The Doha Gulf Marriott Hotel in Qatar's capital has undergone a major refurbishment including the opening of a new spa to further strengthen its position as a "preferred hotel for business travel" in the city.
The hotel's pool deck is currently undergoing renovations which are expected to complete next month. The new spa offers the latest beauty treatments as well as fitness classes, a state-of-the-art gym and a Turkish bath to create "the finest well-being facility" in Qatar. "It offers a natural place for relaxation," says general manager Joe Batshon. "The perfect indulgence and escape from daily life pressures with extensive services on hand in a relaxed and warm atmosphere." As an answer to dehydrated skins common in the Gulf region due to extreme climatic conditions, Doha Marriott Spa offers beauty therapists who undertake cleaning, toning and massaging faces. "For women, remind yourself of how precious your skin is, feel good and relaxed," says spa manager Louise King. "What makes it a choice you cannot decline is the variety of services provided." The Spa Clinic offers wide variety of beauty treatments and natural remedies with the most advanced technology currently on offer in Doha. The gym has state-of-the-art equipment and a cardio theatre under the supervision of professional instructors who guide you through individual programs. The healthy juice bar is an ideal place to replenish all your essential fluids after a vigorous workout. The spa has separate entrances and extensive facilities for both men and women. Along with its new look, the hotel says it is working closely with the newly established Qatar General Tourism Authority to create "value added offers to attract leisure business to Doha". "Doha Marriott will also be representing the destination at the international trade fairs and exhibitions," said a spokesman. "As the General Tourism Authority is fairly new, the hotel provides a wealth of information on statistics on guests which will enable the authority to focus on high yielding markets." Qatar is one of the world's safest places and will be an ideal destination for families, says the hotel. The spokesman said that new luxury hotels in the country were catering to the growing demand in the country. It also said that the hotel had been "only slightly" affected by the travel industry downturn as its major business came from the corporate business traveller. As part of its efforts to further strengthen its position in the market, the hotel has a special reward programme for its frequent guests. The Marriott Rewards programme offers guests a chance to accumulate points to get fantastic holidays or frequent flyer points from select airlines. It has also launched several other promotions including the Mad Chef promotion and spa membership drive among other to attract visitors to the hotel. The Doha Gulf Marriott offers 212 new rooms, which are amongst the largest in the country at 41 sq m. The Executive Tower has a new glass facade and all rooms, furnishings and installations are new. The hotel also has the largest Concierge Lounge in Doha, which offers a spectacular view of the Doha skyline as well as boardrooms fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The hotel has several excellent restaurants, a fully equipped recreation centre, a marina, swimming pools, a private beach as well as a comprehensive range of facilities for both private and business functions. Among the many services offered by the hotel are 24-hour room service, shops, baby-sitting, beauty salon and barber shop, car rental, VIP limousine, travel agency, laundry and valet service.