Banana Island — Attraction in Doha

Review of Banana Island Resort, Qatar

Initial Impressions and Check-In Experience Upon arrival at Banana Island Resort, we requested an early check-in. Although it wasn't available, this had been communicated to us beforehand, so we were prepared for the wait.

Beach and Pool Areas The beach at the resort is impeccably clean, which is a positive aspect. However, the attendants were not readily available with towels as they were often seen talking or on their phones. This lack of attentiveness was also observed with the lifeguard, who seemed more engrossed in his phone than monitoring the safety of guests.

The resort boasts several pools, yet there were no clear descriptions or accurate temperature readings available. The information board by the pool, which indicated that the pool temperature was higher than the sea temperature, was evidently outdated and incorrect. Moreover, despite the designated adult pool, it frequently had children inside, suggesting that the staff were quite lax in enforcing the resort's rules, which could compromise the experience for other guests.

Service at the Beach and Restaurants Service was noticeably lacking at both the beach and the resort's beach shack. Despite the intense heat, no staff came to take drink orders, which was disappointing.

Room Comfort and Facilities The rooms themselves are of a decent size but were extremely cold, and the air conditioning controls were not user-friendly. The light controls in the room were similarly difficult to navigate, and the backlight on the controls remained on throughout the night, making it challenging to achieve a dark, restful environment.

The bathroom, on the other hand, was very dark and in dire need of better lighting. The light controls were also confusing and lacked labels, which made it difficult to use. In fact, labelling all the room controls would greatly enhance the guest experience.

Dining Experience Most restaurants at the resort close by 10pm, with last orders taken before then. This posed a problem for us as we struggled to find a place for a late dinner or even dessert. Fortunately, on our second day, we encountered Mr. Eranga, the duty manager, who kindly arranged for us to be served at one of the beachside restaurants. He later followed up with an apology, explaining that the early closure of restaurants was due to the resort's focus on families, allowing guests to relax without the disturbance of late-night activity.

Maintenance Issues A significant issue arose on our last day when we woke up to a flooded bathroom due to a leak from the shower head over the bathtub. While the maintenance staff responded promptly, they initially misunderstood the source of the leak and replaced the main shower hose instead.

Discounts and Room Service A noteworthy point for future guests: if you have any discounts applied during your stay, ensure they are used while you are still checked in. Once you check out, the staff at the restaurants do not honour these discounts as you are no longer considered an in-house guest.

On a positive note, the room service, both makeup and turndown, was excellent. The housekeeping staff did a fantastic job, keeping the room clean and fresh throughout our stay.

Overall Experience My stay at Banana Island was enjoyable, though I wish the resort offered more in terms of service, especially considering it is a 5-star establishment. While the resort did not entirely live up to its expectations, the food was undeniably the highlight. It was some of the best I have had in Qatar.

Ratings Resort: 3/5 Food: 5/5 Amenities: 4/5 Staff Attentiveness: 3/5 Spa: 5/5 Value...

I visited Banana Island in June with my wife for our honeymoon and as it was our first trip together, it was a very special one and the staff at Banana Island went above and beyond for us :)

From the get go, we were greeted and welcomed with a cold bottle of water (much needed given the temperature!) as well as a welcome cake, some local sweets (baklava) and a nice message to congratulate us on our wedding.

We stayed for a total of 10 days and we wish we could have extended our stay for much longer. The beach was very clean and an amazing place to wind down as well as Q Lounge - nothing better than sipping mocktails whilst sat in a jacuzzi in the blistering heat!

The onsite amenities and restaurant truly were amazing and there were many options including italian, arabic etc. After a swim and sunbathing, it was also nice to go for a quick round of bowling and along with a film at the cinema (genuinely pleased with the options of movies available!). The breakfast available at the island is by far the best breakfast I have ever had - the range of food available was astounding as well as the variety of drinks including fresh juices, detox drinks and zam zam water (as a muslim this really stood out for me).

