Something for all 'Six Senses'

Say any of the world's most exclusive hotel chains, and all sorts of luxurious extravagances spring to mind. You might think ‘butler', ‘gold', ‘gourmet'... your thoughts come dripping with diamonds and your lowly day-to-day existence starts to pale in comparison to your dreams. Some places of course, don't live up to your expectations. But others exceed them beyond your wildest imaginings, as we discovered last weekend at the Sharq Village & Spa, in Doha - the newest offering of excellence from the Ritz Carlton group.

Qatar - just a 40 minute flight from Dubai - is one of only two countries in the world in which you'll find an expanse of sea water in the middle of the desert, (the other being Namibia). Impressive huh? And whilst Dubai attracts more than its share of beach-seeking spa enthusiasts, Doha isn't too far behind these days. The city's got big plans, and the Ritz are well and truly at the heart of it.

The first thing to impress was the bath - which must have been run for us as we drove there in the car. Not only was the water warm and full of bubbles - a heart shaped cluster of rose petals perched on top, begging me to get in! Bliss. The rose petal theme was continued throughout our room actually. I never thought I'd see a bed decorated like that until my honeymoon. And I'm not sure it isn't slightly greedy to expect it for a second time, if that day ever comes!

The Sharq Village & Spa isn't actually near its Ritz sister - rather a five minute drive from the airport (in a BMW 7 with a fridge and DVD player in the back - thank you very much). Not having stayed at a Ritz establishment before, my hopes were high and as we pulled up outside the "village" and eyed up its amber-lit charms, I was definitely sure it was going to deliver! The place looks incredible. Five years in the making, it's based on a traditional Qatari Village design and features shaded streets and hidden courtyards, whilst housing 174 luxurious rooms and suites.

And let's not forget the whopping 1,7521 square foot royal villa, aptly-named "Beit Al Shoukh" (Home of royalty). That part isn't open just yet, but when it is it'll be the most expensive place to stay in the whole country. We're talking Dhs100,000 a night! But for that of course, you get a full staff on hand to wait on you, a private gym, spa, chef, pool - practically everything you can imagine. And more, knowing this lot.

Back to our stay - we slept like logs in our floral chamber after a few mojitos in the Cuban styled Cigar Lounge. And the next morning, after a breakfast of salmon and eggs delivered to our room, we were taken for the highlight of our visit - treatments in the gorgeous Six Senses Spa. No corners have been cut here. From the smiling doorman, to the bowls of glistening fruit, to the shiny stones at the bottom of a crystal clear lake in the middle of its reception, this is a true reminder that you're getting the Ritz treatment.

Sharq Village spa offers world-class innovative experiences that aim to "combine Doha's rugged, natural beauty with cutting-edge holistic and contemporary treatments". Don't'cha know. Its 23 treatment rooms are built to resemble a traditional Qatari environment, looking like typical village houses with heated stone massage beds, mud baths, fully equipped gym, private majlis areas and several quiet reflective meditation rooms. I think my man wanted to live there, actually.

First up - our "couple's bath ritual and rose bliss balm massage". Personally, I wasn't too sure this wouldn't involve a little woman climbing in with us and scrubbing us down as we threw each other worried looks, laced with a little embarrassment. But thankfully, it was nothing of the sort. They left us to our own devices in a mammoth tub, filled, again, with rose petals. After 45 minutes our therapists re-appeared to deliver our massages - 60 minutes of further rose-scented bliss. Let's just say, if I'd had any knots from sitting in this chair five days a week, they didn't exist after that.

I was almost too relaxed to sit through lunch at signature restaurant, Al Liwan. But once I saw the buffet I woke up, obviously. We helped ourselves from an impressive array of local, regional and international specialties, including roasted lamb ouzzi, samak harra, seabass, lobster, a giant hammour and an incredible chicken shawarma that I'll be dreaming about when I next reach for my 3am pie from 24/Seven. Oh, and the ex pastry chef from London's Harrods is here, whipping up dessert. If you've got a sweet tooth, you might want to pack extra toothpaste if you're coming here!

We barely had time to relax around the pretty cooling pools, fountains, lush gardens and courtyards, (check out the invitingly steamy jacuzzi!) before it was time for dinner.

"That was world class seafood" my partner whispered in my ear, as we were shuffled onto a buggy and driven back to our villa from Al Dana restaurant. We couldn't have walked - we were stuffed! Chef Shahram has set up camp at Sharq Village & Spa, from a prestigious position at the Four Seasons Palm Beach in Florida. As he walked us proudly round his restaurant prior to our meal, we could tell he'd be pouring oodles of passion into every bite of his well practiced "Coastal" cuisine. Also pretty impressive is the fact that this "casually chic" enclave happens to be the only beachfront restaurant in Doha - at the moment.

"I believe in the importance of cooking from your heart and soul and putting passion into every thing you create," he announced. "It's passion, along with a focus on freshness and quality that will elevate Al Dana restaurant to new heights."

And he's probably right. The restaurant filled up quickly around us - apparently there was an actor in our midst and every person on his chattering table was "oohing" and "aaahing" about the food! We ourselves were given sushi, mussels in Thai green sauce with coconut, flaky, curried hammour, lobster in spicy BBQ sauce... so many tasters, in fact, that we could hardly appreciate the chocolate fondue when it was placed before us, with offerings of fresh fruit and meringue to use as dips.

The next morning, after a breakfast of eggs, beans and hash browns (you can take the girl out of England, etc) we headed back to the spa for our signature facials. And as we boarded the plane back to Dubai some three hours later, I remember feeling ridiculously tired. It takes it out of you, you know, living the life of luxury, 24 hours a day, as well as concentrating equally hard on setting all those stresses free.

The Ritz has outdone itself with this one, you know. Even if we don't make it back to the Royal Villa for that 100k stay, I'll always remember the weekend I had, being treated like a Princess.


For more information on Sharq Village & Spa, click here

Al Dana is open for dinner every evening between 7pm and 11 p.m.
For dinner reservations and more information on Sharq Village & Spa contact the hotel directly on 974 425 6666 or visit The Ritz-Carlton website at www.ritzcarlton.com

Couple's Bath Ritual - 45 Minutes / 250 QR
Rose Bliss Balm Massage -60 Minutes / 600 QR