Hampton Doha Old Town: Perfect for the World Cup

Hampton Doha Old Town is part of the Coupe du Monde Trip Report.

Getting There: the hotel is accessible by metro, but Uber is cheap and direct (see Qatar 2022: Tremendous World Cup Logistics).

When I think Hampton, I think Hampton Inn. When I think Hampton Inn, I think of an airport bi-level motel with sketchy guests. I don’t know if it is because the hotel has rebranded itself to Hampton by Hilton or because this is a Hampton in Doha, but the Hampton Doha Old Town was much different than I expected. The going rate during the World Cup was $565 which was a bargain compared to the Sheraton Grand for $3000 where I stayed my last night (see Sheraton Doha: Charming Gaudy Gold). I came away impressed with my great redemption of 50k points/night stay here (see Hilton World Cup Booked! Your Results Will Vary).

Early Check In

I arrived at noon in Doha and was at the hotel by 1PM. I was still battling food poisoning/flu and hoped I could sneak in a nap before the US game at 6PM (see Flight Review MIA-DOH: Qsuites to the World Cup!). The front desk immediately said that check-in was at 3PM when I handed her my passport. Under the weather, I had no choice but to assert that I am Hilton Gold and would like her to check to see if anything was available. She huffed a little and obliged. A few moments later, I was given a key to my room.

TPOL’s Tip: if you visit Doha, realize that many workers have only been there for a few months if that. Spotty service is to be expected.

Room

This was not the Hampton Inn that I imagined. There was no need to take out my black light in search of DNA.

Shower

Given my condition, I enjoyed the hot shower.

Location

The hotel is located in the old town next to the National Museum. It is around the corner from a delicious kebab place and one stop from the fake old town of Souq Waqif (see Guns & Butter: Doha Travel Guide).

Breakfast

Breakfast is included, but with my reverse, hectic sleep schedule, I did not try it (see The Beautiful Game, A Beautiful Time: World Cup Recap!).

Espresso

Avoid the 20 dinar double espresso ($5.50) at the front desk and go to the espresso shop next to the kebab place.

Overall

Given that it was the World Cup and that I did not want to stay in a Fyre Fest Container (see Housing World Cup Qatar: Adventurous or Fyre Fest?), I can’t think of a better place for location, value, and convenience than the Hampton Old Town.