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Review

Hotel/Accommodation, Qatar, Travel

Staycation in the Sky: InterContinental Doha the City

December 5, 2016

InterContinental Doha the City

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Over the weekend, I was invited by the InterContinental Doha the City to enjoy a staycation with them. The end of a semester is always stressful at my day job. Having a staycation is a way for me to relax and wind down without having to make travel plans or get on a plane.

The warm welcome from the InterContinental Doha the City started even before I arrived when I received an email welcoming me to the Club InterContinental. The benefits of staying there as a Club InterContinental member is that you get to check-in at the Club InterContinental on the 45th Floor, late check-out, afternoon tea, evening drinks and snacks. You are also able to use the club anytime. At the InterContinental you get the added best benefit of stunning views of West Bay!

InterContinental Doha the City

The Room

Light flooded the room from the floor to ceiling windows in the room. The views were just as incredible from the 42nd floor where my room was located. Besides the view, the next best thing was that when I shut the door, it was quiet. The noisy streets of Doha disappeared when I closed the door.

InterContinental Doha the City

InterContinental Doha the City

The living room area of the suite felt like walking into someone’s apartment and not a hotel room. There were a small couch and a chaise lounge. The tv was across from these but not the focal point of the room, which I prefer. Next to this was a good-sized desk where there was both a Nespresso coffee machine and a tea kettle. The best part about the desk the plugs were built into the desk, and a universal plug was included!InterContinental Doha the City

More windows greeted me as I entered the bedroom. The king-sized bed was facing another tv and another view of downtown Doha. There is also a plush chair to sit in. Off the bedroom was the bathroom with, you guessed it, more windows! You can have a bubble bath and watch the traffic go by. The view extends into the shower, which is large with a rainfall option.

InterContinental Doha the City

InterContinental Doha the City

InterContinental Doha the City

Overall, I loved the room. The carpet was plush, the bed comfortable, plugs beside the beds, coffee maker and blackout curtains are all things I love about a hotel room. There could always be more plugs and the windows provided great views but did give glare off the tv. I wouldn’t trade the views for the tv, though!

The Food

If you are going to a hotel for a staycation, then you probably don’t want to leave the hotel and to do that you need great food options. The InterContinental Doha the City does not disappoint. Since I was there on Friday, I was invited to have brunch at Hwang. Brunch is a traditional activity here on Friday. Hwang is Pan Asian, and the brunch is their take on Yum Cha brunch. Unlike the traditional buffet brunch, Hwang is a tasting menu that you order from, and they bring you as much as you like.

InterContinental Doha the City

InterContinental Doha the City

Having only been to Hwang once before, I was eager to have the things I know I liked and to try new dishes as well. Not only was the food superb the service was excellent. The waitresses suggested items to try and made me feel like I was eating with friends. My favorite dishes were the Crispy Prawns with Wasabi Mayo and the Crispy Wok Friend Duck with Long Beans and Thai Basil. The brunch is reasonably priced at QR 228 with soft beverages, QR 328 with wine and beer and QR 428 with wine, sparkling wine, beer, spirits and cocktails.

InterContinental Doha the City

That evening I had dinner at Al Jalsa Garden Lounge. Now that the weather has cooled down in Qatar, this is an excellent option as it is outside. The offerings are mainly Arabic food and shisha is an option. The muttabel I had there is the best I have had in Doha and I have had tons of muttabel.

InterContinental Doha the City

You can’t stay in a hotel without enjoying the buffet breakfast. The wonderful service continued at The Square where upon entering they took my coffee and omelet order! Kids will enjoy this breakfast as much of it would be visible to them. In fact, I saw one little boy jump from his stroller when he saw strawberry milk.

There are several more options in the hotel including Prime, the steakhouse, the lobby lounge for tea, Strata lounge and restaurant and Hive restaurant and lounge. You will never go hungry at the InterContinental Doha the City.

The InterContinental Doha the City is an excellent choice for a staycation or a weekend in Qatar, check rates here. Even if you decided to venture out from the hotel you are close to two malls, Katara, the Corniche and the amazing Souq Waqif.

