The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort

Character and identity

Set inside Katara Cultural Village between West Bay and Lusail, this is a Mughal-inspired vision of white domes and chhatris dropped against Doha's skyline. The lobby reaches 32 feet to a painted ceiling meant to evoke a palace courtyard, with floor-to-ceiling windows onto the Arabian Sea. The footprint is intimate: 59 rooms and suites plus 32 villas, topping out at a five-bedroom Royal Villa of nearly 4,850 square feet. Five restaurants and lounges, a hammam-equipped spa with separate male and female wings, a 60-metre infinity pool and a private white-sand beach round out the offer.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining trade-off here is alcohol: you get arguably Doha's most architecturally striking resort, a real beach and a serious spa, but every restaurant is dry. Book if that suits your trip, and aim for a sea-view suite or, for a group, the Royal Villa. The jetty cabanas at La Marsa are worth reserving in advance.