1.) The resort was built in 1962 by Alfred Kaskel. The name is a portmanteau of his wife’s name, Doris, and his own first name, Alfred. It was purchased by the Trump organization in 2012. The rooms were renovated under the direction of Ivanka Trump in 2015.
2.) The resort hosts four golf courses: the Blue Monster, the Silver Fox, the Golden Palm, and the Red Tiger. (If you, also, are thinking of yellow stars, blue diamonds, purple horseshoes, you are not alone. Frosted lucky golf courses…they’re magically delicious.)
3.) The bedbug story: In 2016, Eric Linder sued the resort and the Trump Organization for damages resulting from bedbug bites suffered at the Trump National Doral resort. In 2017, the Trump Organization settled the suit.
4.) According to Fodor’s, the resort has “boring rooms” and is located “far from Miami Beach and downtown.” It suggests the use of a rental car.
5.) The numbers, according to Forbes: 72 holes of championship-level golf, 18 sumptuous cabanas in the pool area, 48 ultra-luxe spa suites, 643 guest rooms, and 100,000 square feet of meeting and banquet spaces.
6.) Review scores are 4.5/5 on Google, 4.6/5 on Ebookers, 8.6/10 on Priceline, 9.5/10 on Agoda, 4.6/5 on Orbitz, 9/10 Booking.com, 4.6/5 Travelocity, 4.6/5 Expedia, 9.2/10 on Hotels.com, and 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor.
7.) In U.S. News and World Report, the resort ranks fifth among Miami hotels, 61st in Best Florida hotels, and #508 in Best USA Hotels.
8.) Kelly B on Yelp says: “The staff is very nice.
The decor is typical Trump gaudy.
The room is spotless and comfortable.
The pool closes at dusk, so it’s not been available for me.
The room rate was reasonable, but everything else is grotesquely expensive. I had a dinner of a burger and two glasses of wine. It was $54. The burger was over cooked and the wine was Barone Fini at $12 a glass. Fini is about $14 a bottle.
The mini bar has a short stack of Pringles priced at $9 with a 20% service charge.
I’ve had a lot of tap water on this trip.
Balcony door is struck closed and no hot water in bathroom sink.
It’s a no for me. 🙁 “ (Dated 6/11/2019)
9.) President Trump has announced he has chosen this resort to host the next meeting of the G-7. Fortune, Newsweek, and the New Yorker all raise valid concerns about, say, the emoluments clause. Twitter is also losing its shit. (UPDATE: The president has announced he will NOT host the G-7 at Doral after all because, you know, backlash. Current as of 10/20/2019.)
10.) The resort is host to a $10,000 portrait of Donald Trump painted by Havi Schanz and paid for by Trump charities. (See: Washington Post)
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