. At breakfast, there was a high chair and kids menu for her to choose from. They had special pancakes for kids and were happy to make any thing she wanted. However, there is no kids club. I would say that this hotel is for parents who want a very stylish experience; looking to explore Doha during the day and have an epic hotel to come back to afterwards.
Where to stay in Doha: Mondrian Doha
I think we went at a fantastic time when we were able to enjoy the hotel much more than normal. As it was Ramadan season, the hotel was not busy at all. We were told that it was the busiest during the 2022 world cup. We were also told that it gets busy when there are conferences and events happening in Doha. However it was pretty quiet for us when we went. Mondrian Doha is perfect for couples and families; of which we met a few. The 2 couples were on their honeymoon; one enroute Maldives and the other, Thailand. The families we met were also enroute Maldives.
As I have learned with the Middle East, Luxury is proper fancy. Mondrian Doha is a 5 star hotel so I was not expecting less but it did blow us away. This is especially considering the cost. When I did my calculations (I’m a spreadsheet girl haha), we technically paid £133 per night for this much luxury. This includes the upgrade we went for and original cost of the hotel in the “luxury stop over” category.
It is one hotel I would gladly go back to over and over. For someone who loves to experience new hotels each time, this is a very big statement. Adanna loved it, Mr E loved it and I loved it too.
Bisous, Bugo x
One Comment
Tiese Etim-Inyang
Absolutely exquisite! Wow!! The Qataris really do not play with their luxury and I love that it wasn’t just a beautiful space but the food and service were great as well. Definitely saving for my next visit!