Park Hyatt Doha

We all know the Park Hyatt hotels tend to be something special, even by luxury-hotel standards. And we’re equally aware that Qatar has a taste for a certain extravagance in construction. Still, by any standard, the Park Hyatt Doha is surprising — from the outside, it’s monumental enough to be a museum, while on the inside it’s as well-composed, quietly lavish, and eminently livable as any Park Hyatt anywhere.

Even the humblest of its 187 rooms spans some 40 square meters and includes blackout curtains, a 55-inch television, a Nespresso machine, and a marble bathroom with both a rain shower and a separate soaking tub. Safe to say there’s nothing to find fault with, and plenty to love, including the décor’s subtle interplay of traditional craft and modern design.

Also on hand is a vast spa, fitness, and pool complex, as well as a wealth of business facilities. It’s also got no fewer than three restaurants, including the upscale Japanese Sora as well as Opus, an open-kitchen concept helmed by a team made up of Qatari celebrity chef Shams Al Qassabi and the Michelin-starred Jean-François Rouquette.

And beyond the Park Hyatt’s doors, the immediate setting, Msheireb Downtown Doha, is a planned redevelopment of the city’s historic Mushayrib district; upon completion, the Park Hyatt will be surrounded by museums and cultural attractions as well as a panoply of business and commercial destinations.