My wife had initially wanted to book the Maldives however Banana Island offers that plus so much more. You can travel back and forth to Doha whenever you want (boats tend to go around every 30 mins) and the last ones tend to be at 12:30am (staff boats but if you book in advance you can go on them - staff were always happy to accomodate). There is plenty of things to do in Doha itself such as Souq Waqif (walking distance), Villagio mall, Mall of Qatar, Olympic Museum (great if you are a football fan!) as well as the SeaLine Desert.

Whilst we were here, it was also my wife's birthday and yet again the staff went over and beyond for us to give my wife a birthday she will never forget (and me!). I booked Dining By Design and essentially, the beach was secluded off for us with a makeshift tent surrounded by roses and a special message etched into the sand for my wife - all this whilst overlooking the lit skyline of downtown Doha! We had a personal chef throughout the evening to cook us anything we wanted (we had a range of steaks, arabic cuisine, indian food and some mouth watering baklava and cakes. To top it off, the staff also arranged for a Shisha once we had finished our meal.

I can go on and on about our stay but I may need to write a novel about how great it was - I highly recommend you experience the beauty of the Island and the amazing customer service they have to offer. A huge HUGE thank you to the following staff members;

Sunda (Dining by Design) - Thank you so so SO much! a true gentleman!

Abdel (Night manager) - Thank you so much for your hospitality and recommendations for things to do in Doha

Sumira (breakfast) - Thank you for welcoming us for breakfast each morning. Huge thank you to your colleague also. I cannot remember her name but I do recall she is at University and on a work placement at the Island (and wears glasses!)

Gunez & Gerard - Huge thank you for accomodating us each morning and night for our boat to and from Doha

Al Amin (Al Naham Restaurant) - Thank you so much for looking after me and my wife on the first and also last night. Food was amazing!

In summary, 10/10 - would highly...

It is an excellent place to have a staycation in Doha!

You have to book your trip ahead and go to the office in the corniche where you take the boat to reach the banana island. The corniche office has valet parking, bags check-in, front desk , toilets, and refreshments facilities. You are welcomed by exotic music on your arrival, which makes you feel the island 🏝 vibes. Then the reception staff will allocate room at 3pm. 6 can enjoy the dining, beach , swimming pool , kids' water park, kids activity room, or simply roam around. Lots of greenery, welcoming staff, yummy food, and clean and spacious space are the additional points to love this place. Reflexology is an excellent idea to us busy.

I really have to mention some names for their outstanding service, Mr.Bhanu, from the Al nahham restaurant. He gave us excellent suggestions of food, and it is clear that he is experienced in his field. Mr Fattah and Mrs Sumira, for the good care they provided to us from the Azraq breakfast. They are very friendly and helpful. They made our stay even more comfortable. Thanks again.

I gave 4 stars for the following reasons: we weren't aware of the activities we could do during the waiting time of check-in. You can't walk for two hours, especially when you travel with small kids . Our swimsuit was in the checked in bag, which will be directly taken to the room. So we had to wait till 3pm to get changed. Unfortunately, it started to feel cold and windy from that time ( end November). Therefore, kids didn't do much on the day of arrival, and they were bored. Also, we have to pre book to access the sauna and hammam. I didn't know about it until the moment I wanted to use it. Also, the pre booking is needed for the restaurant to have dinner. I suggest you do it as soon as you land and come prepared to use the water 💧 facilities. The towel will be provided in the pool and kids' water play area. Also, a changing room is available near the pool area (the floor was full of water because of the clogged drainage, no space to keep your bags) while showering. It was difficult to find a buggy car. They were always heading for some pickup or waiting for someone. It's not at all practical to walk with two toddlers. The pool was freezing with the wind at 1pm 🫣. Roof opened pool option won't be bad for Qatar's weather. In the middle of the sea with a fully opened pool I'd definitely...