REGIONAL Escapes

Descend the palatial staircase and you find yourself in the grand yet also homely Al Maha Lounge. I thoroughly enjoyed the high tea at sunset on our first day. Malte, the pastry chef, served us a quintessential afternoon tea experience with tiered treats. The top tier featured sweet confectionery that included a quite unique macaroon and a vanilla sponge in the shape of a blue handbag. The second tier was savoury and included a smoked salmon and cream cheese mini roll and a feta cheese canape while the bottom was filled with gorgeous fresh scones. Clotted cream cheese and butter sat to the side. We enjoyed it all with a pot of hot tea.

On our second day we were given a guided tour of the health club. The gymnasium is one of the bigger ones in Doha and particularly impressive was the fact that it has a ladies-only gym. Despite these socially distant times where spacing is essential there is plenty of machinery and equipment to use so getting in there and being able to go about your workout proves no problem. In addition, this is a place that offers considerable outdoor activities. I walked to the end of the beach to find a hut where you can rent jet skis and I had a thrilling ride out to sea and took in great views of nearby Lusail and The Pearl. It was a great release at a true endorphins rush.

There are three swimming pools to enjoy a dip in but personally I was partial to enjoying the beach itself. Despite the raft of sun loungers available, I opted for a cool cabana at the back of the beach for a sense of added privacy and was tremendously well looked after. Nelson, one of the staff who runs the beach bar kept us well hydrated with plenty of water and a cold bucket of refreshing fruit juice as we took in the view looking out to sea.

I had the added pleasure of spending my staycation there during my birthday. The Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas pays particular attention to such personal details and delivered a scrumptious chocolate cake to my room during my stay with my own name on it which made me feel extra special.

There are great restaurants at this hotel, but one surely stands out for its sheer class and excellence. The Thai restaurant, Isaan, has repeatedly won the Fact Dining Award for Best Thai restaurant. That should be no surprise when you visit it because the food is superb. We were asked by the staff how spicy we can take it and provided with the caveat that their base level of heat is really rather hot. We can’t say we weren’t warned! The starters were sublime and authentic, and the main courses were fantastic. My red duck curry is reason enough to go there again and just to make me feel even more special they brought out a mango sticky rice cake for dessert. We were given a warm welcome by Doris the maitre’d at breakfast at the Santa Monica Breakfast Club. The staff manage to adhere very well to these biosecure times by ensuring that they serve you the food at the many buffet stations and that masks remain worn unless at the table.

The Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas is a family friendly hotel and proud of it. It was lovely to see so many people enjoying themselves and not be in a sterile atmosphere as can sometimes happen. The atmosphere is lively, the service is unflinchingly strong and there is almost too much to do in a staycation.