Rotana City Center Doha

Sign pole on Omar Al Mukhtar Street as a marker for the presence of DECC MRT station.

My adventure in West Bay area was already in extra time. But it didn’t break my spirit to keep exploring new destinations in the vicinity. I wasn’t in a hurry to leaving West Bay, even though my steps had arrived at Doha Exhibition & Convention Center (DECC) and DECC MRT station gate was already tempting in front of my eyes. In the midday heat, I made my way to a modern shopping center in this business district. It was the luxury in it that attracted me to explore this entire modern mall.

Arriving at a large T-junction, I took a right to follow the flow of vehicles on Conference Center Street. Three hundred meters later I entered City Center Doha malls’s drop off path. I didn’t go straight into it, but I tried to get the best picture in front yard of this famous shopping mall. Understandably, I had to queue with other impromptu photographers.

Conference Center Street situation right in front of City Center Doha.

This is the face of City Center Doha (CCD Mall).

I slowly started to enter a mall entrance. Through an automatic glass door, I slowly stepped stairs on the right and found a information desk right in the middle of room. Meanwhile, to the left of mall entrance, you can see a large replica of a dhow boat which is a model of a traditional Middle Eastern ship. While behind the information desk, is an ice rink arena.

Stepping floor-by-floor, I felt like playing “hide and seek” with African-looking security guards. Looks like they’ve been watching me for a long time. Maybe my arrival that didn’t look like to shopping and was just busy taking floor-to-floor photos made them watch me. I sometimes just sit on a few chairs provided on several sides of this mall. After they seem off guard, then I would immediately take pictures of some points which I targeted.

The mall roof made from glass made my curiosity unstoppable, through the escalator I stepped one by one CCD floor until it was right under the roof. Looked so beautiful the view of skyscrapers tip.

Then from top floor I started to explore mall corridor on right to see some well-known stores such as QuiCksilver apparel from Australia, Columbia Sportswear from America, Adidas from Germany, Sun & Sand Sports and also Max Fashion from Dubai.

Please note that this mall is connected to three international standard hotels, namely Shangri-La Doha, Marriot Marquis Hotel and Rotana City Center Doha. It occupies an area of 14 hectares and has 350 shops in it. Built by Aamal Company Q.P.S.C, the retail market leader in Qatar. This is the largest shopping mall in West Bay area which is located right in the heart of business district

Before ending my visitation, I went down to ground floor to see restaurant area. I saw that there was a place which was so crowded compared to other places in same location, i.e dining tables in front of House of Tea, a cafe company from Qatar.

That was a little story about City Center Doha which is the largest modern shopping center in West Bay area.

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<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

*Sign pole* di Omar Al Mukhtar Street sebagai penanda keberadaan stasiun MRT DECC.

Petualanganku di area West Bay sudah di injury time. Tapi tak mematahkan semangatku untuk terus menelusuri destinasi baru di sekitarnya. Aku tak tergesa meninggalkan West Bay, walau langkahku sudah sampai di Doha Exhibition & Convention Center (DECC) dan gerbang stasiun MRT DECC sudah menggoda di depan mata. Di teriknya tengah hari, aku mengayunkan langkah menuju sebuah pusat perbelanjaan modern di distrik bisnis ini. Angan kemewahan di dalamnyalah yang menarik minatku untuk menelaah seisi mall modern itu.

Tiba di sebuah pertigaan besar aku mengambil arah ke kanan mengikuti arus kendaraan di Conference Centre Street. Tiga ratus meter kemudian aku memasuki jalur City Center Doha drop off. Aku tak langsung memasukinya, tetapi aku berusaha mendapatkan gambar terbaik di pelataran depan shopping mall kenamaan itu. Maklum, aku harus mengantri bersama para photographer dadakan lainnya.

Suasana Conference Centre Street tepat di depan City Center Doha.

Inilah muka dari City Center Doha (CCD Mall).

Perlahan aku mulai memasuki mall entrance. Melalui pintu kaca otomatis, kunaiki perlahan tangga di sebelah kanan dan kujumpai information desk tepat di tengah ruangan. Sementara di sebelah kiri mall entrance, tampak replika besar dhow boat yang merupakan model kapal tradisional kebanggaan Timur Tengah. Sementara di belakang information desk, adalah arena ice rink itu berada.

Menaiki lantai-demi lantai, aku serasa bermain kucing-kucingan dengan para security berperawakan Afrika. Sepertinya, mereka memperhatikanku sedari tadi. Mungkin kedatanganku yang tampak tak bermaksud berbelanja dan hanya sibuk mengambil foto dari lantai ke lantai membuat mereka mengawasiku. Aku terkadang hanya duduk di beberapa kursi yang disediakan di beberapa sisi mall. Setelah mereka tampak lengah, maka aku akan segera mengambil gambar beberapa titik yang kusasar.

Atap mall yang terbuat dari kaca membuat rasa penasaranku tak terbendung, melalui escalator aku menaiki satu demi satu lantai CCD hingga tepat berada di bawah atap itu. Tampak begitu indah ujung para pencakar langit itu.

Kemudian dari lantai teratas aku mulai menelusuri koridor mall sebelah kanan untuk melihat beberapa toko ternama seperti apparel Quiksilver dari Australia, Columbia Sportswear asal Amerika, Adidas asal Jerman, Sun & Sand Sports dan juga Max Fashion asal Dubai.

Perlu diketahui bahwa mall ini terkoneksi dengan tiga hotel bertaraf internasional yaitu Shangri-La Doha, Marriot Marquis Hotel dan Rotana City Center Doha. Menempati lahan seluas 14 hektar dan memiliki 350 toko di dalamnya. Dibangun oleh Aamal Company Q.P.S.C, pemimpin pasar retail di Qatar. Inilah shopping mall terbesar di area West Bay yang diletakkan tepat di jantung distrik bisnis itu

Sebelum mengakhiri kunjungan, aku turun ke ground floor untuk melihat area restoran. Aku melihat terdapat tempat yang begitu ramai dibandingkan tempat lain di lokasi yang sama, yaitu meja makan di depan House of Tea, sebuah perusahaan cafe asal Qatar.

Itulah sedikit cerita tentang City Center Doha yang menjadi pusat perbelanjaan modern terbesar di area West Bay.

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

Tag: Rotana City Center Doha

Peeking Ice Rink at City Center Doha

Melongok Ice Rink di City Center Doha