Qatar Travel Forum

i will soon work in qatar,signed up a working contract for 2 years. can somebody inform me about regency hotel/s.is this managed by a good company?how many hotels do they own in qatar?...

im 28 years old single filipina and loves scuba diving or anything that has to do with the ocean. can anybody guide or tell me where to go, who to contact etc. i've read about suggestions on going to hotel beaches than to public ones, where can i find the cheapest deal? how about equipments? is it readily available on the resort? or do i have to bring my own scuba equipment? boat dives?wreck dives? are these allowed?

please inform me of other activities like concerts? movie houses? etc...

im a little concern about discriminations as well? i know that we are responsible for our actions but are there any incident of abuse,discriminations etc. to filipina or asians in qatar? how do western people accepts or treats people like us? i know it's awkward to ask but i just wanted to know.

Hello scuba addict! :)
I am not so sure about Regency hotel, as far as I know it's not one of the best here, but it's ok. Now with regards to diving - there are plenty opportunities in Qatar for that. My husband and my best friend have recently got their licences and they dive every weekend. Looks like they are having fun. When you get here drop me a line and I will give you the contact details of the diving company. You can rent all the equipment you need from there. Boat dives - sure. Hotel beaches are good, and public ones are not that good, you have to go and have a look for yourself. We have great movie theatres here with all the latest releases. Concerts, too. There is some discrimination here, just like anywhere else. Nothing out of the ordinary. Arabs stick together, so do Western people and Filipinos. You will not have any problems, I believe. When are you coming over?

Cheers

Cat

You won't have any problems renting dive equipment here as there are a few dive shops.
Regarding entertainment, there's the typical movies and shopping in the malls and for nightlife there are bars in the hotels. Most live music is from Philipino bands. I have a few filipina friends and there is some verbal abuse from the men here. It's mostly due to the fact that there are so many single men compared to women. Some men can be very direct and upfront with propositioning the girls, but they just tell them off and continue on their way. The girls feel safe though if they're in a group.

This was in the local paper today and I remembered you wanted info on the Regency hotel. If it is the Grand Regency you are going to work for, it is below. There is also a 3 star older Regency hotel.

A ‘Grand’ opening in Doha this yearPublished: Thursday, 8 September, 2005, 11:27 AM Doha Time

Staff Reporter

More than 200 luxury rooms and suites will be available when the five-star Grand Regency hotel opens in Doha later this year.

The launch of the first five-star hotel from the Regency Group, a real estate and travel industry major, was announced yesterday by the hotel’s general manager Ayman Lotfy.

The new hotel, in the Al-Sadd area, will have 192 rooms, 21 suites, four restaurants, a coffee shop, a business centre and meeting rooms, Lotfy told a press conference.

The hotel, eventually will boast of two firsts in Qatar: a fat burning studio and a Moroccan restaurant.

The first phase, costing QR80mn, is almost complete and the hotel is due to be formally opened “after Eid”. It could receive guests even before that, Lotfy indicated.

The Grand Regency is “only the first phase of Regency Group’s series of investments in the vibrant hospitality industry,” he said

The opening of the new hotel will represent a milestone as the countdown for the Asian Games begins, the general manager said.

The hotel will be at a walking distance from the Games Village, he noted.

The 21 suites are in three categories: executive, pavilion and corner. All the suites and rooms will be equipped with wire and wireless high speed Internet.

There will also be Chinese and Lebanese restaurants and an all-day dining outlet. Other facilities include a well-equipped modern gym and hairdressers, Lotfy said.

The fat burning studio from Hypoxy will “help you reshape your figure”, he said.

The hotel is also equipped for outside catering, car rentals, and city and desert tours besides round-the-clock laundry and butler service, he added.

The second phase of the Grand Regency, to start six months after the opening, will add 100 more rooms, a spa, a health club, and a wedding and conference hall that will accommodate 1,000 guests. Also included in the second phase are a swimming pool and double basement car parking, Lotfy said.

thank you for answering all my questions. in this case I might give it a shot. learned a lot from this forum, I guess doha isnt such a bad place. good think i've thought of logging in again!

but i have another question if u guys don't mind...how far is grand regency to fridays american restaurant...

cheers,

If your talking about TGI Friday's, there isn't one that I know of in Doha. Do you have any more details on the place in question?

not really sure, i believe it's newly opened. a friend is supposed to be working there anytime this month...don't know...thanks for the info anyway

TGI Fridays will open (or has already opened) in Landmark Mall. It's not that far from Grand Regency, but not too near either. I would say it's about 15 min drive in moderate traffic.

Cheers

Cat

hi bravecat, thank you very much for the information....cheers

the TGI Fridays is already opened in Landmark Mall, sorry for the late answer but i guess the guyz coverd every other thing up