The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort

White Mughal-inspired domes rising against Doha's glass skyline set the tone before you've even checked in. This Forbes Four Star boutique resort sits inside Katara Cultural Village, with just 59 rooms and a handful of standalone villas, though the private beach, two pools, Eastern spa, and five restaurants all suggest something much larger had ambitions here. The soaring lobby, designed to recall a palace courtyard, is the kind of entrance that makes you stand still for a moment.