“Not Paradise”

Gulf Paradise Hotel was in the Gulf but it definately was not Paradise. With most hotels running over $200 per night in Doha, I chose the hotel for its price and from the online description it seemed as though it would be OK for a place to sleep. It wasn't. It was billed as city center but was on a side street across from what appeared to be an abandoned building complete with grafitti. It was a dangerous 25-minute walk to the corniche with several busy roads that took up to 10 minutes to safely cross and I would not have attempted the walk at night. Taxis were not readily available from the hotel and the hotel had a limosine service that was not available when I was there. This greatly hindered my visit. The hotel itself on first look was about what I expected, a bit older with a musty smell but adequate. The room looked OK until I opened the bathroom door. The bathroom was so tiny one's legs had to go under the sink if using the toilet. The base of the shower was lined with black mold. The room looked out onto a dirty alley and the early morning prayer (approximately 3:30am) was so loud it literally sounded as if someone were standing next to me with a bullhorn. Although I did not feel unsafe I did feel very uncomfortable as a Western female staying there alone. For me, the Gulf Paradise Hotel seriously diminished my enjoyment of my three-day holiday in Doha.