World Cup hotel shields England team from fans – and Qatar’s labour abuses

Far from the glittering towers of Doha, off a road lined with scruffy fast-food outlets and down a narrow, bumpy lane that leads to a beach, stands the hotel that will host the England team at the World Cup.

When David Beckham and Gary Neville visited recently, the former players’ initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. “Who chose this?” was Neville’s blunt assessment, as they stood in front of the Souq al-Wakra hotel’s modest entrance.

But what the hotel lacks in glamour it makes up for in privacy. High walls enclose the venue, which is built in the traditional style of the souk that surrounds it. Rooms are arranged around small courtyards to preserve guests’ privacy. There are few externally facing windows; the only view of the beach is from a rooftop seating area.

Once inside, Beckham was more upbeat. “The thing that you look for is tranquillity more than anything. You want to be in the middle of nowhere,” he said as he strolled through the hotel’s grounds. “This is the perfect set-up.”

The beachfront has the feel of a rundown English seaside town, only hotter. As the heat eases in the evening, families come to swim in the sea or take a camel ride along the beach.

Back inside, the hotel staff appear excited at the prospect of hosting England’s top footballers. “Do you know the England team will be staying here? They’ve booked the whole hotel. David Beckham came – I served him,” an Indian waiter says eagerly.

“There’s no alcohol allowed. We are a dry hotel,” he adds, suggesting privacy is not the only reason the team’s manager, Gareth Southgate, favours the hotel.

For footballers used to outrageous luxury, it is a modest choice, more four-star than five. The standard rooms are small; there are few facilities,