Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl

A bridge leads from The Pearl-Qatar to a small artificial island, and on the island stands a palace. Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl, Doha was built as the showpiece hotel of the Pearl, the reclaimed island of marinas, towers and townhouses north of the city. The name joins the Arabic words for anchorage and for refuge. The hotel opened its doors over the winter of 2014 to 2015, with 281 rooms and suites in a building intended to look older than it is.

History

The Pearl-Qatar was reclaimed from the Gulf from 2004 and was still filling with residents when the hotel was planned on a dedicated island at its northern edge. Kempinski, the group whose history began in Berlin in 1897, took the management. The hotel opened in stages over the winter of 2014 to 2015 and became the usual Doha address for gala dinners and large weddings, a role it has kept.

Architecture and design

The building is a long symmetrical block with a domed central pavilion, turrets and arcaded wings, drawing on Ottoman and Andalusian palace architecture with European interiors. The lobby is a double-height hall of marble, gilt and a chandelier under a painted dome, with a grand staircase. Gardens, pools and a beach surround the building, with a view across the water to the towers of the Pearl's marina and the skyline of West Bay.

Rooms and suites

The 281 rooms and suites are arranged in the two wings with sea or marina views, in a decorative style of carved wood, gilt and heavy curtains. The larger suites have dining rooms and terraces, and the presidential and royal suites occupy the upper floors of the central pavilion. All rooms have marble bathrooms with separate baths and showers.

Dining

Sawa is the all-day restaurant, with an international buffet and a terrace. Toro Toro is the pan-Latin restaurant and lounge of the chef Richard Sandoval, with a rodizio section. El Faro serves Spanish food and tapas. The lobby lounge handles afternoon tea under the dome. Further restaurants and bars have opened and closed since 2015, and the current list should be checked with the hotel.

Wellness

Spa by Clarins has treatment rooms, a hammam, saunas and steam rooms, with separate areas for men and women. Outdoors there is a large swimming pool, a private beach on the island and a beach club with its own pool and sunbeds. The fitness centre is open around the clock.

Weddings and events

The hotel was designed for large events. Its ballroom is among the biggest in Doha and is used for weddings of several hundred guests. Meeting rooms and boardrooms line the conference foyer, and the gardens and beach take outdoor receptions. The hotel has become one of the main venues in the city for state dinners, corporate galas and society weddings.

Location

The Pearl-Qatar lies about 20 kilometres north of Doha's centre, off West Bay. Hamad International Airport is about 30 kilometres away, a drive of 30 to 40 minutes. The Pearl's Porto Arabia marina, with its restaurants and shops, is 5 to 10 minutes by car; Katara Cultural Village is on the mainland opposite; and Souq Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art are 25 minutes to the south. For a luxury hotel in Doha it is unusual in having its own island and beach, and in being built as a palace rather than a tower.