Banyan Tree Doha 5 stars

Dear Hotel Management, We truly enjoyed our stay at the hotel and appreciated the overall experience. However, we did encounter an issue with the breakfast service that I believe deserves your attention. During our stay, there was no breakfast buffet available; instead, only a set menu with limited choices was offered. Unfortunately, the available options were not suitable for everyone, especially children. I strongly believe that having a wider variety of breakfast choices, or bringing back the buffet option, would greatly improve the experience for families. More importantly, one of my family members became ill with what we believe may have been food poisoning after breakfast. This was very concerning and unfortunately affected our overall experience. I sincerely hope that the hotel will look into this matter carefully and take the necessary steps to ensure the quality and safety of the food provided to guests. Despite this experience, we genuinely enjoyed our stay and would love to have the opportunity to return and create a better experience with the hotel. I would therefore appreciate it if you could consider offering us a gesture of goodwill or compensation, allowing us to visit again and enjoy the experience we had hoped for. Thank you for taking our feedback seriously. I look forward to hearing from you and hope we can resolve this matter positively. Kind regards,

We had a wonderful stay at Banyan Tree Doha, and the experience was impressive from the very beginning. I made the reservation only the evening before our arrival, less than 24 hours in advance. The booking process was one of the quickest and easiest hotel reservation experiences I have had. I simply called the hotel directly, got through to reservations, was given the available rates and confirmed the booking straight away. They did not even require advance payment or credit card details, although I would have been happy to provide them. They were also flexible about the possibility of early check-in. We did not need it in the end, but when travelling as a family it was reassuring to have that option. The welcome was warm and efficient. I particularly liked the small stand in the lobby with tea, coffee, marshmallows and snacks for children. These simple touches make a huge difference to young children and immediately get them excited about the stay. The entrance and lobby were genuinely stunning and unique. I was interested in the inspiration behind the décor, and the staff took the time to explain it very nicely. Check-in was extremely smooth. Youssef at reception was fast, professional and efficient, and his English was excellent. Communication with him was completely effortless. Walking into the room was one of the most soothing arrivals we have experienced. Relaxing music was playing, combined with beautiful fragrances throughout the hotel. The scents were incredibly calming and contributed to the peaceful atmosphere. I loved the Oriental design and distinctive Banyan Tree feel running throughout the property. The room itself was impeccable: spacious, luxurious and extremely comfortable for our family. I loved the mirrored finishes, soft furnishings, attention to detail and the stunning view. One feature that particularly impressed me was the blackout system, with proper electric blackout blinds integrated into the curtains. I have stayed in many hotels where so-called blackout curtains still allow a lot of sunlight into the room in the morning, but these were probably the most effective blackout blinds I have experienced. When travelling with children, this makes a real difference. The air-conditioning controls were also very straightforward and easy to use. The main downside in the room was bathroom privacy. There was no lock on the main bathroom door, and although there were separate doors for the shower and toilet, they were still quite transparent. With young children running around, this made privacy more difficult than it needed to be. A lock on the main bathroom door or more opaque internal doors would be a worthwhile improvement. Otherwise, the room amenities were excellent. I particularly liked the integrated sound system, with audio coming through the ceiling. Even the children watching television became a nicer experience because of the surround-sound effect. There were many thoughtful smaller touches: bath salts, bath oils, candles and fragrance oils, all of which added to the sense of luxury. Even the slippers were noticeably better quality than the thin disposable ones often provided by hotels and were properly cushioned and comfortable. I also loved some of the decorative details in the bathroom, including the beautifully designed taps with their La Cigale shape. These details show how much thought has gone into the design of the hotel. One of my favourite gestures came the following day when the hotel gave our children two small soft turtle toys. They were only palm-sized beanbag-style turtles, but the children absolutely loved them and played with them throughout the rest of our stay. This is exactly the type of small gesture that excellent family-friendly hotels understand. It may seem minor, but it can create a lasting memory. Another major strength of Banyan Tree Doha is that staying here feels like being part of something much bigger than just the hotel. Having direct access to Doha Quest and Printemps makes the whole property feel like part of a wider leisure and lifestyle experience. Our stay included access to Doha Quest, which added enormous value. Quest can be quite expensive when purchasing admission separately, so having it included with the hotel stay was a fantastic and cost-effective way for us to enjoy it as a family. Access was extremely easy via the connecting bridge from the hotel. Having Printemps directly connected was also excellent. We walked around it several times during our stay without needing to drive anywhere. This combination of the hotel, Quest and Printemps makes Banyan Tree particularly appealing for a staycation. The gym and spa facilities were very good. The gym was spacious with plenty of useful equipment and felt like a proper gym rather than a token fitness room. I particularly enjoyed using the steam room and sauna, which were both in good working order. I also really liked the experience showers with different settings such as rainfall, tropical storm, Caribbean storm and cool mist. They were a fun and unusual addition to the spa experience. The jet pool near the children's pool was enjoyable, although unfortunately several of the jet sections were not working. Given the overall standard of the hotel, it would be good to see these repaired and functioning properly. The children's pool itself was noticeably on the cold side. For a pool intended primarily for young children, I think the temperature should ideally be around 31°C. I do not know the actual temperature during our stay, but it felt quite cold and made it harder for the children to remain in the pool for long. Other than these issues, the children's facilities were very enjoyable. The Kids Club was another positive experience. Catherine was attentive, friendly and genuinely interactive with the children rather than simply supervising them. One point I would suggest the hotel reconsider is the Kids Club opening time on weekdays. On our Sunday stay, the Kids Club did not open until 2 p.m. This creates a large gap because breakfast finishes around 11 a.m. and Doha Quest also opens at 2 p.m. That leaves several hours with relatively little for young children to do. It would be much better if the Kids Club opened shortly after breakfast, as I have found at many other family-oriented hotels in Doha. Breakfast at Jardin was very enjoyable. There was a good selection of food, the quality and taste were good, and the staff were attentive throughout. Mohammed, who I believe is the deputy manager, was particularly helpful and accommodating. I would also like to specifically mention Chit at breakfast, who was very responsive and attentive throughout. She was quick to notice when anything was needed and helped make the breakfast experience feel particularly well looked after. Valet parking was another useful convenience and made arrival and departure straightforward. Overall, Banyan Tree Doha delivered a genuinely memorable stay. What stood out most was not simply the luxury of the room or the impressive design of the hotel, but the attention to small details throughout the experience. From the children's snacks on arrival and the relaxing fragrances, to the blackout blinds, quality room amenities, little turtle gifts, excellent spa facilities and easy access to Doha Quest and Printemps, there was a sense that considerable thought had gone into the guest experience. There are a few areas that could be improved, particularly bathroom privacy, the children's pool temperature, jet pool maintenance and weekday Kids Club hours, but these were relatively small issues compared with everything the hotel did well. For a family staycation in Doha, particularly if you want to combine a luxury hotel stay with Doha Quest, shopping, good food, spa facilities and activities for children, Banyan Tree Doha offers a very distinctive and enjoyable experience. We would certainly be happy to return.