 

Hotel/Accommodation, Italy, Travel

A Room with a View: Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum Hotel

November 21, 2016
Bed at Nun Assisi Relais

Nothing will catch my attention faster than the word museum being in the name of a hotel. Sitting in Gubbio, Italy, I was planning where to sleep for the night. I was having a tough time deciding between staying Gubbio or heading to Assisi, Italy. In an unusual manner, I had not booked a hotel for the night or even decided if I was going to stay away from my apartment in Umbria. After searching for hotels in Gubbio and deciding that the one I wanted wasn’t available, I moved on to Assisi.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Choosing to sleep in Assisi might have been the best hotel choice I have ever made in my life! As I said, I was caught by the word museum in the name of the hotel and the gorgeous photos of the spa. To be honest, I don’t think I looked at pictures of the rooms at all. And normally I do some kind of research on the hotel, but I only read the TripAdvisor reviews and booked the Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum! The hotel looked stunning on my tiny iPhone 5, and that was enough for me. Only later did I discover it was a 13th-century monastery for Benedictine nuns.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum

When I arrived, I did not think my room would be ready as I had only booked the room about two hours before. However, my room was ready, and they never let on if my last minute reservation was stressful. I had gone to the wrong entrance when I arrived, and my bag had been left at the spa entrance. While I was waiting for my bag to be brought up, I was offered a drink while I waited. During that time, they took my bag directly to my room, which was great since there is no elevator in the Nun Assisi Relais.

The Room

My room was room 12. Each room is different, and there are only 18 in total. Entering through a small double door, I walked into a small sitting area with the television. The seating options were a bench area and one lounge chair with a footstool. From the lounge area, you walk down a hallway to the bedroom. Along the way, you pass the closet and bathroom. The closet is a walk-in and is larger than almost every closet I have ever had! The bathroom is not large but has a wonderful rainfall shower and shower gel that smelled so good I brought it back to Doha with me. My only complaint about the bathroom was the mirror was up so high that I could only see my forehead.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum
Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum

The bedroom contained a large and very comfortable bed. There was also a television in there. Once I laid down on the bed, I realized I had a stunning view of the Rocca Maggiore. The view was even better as the sunset. The room had air conditioning, but it was not what most Americans are used to, but I wasn’t hot through the night as I thought I would be. I discovered the reason why in the morning, linen sheets! I wanted to take them off the bed and bring them home with me.

Want to sleep on these linen sheets, check rates here.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum
Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum
Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum

The Spa

Once I arrived, I decided that I was in need of a massage from all the walking I had been doing all over Italy. I booked a massage for later in the day so I could still sightsee during the day. I was told to put on the robe in my room and go down to the spa a few minutes before my appointment.  Since I was going for a massage, I didn’t take my camera, which was a mistake. This is also where the museum portion comes into play. The spa is in the ruins of a Roman amphitheater. The space is gorgeous and immediately calming. Despite my wanting to explore the whole space, I had to go directly to my treatment.

The massage is one of the best I have had in my life. Unlike in the US, you lay on the table without a towel. I am assuming it is because Italians are less concerned about nudity than us Americans. It didn’t matter though as the table was heated and the massage therapist made me feel comfortable. It was a rough massage, but I felt so relaxed, I almost fell asleep. What I also liked is that the room was dark, there was relaxing music playing, and the massage therapist did not talk much.

There is also the option to do the Nun Circuit, which is entering several different rooms of different temperatures. It is supposed to bring immediate purifying and regenerating effects. There is also a multi-massage pool. All of this is just an excuse to go back since I wasn’t able to do any of this because I had a reservation at the restaurant.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum

The Food

The hotel has a restaurant on the property. I found it amusing that the restaurant is called “Eat Out” since if you are staying at the hotel, you could consider it eating in. Anyway, the view of Assisi from the restaurant’s terrace is worth a visit alone. You can see most of Assisi from there, and it is especially popular when the sun is setting.

While Assisi is awash with ancient structures, Eat Out is thoroughly modern inside. The interior is clean and simple with neutral tones and dark wood. Some of the kitchen is open plan, so you can see the chefs working.

The menu changes with the season. Much of the ingredients are sourced locally and are organic. The portions are not large; the food is not complex but flavorful. The wine list was carefully selected and paired well with the menu choices. I ordered linguine with pork. I tend to order lots of pork when not in Qatar! The desert was a kind of cake covered in chocolate. Given my lack of enthusiasm for chocolate, I should have ordered something else. Overall, I loved the food and the experience and only wish I had been there longer to have a chance to taste more of the menu.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum

Location

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum is located in Assisi just inside the historic gates of Assisi. Look for the white church across from the parking lot next to the bus stop. The exterior is plain white stone, so it blends in, and the sign is not obvious. The entrance is actually through the garden as I discovered after I entered through the spa. The hotel does offer parking, but I am not sure of the price as I parked in the public parking lot, which was not expensive for the 24 hours I was there.

