Competition among hotels here is at a fever pitch as they announce their value-based promotions on packages, food and beverage discounts for “Iftar” and “Suhoor”, and activities for the holy month of Ramadan, which starts on August 22. In keeping with the tradition of Ramadan, the Doha Grand Hyatt Hotel has lined up a number of activities in its lounge and restaurant outlets. The Grill will offer an elaborate Iftar buffet of widely recognised Arabic, Oriental and Western dishes prepared in three interactive open plan kitchens. A large selection of authentically prepared hot and cold mezzeh, Arabic and Western pastries, and traditional beverages is available for Suhoor in The Grill, Biscotti, Al Maha Lounge and Rocca. The Iftar buffet at The Grill will be from sunset to 8 p.m. and Suhoor from 8.30pm to 1am. Biscotti/Al Maha will open from 7pm to 1 a.m. and Rocca from 7 pm to 1am. Traditional Ramadan sweets at Grand Hyatt Hotel. For a Ramadan retreat, the Doha Grand Hyatt Hotel offers a two-bedroom night’s stay for QR10,500 with daily Iftar buffet for three people; three bedrooms for QR17,500 with daily Iftar buffet for five people; four bedrooms for QR23,800 with daily Iftar buffet for seven people. Alternatively, stay two nights in one of the hotel’s rooms or suites and get the third night free, as well as a 20-percent discount on the Iftar or Souhour buffets at The Grill. Room packages are available from August 20 to September 15. The Doha Marriott Hotel will prepare its Diwan Al Sultan, the traditional Ramadan tent, at the Al Fayrouz Ballroom. Diwan Al Sultan will offer guests a true Oriental atmosphere to experience Iftar and Suhoor and the theme and ambience will embody the spirit of Ramadan and family togetherness. At Diwan Al Sultan, Iftar is served from the call of the Maghrib until 7:30 pm and will offer all the traditional beverage and foods for breaking the fast. At 9 pm, Diwan Al Sultan will offer a great Suhoor buffet with a variety of cooking stations along with live entertainment. The Ramadan tent has a capacity to comfortably seat over 250 persons in an elegant, traditional design with opulently adorned tables and cozy seating areas. Traditional live entertainment will complete the setting for a memorable evening with entertainers from across the Middle East and fill the tent with their lyrical performances. Shisha connoisseurs may also look forward to savoring a range of plain and flavored tobacco varieties. All guests coming for Iftar and Suhoor will delight in a lavish buffet spread. The feast will include live cooking and sage bread stations and different dishes from cuisines of the region. It features Ramadan traditional beverages, wide varieties of traditional food items mixed grills, shawarma, kharouf, atayaf and kounafa, Oriental mezzas, soups, salads, snacks, and sweets. For those who prefer privacy, the Doha Marriott also offers special in-room Iftar menus. “This year our Ramadan tent is a deviation from the norm and your senses will come alive to the sounds, sights, tastes and smell of a true Arabian experience. The eye-catching setting and decoration, combined with our graceful service and extravagant buffets will create a charming atmosphere everybody loves,” said Kazem Shamas, director of Events Management at the Doha Marriott Hotel. During Ramadan, Corniche, the Doha Marriott Hotel’s Mediterranean Restaurant, and All’ Aperto, the Italian Restaurant, will open regular hours and services. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets will feature Mediterranean and International cuisines. Also the renowned Friday Brunch will be offered throughout Ramadan. The JW’s Steakhouse will be open for dinner from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm serving beef. Asia Live!, Salsa, Taj Rasoi and Pearl Lounge will be closed throughout Ramadan and will reopen on the first day of Eid. The lobby will be open from 6 pm until midnight. A special Ramadan room package is available at the Doha Marriott Hotel starting from QR 650 per night. The Doha Sheraton Hotel will be hosting special events and activities for its guests. As the sun sets, Sheraton’s Salwa Hall will welcome guests for an “Iftar to remember.” A wide selection of Arabic dishes from the extensive Iftar buffet will be on offer while guests embrace the comforting and festive ambiance. “Our phalanx of culinary experts will surprise guests with traditional Ramadan specialties and additional selection of Mediterranean delicacies which will take part of the buffet,” said Andre Lange, Doha Sheraton’s director of Food and Beverage. The Sharq Village and Spa will prepare the Seher Al Sharq tent, decorated tents at the hotel’s Al Dasha and Al Sonbok ballrooms, extravagant buffet spreads and luxurious room stays. Each of the tents will feature a private Majlis seating, flavoured Shisha and live entertainment comfortably accommodating up to 188 guests. Corporate hosts wishing to uphold the Arabic traditions of hospitality may hold private Iftar events with menus served in the elegant atmosphere of the Al Sonbok ballroom. The Doha Ritz-Carlton Hotel will host Ramadan at their all-day dining restaurant the Lagoon Restaurant. “We will be hosting quite an elaborate Ramadan celebrations including a very lavish buffet as per the previous years for both Iftar and Suhoor. Plus all the decorations and entertainment to ensure that the ambience for Ramadan is established,” the hotel’s spokesperson said. The Lagoon Restaurant offers Iftar at QR190 per person and Suhoor for QR215 per person. The festivities will commence every evening from sunset till 1 a.m. More than 50 different dishes, inclusive of traditional Arabic cuisine such as Lamb ouzi, shrimp brik, chicken and beef shawarma, chicken madrouba, mezze and vegetable saloona will be served. Quench your thirst with traditional Ramadan beverages like Jelab, Karkadel, Laban, Tamer and Hindi. There will also be a traditional Arabic three-piece band playing every night for guests to enjoy as well as henna painting, falconry and a traditional Jelab juice maker and Arabic coffee served throughout the night. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha will also be hosting a Shisha tent on the lawns outside the Lagoon Restaurant. Relax in the air-conditioned Shisha tent amid soft cushions and wafting silks and enjoy a large a large selection of Shisha available every night. During Ramadan the following restaurants and bars will be closed at the Doha Ritz-Carlton Hotel: Habanos, La Mer, La Mer Wine Bar and the Admiral’s Club. The Lobby Lounge will be open from Iftar till 1am. and Flamingos will be open for “a la carte” dining only from 12 noon until 6 pm. The Doha Four Seasons Hotel will be providing Iftar in its Brasserie on the Beach. A spokesperson for the hotel explained that the restaurant will be transformed to create a “true Arabic atmosphere,” featuring many traditional delicacies and live cooking stations with decorations to create a “more intimate and lovely ambience.” The hotel will provide a smaller tent which will feature majlis-style seating where guests can enjoy snacks and Shisha, but the hotel has forgone with putting up the traditional larger tent this year. The Sealine Beach Resort will put up a Majlis Elchalehat for Ramadan. “Ramadan under the stars can be experienced in its full glory at the resort where Iftar and a selective à la carte menu will be served.” For larger groups with a minimum of 50 persons, the resort’s Pearl Restaurant will offer Iftar menus starting from QR99 per person. The dinner will be enjoyed with a relaxing music played by an Oud player. The end of Ramadan is marked by the three-day Eid Al Fitr holiday, the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” This is a joyous time, beginning with a special prayer, and accompanied by celebrations, festive meals and gift-giving. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=August2009&file=Local_News200908161217.xml

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