Opened in 1982, the 5-star Sheraton Hotel (in the foreground of the picture) introduced a new standard of modern architecture. A pioneering project in the North Doha District Development Plan (NDOD) or West Bay, the 16-storey hotel remained one of the two tallest buildings in the capital until the 1990s. The first international hotel built in Qatar, its royal suites have seen many crowned heads and foreign presidents pass through. Despite increased competition, the current Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel retains several strengths. Firstly, its location at the northern end of the Corniche gives it the benefit of a private beach. Secondly, the hotel’s pyramid architecture allows each room to have a spectacular view of the West Bay skyline or the Persian Gulf.