A Jacuzzi lined with 18K gold? A Rolls Royce to transport you around? Royal suites and Persian carpets? In Doha, Qatar a resort is wowing both leisure and business travellers with its unique concept inspired by traditional Qatari culture and architecture. Sharq Village & Spa offers an unforgettable experience.
From the moment the chauffeur-driven BMW 7 series limousine collects you from the Doha International Airport, you know your experience at Sharq Village & Spa is going to be very special.
Operated by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company BV, Sharq Village & Spa opened its doors in Qatar in the first quarter of 2007. The resort, located in an area known as "Sharq" or the Orient, is inspired by traditional Qatari culture and architecture. While designed to reflect the close-knit communities of fishermen, pearl divers and merchants that shaped Qatar's vibrant history, Sharq Village & Spa is equipped with modern facilities and amenities to meet the requirements of international leisure and business travellers. And then they throw in a touch of royalty.
Only five minutes from the airport at a prime location on Doha Bay, Sharq Village & Spa offers 174 luxurious rooms and suites, and the 17,521sqft Royal Villa aptly named Beit Al Shyoukh ('home of royalty').
All around luxury
Five years in the making, the resort is a recreation of an ancient Qatari Village, thus, the name. Sharq does not just provide an authentic Qatari village look, it provides the essence of Qatar of old ? warm hospitality towards guests that Qataris are known for.
Rooms are decorated with authentic copper, inlaid brass and hand-woven carpets that are seamlessly combined with the most modern of amenities such as deep soaking tubs, separate walk-in rainforest showers, private balconies and state-of-the art in-room gadgets including wall-mounted flat screen LCD TVs, as well as hi-speed wireless and cabled data connections.
A dedicated team of butlers is assigned to service every beit, working to facilitate guests' requests and acting as liaison with all other service areas within the resort.
The hotel exterior resembles a sheikh's elegant palace, while the interior is adorned with crystal-draped chandeliers hanging from towering arched ceilings. The lobby houses Qatar's only indoor souq, where one can purchase everything from luxury designer wear to traditional Arabic ornaments.
Conferencing, dining and spa facilities
Sharq Village & Spa has dedicated conferencing facilities covering an area of 12,150sqft split among two ballrooms, a boardroom and one grand reception foyer, equipped with the most sophisticated technology to suit all business and conferencing needs and can host up to 950 guests.
The resort offers some of the most unique and imaginative dining experiences in Doha with its two restaurants, Al Dana Seafood Restaurant, and the all-day dining Al Liwan Restaurant offering authentic Middle Eastern dishes. Guests may also drink in the breathtaking view from Al Wanis, the rooftop shisha terrace. Alternatively, there is also the Al Jalsa, the hotel's Arabic Café.
For Cigar Connoisseurs, the Cigar Lounge offers a wide range of Cuban cigars amidst plush colonial surroundings.
Four spa villages occupying a 6,500sqm area are connected by a labyrinth of waving pathways and surrounded by cascading fountains and lush greenery. Operated by Six Senses Spa, the spa villages have 23 treatment rooms that resemble typical village houses. The treatment rooms have heated stone massage beds, mud baths, a fully-equipped gym, private majlis areas and several meditation rooms. The spa offers an endless assortment of treatments from traditional Arabian, Thai and Swedish therapies to the more holistic offering of naturopathy and specialist visiting practitioners.
The Royal Villa
The 17,521sqft Royal Villa or Beit Al Shyoukh resembles the traditional ornate palace of a Sheikh, decorated with beautiful furnishings and treasures from the Orient. It is divided into two wings, a recreational annex and an accommodation wing which are connected by an overhead walkway. The accommodation wing houses the royal suite, guest suite, a pair of two-bedroom suites and a pair of royal suites, along with majlis seating areas, study and dining room.
No detail was spared to make the Royal Villa fit for royalty or heads of states. For example, the Royal Suite of the villa is designed to blend tradition and Arabian influence with the most modern of amenities. A large iron studded wooden door is the first indication of what lies ahead in this palatial experience. A four-poster, canopied bed sitting atop a polished marble platform and Persian carpets are all part of the magnificent environment. Bed linen is the finest in the world with 1,050 tread-count sheets by the Italian House of Frette. Completing the lavish surroundings is the en-suite walk-in wardrobe and bath tiled with prized Brazilian blue marble. The Jacuzzi is surrounded by indigo-hued mosaic tiles lined with 18k gold - with bath amenities from Acqua di Parma and lotions with 23k golf leaf by Linden Leaves. There is also a separate shower with steam and glass enclosed WC facilities.
Service offerings at the Royal Villa include Rolls Royce transfers for the head of the villa; a chauffeur-driven BMW on standby; personal butler including ladies' butler; five culinary and beverage presentations with continual replenishment of fruit, beverage and open bar of house pours; a personal chef and trainer. Not much more one could want or ask for. Royals and world leaders are pencilling Sharq into their must-experience itineraries.
Five years in the making, the resort is a recreation of an ancient Qatari Village, thus, the name. Sharq does not just provide an authentic Qatari village look, it provides the essence of Qatar of old ? warm hospitality towards guests that Qataris are known for.
© Hospitality 2008
