Treating yourself to elevated holiday indulgence is all the more enticing, if you’ve got a 17 hour plus-flight on your agenda. Heading to Europe, I plumped for a pampered stopover in Doha, after the marathon non-stop trek from Auckland on Qatar Airways. Perched in the heart of the glittery heart of West Bay’s forest of skyscrapers, Dusit Hotel & Suites - Doha is my kind of indulgence. 

The luxury hotel is just minutes from downtown Doha, with the Doha Exhibition Centre and popular attractions including the Doha Corniche, just an easy stroll away. With 192 suites, this 5-star hotel caters for travellers across the spectrum, whether you’re travelling alone or with families and groups. Suites are configured into a variety of options, including six-bedroom suites! The intricate design elements of the hotel are sumptuous, fusing tradition and heritage with cutting-edge contemporary comforts. You can indulge in culinary delights at Qureshi Bukhara or unwind at the cigar lounge, Churchill, if that’s how you roll. There’s a fitness centre, wellness facilities and expansive indoor swimming pool.  

But one venue that is simply unmissable is the buzzing Tropicana 360 rooftop restaurant and bar. Perched on the 48th floor, this chic rooftop bar and restaurant is the trending place to be seen in Doha. Tropicana 360 features a specially crafted menu focusing on hearty pub classics, matched by an equally fab beverage list. The Wagyu beef slider, battered fish tacos and queso fundido were my favourite bites. The mixology is wizardly, including some superlative non-alcoholic cocktails, like Ginger Flower and Coco Melon. Watching the slumping sun turn into a fireball and torching West Bay’s skyscrapers is a captivating experience from the celestial surrounds of Tropicana 360. 

Sundowners at Tropicana 360. Photo / Mike Yardley

The hotel’s sister property, Dusit Doha Hotel is just around the corner, and offers another five-star alternative, with upscale hotel rooms and idyllic living spaces, headlined by dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. The buffet breakfast offering at Taste is extensive and exotic, spanning a generous variety of healthy and hearty favourites. Dusit Doha Hotel is also home to a signature Doha dining experience, Benjarong, which showcases the authentic flavours and warmth of Thailand to Doha. Make a reservation for dinner here and embark on an unforgettable culinary journey focused on the harmony and balance of impeccably executed Thai cuisine. Don’t go past the Phad Thai Goong Benjarong, consisting of stir-fried Chantaburi rice noodles with prawns, chives, bean sprouts and Benjarong tamarind sauce. Irresistible! www.dusit.com 

Departing New Zealand for Europe via Doha, I opted for an economy class seat, to see for myself just how rigorous an endurance test that 17 hour non-stop flight really is. With a voluminous library of on-demand entertainment and WiFi at my disposal, I was suitably engaged for hours, before taking my trusty magnesium tablet and clocking up nearly 9 hours of sleep, throughout the flight. Ensconced in an aisle seat, it was generally when another passenger wanted to get up, that my snoozing was abruptly interrupted. But along with being well-fed and watered, it was a far more survivable experience than I had envisaged. On the homeward run to Auckland, I plumped for the pointy end, basking in the pampered embrace of Qatar Airways’ legendary Business Class product, QSuite. 

Lounging in the QSuite. Photo / Qatar Airways

This truly is a world-leading product, where the best of First Class has been deployed to Business Class. Best of all, those flying double beds. Yes, if you’re a couple travelling together, your seats convert into a lie-flat double bed, with privacy sliding doors, sealing you off in your own cocoon of comfort. QSuite has also pioneered the quad, a private space fully adaptable to your family or fellow travellers’ requirements. Every seat, whether you’re travelling solo or with company, has its own slider door. The trimmings keep coming, with soft feathered pillows, a velvet duvet and pyjama set.  

I particularly enjoyed the sublime quality of the full-flavoured cuisine and QSuite’s “dine on demand’ system. The delightfully effervescent and obliging cabin crew welcomed me aboard with a lemon and mint signature drink, before explaining how I could order anything at all from the expansive menu and arrange for it to be served at any time. The beverages menu was equally tempting with various champagnes on offer including Duval-Leroy and Laurent-Perrier Cuvee. I was also impressed to see their feature sav blanc was Yealands Estate Single Block from Marlborough. But as I’m a stickler for not consuming alcohol while flying, I opted for their delicious alcohol-free drink, So Jennie. This pale pink sparkling rose beverage, made in France, is a class act.  

With a late-night departure, I ordered up the magnificent Arabic mezze, consisting of pesto hummus, labneh tahini and avocado muhammara with breads, for a quick supper before turning in. Sleeping like a lamb in my cosy lie-flat cocoon, I awoke to my pre-arranged Qatari chicken mashkhool with daqoos sauce. Simply exquisite. And I caved into temptation, ordering up the chocolate caraway mousse with raspberry cremeux dessert. Sinful! After another snooze, Australia was below me and the Tasman was in sight, so I feasted on a bowl of fresh berries for a 2am wake-up breakfast. More decadence ensued with a caramel tipsy bun with vanilla mascarpone. Bonus points must go to the coffee – possibly the best tasting brew I’ve encountered, in-flight.  

Arabic Mezze on Qatar Airways. Photo / Mike Yardley

Qatar Airways has every reason to feel like it’s on top of the world – and deservedly so. The Doha-based carrier, with one of the world’s youngest aircraft fleets, has just scooped supreme honours at the Skytrax Airline Awards, crowned World’s Best Airline, after winning the same gong from AirlineRatings.com two months ago. Flying daily non-stop between Doha and Auckland, Kiwis enjoy visa-free entry into Doha. Beyond Doha, Qatar Airways flies to over 170 destinations worldwide. www.qatarairways.com 

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.