Hotel/Accommodation, Qatar, Travel

Staycation at the W Doha

May 23, 2016

Staycation at the W DohaSometimes you just need to get away from your normal, but you don’t have time to get on a plane and go to another place. If I was living the US, I might have considered a weekend road trip. However, I can’t go too far in Qatar and can’t cross the border. A staycation was in order. I had wanted to do a staycation for a while, but when I saw the weekend offer at the W Doha on their Snapchat, I was sold. Currently, they have a weekend rate of 777 Qatari Riyals that can be used Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The best part is that you can check-in at noon and check-out at 6 pm the next day! It is almost two days in the hotel, and it includes breakfast.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

The W Doha was already one of my favorite places in Doha for food and drinks, so I wasn’t surprised by the excellent service I received right when I walked in the door. The service started before then even because I told their social media person on Snapchat that I was coming, and she said she would try to get me an upgrade. This stay was on me other than the upgrade. They were able to get me to a higher floor, which offered a nice view of the Arabian Gulf.

Staycation at the W Doha

Most W hotels are known for their modern interiors with bold colors, and the W Doha is no exception. The lobby is black and white with bursts of purple and hot pink. The hallways to the rooms are black and purple with black lacquer chandeliers. The bold colors extend into the room, but geared towards relaxation and sleep in shades of blue and gray.

Staycation at the W Doha

Staycation at the W Doha

Once inside the room, I hardly heard anything from the outside. There is a lush, heavy carpet to dampen noise and floor to ceiling blackout curtains to block the bright Middle Eastern sunrise. The modern chair by the window made me want to sit there for hours watch boats zip back and forth.

Staycation at the W Doha

The luxury extended into the crisp, white bathroom and had one of my favorite things with the separate shower and bathtub. The W Doha also knows me well, and the bathrobe wasn’t gigantic and actually fit me. All the towels were large, and there was an abundance of them. My favorite thing about the bathroom was the Bliss Spa products including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash and mouthwash!

Staycation at the W Doha

Staycation at the W Doha

After a nap, I decided to get ready for dinner, which included a long soak in that amazing tub! It is deep enough to cover your whole body with water. The only issue for me was getting out, which was difficult due to the depth of the tub.

Staycation at the W Doha

W Doha is home to my favorite restaurant in Doha, Spice Market. Spice Market is an Asian restaurant with an ever-evolving menu. Not only is the food excellent, but the service is also spotless. I decided to order something different than my usual and got the Miso Glazed Black Cod and a side of Steamed Edamame with Yuzu Butter. The other thing I appreciate about Spice Market and all the restaurants at W Doha is that they are willing to alter the food to your needs. As you may remember from a few months back that I am trying to lose weight, and I asked the Edamame to have the butter on the side. It was still excellent, though, and the fish was spicy and had a great crispy skin.

Staycation at the W Doha

Dinner wasn’t my only meal at W Doha, of course. I had breakfast and lunch at Market by Jean-Georges. Breakfast was a buffet, and you could order as well. I was disappointed by the breakfast buffet as there wasn’t much I could eat besides oatmeal and the fruit. I didn’t want to pay extra to order from the menu. However, lunch was fresh and light! I had the express lunch as it offered the best value for your money. I ordered the Steamed Shrimp Salad, the Roasted Hammour and the Fruit Salad sans ice cream. Yes, I ate a ton of fish, but I loved it all! Both meals were just enough to keep me full without leaving me feeling heavy and sleepy after eating, which can be difficult eating at a hotel.

Staycation at the W Doha

Staycation at the W Doha

After lunch, I enjoyed working at the desk in the room. Although, my one complaint was the only universal plug was inside the in-room safe, which meant I couldn’t work in the amazing chair next to the window. There was another nap in the extremely comfortable bed. Since I didn’t have to check out till 6, I strolled around the hotel later just to get some exercise. I did have access to the gym and the pool, but I decide not to try them out as the pool isn’t large and there were kids in the pool. As for the gym, I was just lazy!

Even though I was still in Doha, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my stay at the W Doha and would happily have another staycation there in the future. Every staff person I spoke with offered excellent service, the food was outstanding, as always, and the rooms comfortable and relaxing!

Have you taken a staycation? Tell us about your best staycation experience in the comments!

This is not a sponsored post.