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HomeNewsHow to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar

How to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar

How to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar

So you have your tickets for the World Cup in 2022. You may or may not have your flights booked, but that’s okay. But if you’ve been looking for a hotel or an Airbnb, none of them are available at the moment for the 2022 World Cup. So if you’re looking for hotel options and need to find accommodation during the Cup world, what are you doing? In short, here’s how to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar and surrounding countries.

One option is to book a Fan Village cabin through the official Qatar 2022 website. But be aware that the ‘cabin’ looks like a cross between a modified shipping container and a tiny portable classroom. Likewise, we hear that the Fan Village cabins are not air-conditioned. Also, be aware that the cabins are in the desert. In conclusion, don’t expect a comfortable, hotel-like experience.

According to our research, the process of finding hotel rooms through the Qatar 2022 portal is extremely difficult and frustrating. To reduce the stress, we’ve compiled this guide on how to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar.

How to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar

In an ideal world, fans traveling to Qatar for the World Cup would be as essential to the World Cup as possible. After all, one of the selling points of the Qatar World Cup is the proximity to every stadium in the tournament. The two furthest stadiums from each other are only 46 miles away. Comparatively, the two closest stadiums to the 2018 World Cup in Russia outside of Moscow were more than 175 miles apart.

Therefore, let’s start by looking at accommodation options in and around Qatar.

Hotels

Maybe you were curious about how to find real hotels for the World Cup in Qatar. Unfortunately, according to the Qatar World Cup website, these are currently unavailable. These are probably the first accommodations to be seized, with almost all hotels located in central Doha.

There are, however, other options that do not require you to stay in Doha.

Stay outside Qatar

There are reasons to stay out of Qatar and then travel to the country to watch a game or be part of the atmosphere.

A number of airlines that call the Arabian Gulf home will offer shuttle flights during the World Cup. For example, Qatar Airways, flydubai, Oman Air, Kuwait Airways and Saudi Airlines will operate daily shuttles. There will be approximately 160 shuttle flights per day.

According to Qatar Airways, the flights cost 298 USD in economy class.

These shuttle planes plan to arrive five hours before a given game. Then, according to Akbar al-Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, fans will have plenty of time to board planes to return to their country of residence. Those looking to participate in this must have three things on the safe side. On the one hand, there is the completed and accessible Hayya Card. Fans must also have a match ticket. Those looking to enter the country for restaurants or other activities will need other means of transport. Finally, fans must book a flight that arrives in Doha at least four hours before kick-off.

World Cup 2022 Qatar

Browse Shuttle Flights from United Arab Emirates and Oman to Doha

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Here’s what it opens.

Stay in neighboring countries

There is a lot of hotel possibilities in cities like Muscat (Oman), Dubai (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Dammam (Saudi Arabia). Obviously, if the plane situation opens doors as expected, fans will be able to travel between countries.

The disadvantages are clear. Fans who do not have tickets will not be able to use the service. Also, even if fans have tickets, traveling for multiple matches could easily add up. This is especially true for fans from countries that make a deep run in the tournament.

However, hotels in any of the cities mentioned above should allow relatively easy travel between countries.

US travelers and visas

A resource is to go directly through the Qatar 2022 World Cup website. Here you can try to book accommodation, buy match tickets and access your Hayya card. First, make sure the Hayya card is supported. This allows access to Qatar, entry to the stadiums and free transport within the country by bus or metro.

The Hayya card acts as an entry visa for travelers to Qatar. It’s a obligatory card for travelers coming for the World Cup. It is required for entry into the country and entry into every stadium during the World Cup.

However, here are the options available when trying to find hotels for the World Cup physically in Qatar.

There are some obstacles. Most of the following accommodations require proof of ticketing to book. Therefore, fans who are just trying to get to the country for the experience are more limited. Your best bet is to buy your match tickets first, then you can book your hotel and flights later.

Fan villages

Currently, the aforementioned fan villages have three locations available on the outskirts of Qatar. Priced at $208 per night, it’s the most affordable option for fans coming to Qatar for the World Cup. But remember you get what you pay for. All three options are right south of doha, to the north near the Lusail stadium and more west of Doha.

Fans can have two twin beds or one double bed in their accommodation. Bear in mind that this is far from the luxury that Qatar is building in Doha. It’s basically a place to sleep and get ready for the day. Each Fan Village is more or less the same, just located in a different place. There’s free Wi-Fi, two bottles of water per day, twice-weekly housekeeping, and relatively easy access to Doha by metro.

There is no indication of air conditioning in these pods, so tourists to these fan villages will rely on cooler evenings.

The Qatar World Cup Fan Villages will also provide access to camping options. More information on this will be available closer to the World Cup.

Apartments and Villas

Taking a step forward in price and quality, apartments in Qatar range from just under $1,000 a night. There is also an option for the ultimate budget traveler at around $80 per nightbut it looks more like a college dorm than a villa or apartment.

The availability of these is everywhere. In some locations there is ‘high availability’, while others have zero availability six months out from the World Cup. Also, due to the range of options, there are apartments and villas ranging from Al Janoub Stadium in the south to Al Khor in the northern part of the country.

Some options, as in Al Wakra, offer three-bedroom apartments for around $530 per night. This can be configured to have six beds for six travelers if some people wish to travel in groups.

However, keep in mind that some apartments and villas will have air conditioning, while others will not. All will have standard housekeeping several times a week, WiFi access, basic kitchen appliances and access to transport.

cruise ships

For those who want to know how to find hotels for the World Cup in Qatar, there is an interesting option. Two cruise ships from MSC Cruises will be docked at Doha Grand Terminal. It is just outside the city center which means it has easy access to activities and transport to the stadiums.

Currently, the two cruise ships are either $180 per night on MSC Poesia and $350 per night on MSC World Europa. The reason for this is that the World Europa is still under construction as of May 2022, so Qatar World Cup fans staying on board are among the first to reside on the ship. Staying on a cruise ship for the Qatar World Cup would be like going on a cruise vacation. There are dinner and drink options on board, and there are entertainment options on both.

The rooms are relatively small, just like the norm on cruise ships. However, there is availability six months away from the World Cup.

Find out more about traveling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup in our World Cup 2022 content hub.