Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) has recently undergone a significant expansion, including the introduction of a new tropical garden. We’ve known that Qatar Airways planned to open a new lounge for business class passengers, significantly increasing capacity over the current facility. Well, that lounge is now open, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Let’s take a…
Continue reading: Now Open: Stunning Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge At The Garden
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Wow, that's super impressive. Their existing lounge is top notch already so this really ups the ante.
I also am thinking (hoping) that with the Airbus disputes resolved, the many A350s parked will come back to service, the A330s retired, and the ratio of Q-suite planes significantly upped.
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Lucky for me I'm flying JFK-DOH-BOM tomorrow. I will be visiting this new lounge! Look forward to it
Flying QR from DOH to JFK next month, I will make sure you enjoy the new facilities.
I had a longish layover at DOH last fall, and really checked out the lounge. But I just flew through with the normal 1.5 hour layover, which was time enough for a drink and a restroom stop. So, I’m wondering why their move-Em-through model even encourages lounge expansion. QR might better serve travelers with a grab and go feature instead.
Looks nice, but just like with the existing lounge, I can imagine the flashing ad screens and loud noises reverberating from the airport area making it really difficult to rest here unless you get one of the quiet rooms. I really don't understand why they felt it was important to have the current lounge opened both visually and aurally to the cacophony of otherwise nondescript areas of the airport common space.
“Some people will rearrange their travel plans purely to travel through Hamad in order to visit one or both of these facilities,” and Head for Points notes that non-readers would be more likely to reroute their travels for this (in other words, it won’t just have appeal among avgeeks)
Neither of these will be free, but rather “deep pockets will be required,” and it will be for those in “shopping mode”
How many people will that apply to? I.e, non-avgeeks with deep pockets...what is it that people who are that rich going to buy at the airport that they wouldn't be able to buy at home or the destination they are visiting?
Amazing the kind of things that can be built in a desert….and it is still Qatar..,,,not one of the most open societies in the world, despite the World Cup.
Thank you but no thank you.
@R B
Me too. I’m flying next month Q suites DOH-JFK. 3 hour layover. I hope I have lounge access with my ticket I used AA miles.
Milage tkts are booked in U class. U class can use the lounge with no problem. I was with friends last month on U tkts and they were invited into the lounge
Their model does bank flights, but nothing about QR is based on budgetary/quickie service. There is little appeal for the local wealthy travelers there to "grab a quick sandwich"; after all, the food in QR premium cabins is excellent, so J or F travelers could just eat on the plane instead of eating a crappy plastic-wrapped sandwich.
Almost all A359/35Ks Qsuite planes are back in service, so your odds are much better than 2 months ago. However, there will still be a LOT of A330s for shorter routes, and AFAIK there is no plan to change these to widebody aircraft. in fact, QR just had more delivered.
"The other Al Mourjan Lounge is already one of the best in the world"
umm... No. No it is not. Below so many, the list is way to long list.
Stop it ben. You are better than that. 🙂
Actually, the likelihood of getting an A350 with Qsuites has decreased as QR brings back its grounded A350s. That's because the older A350-900s are the ones that don't have Qsuites, and the older A350-900s were the planes that were parked due to the paint issue (as the issue affected older aircraft). As a result, almost all of the A350s flying during the grounding had Qsuites, while a majority of the planes grounded had their older product. A year ago, you were almost guaranteed Qsuites if you flew a QR A350. As the grounded planes are brought back into service, that will no longer be the case.
Flying ICN-DOH-JFK in J booked with AA miles next March with 2:40 connection time. Supposedly Qsuites assuming no plane swaps by then. Hope to have enough time to check this out. Looks amazing!
It's funny how interior design cases like this are available to Americans, and yet we still have the terrible choices of SkyClubs.
It's not about money, it's simply a matter of taste and class.
I suggest it is about money, but little money.
Say it would add 5% to the cost to get good design - so many businesses cut that 5% without thinking about whether it lowers the whole experience and may reduce relevant revenue by more absolute USD.
"Do things well or don't do them at all"
I can’t get excited for a lounge where they deny you entry if you have a starbucks coffee or any kind of drink from the terminal
@ Joe -- As I've acknowledged, it can get crowded during peak hours, but could you please let me know what you consider the top five business class lounges in the world?
What will be the entrance criteria for this lounge vs the old business class lounge?
Also, their first class lounge is incredible. Loved my experience in that last year.
@ dn10 -- The entry requirements are identical. All non-basic business class passengers have access.
Where is the new space, was looking at the airport maps, does not seem to be on there yet. Is it downby the C Gates? Far end
An A330 is a widebody plane as well, it just does not feature Q-suite or any of the newer business class products.
Like some 777 it still features the 2-2-2 layout, which is not cutting edge (but at least you won't hit middle seat in J like on EK...).
Also, looking at FR24 there are still 18-20 A350-900 that have not flown in the past 180 days, so a lot of planes are yet to come back.
I will be their on 3 June flying Athens Doha Melbourne … as a a Platinum Chairman’s lounge member I get access to every First Class lounge in any airport no matter where I sit in the plane except Doha so I for one am very happy with the news of Qatar opening another lounge for us .
Thank you Ben it looks creative and enjoyable for our 3 hour visit at 1 am in the morning . Best time of day to enjoy a few bubbles and a steak and fries.
For those who don’t know where it is you will find it on google maps
My wife and are we’re in Bangkok the day the new lounge opened. we were with /2 other couples, all of us were business class passengers, and you refused us entrance to the new lounge. We were very insulted. We had flown with you from chicago to Doha to Bali and had flown with you back to Bangkok and then on to chicago. We thought it was extreamly rude behavior on your part, and while we enjoyed our flights we could hardly believe your treatment of the 6 of us in
Bangkok and it moist certainly had an effect on our ability to use or refer others to you ever again. We had been admitted to you lounges 2x earlier in our trip
My wife and are we’re in Bangkok the day the new lounge opened. we were with /2 other couples, all of us were business class passengers, and you refused us entrance to the new lounge. We were very insulted. We had flown with you from chicago to Doha to Bali and had flown with you back to Bangkok and then on to chicago. We thought it was extreamly rude behavior on your part, and while we enjoyed our flights we could hardly believe your treatment of the 6 of us in
Bangkok and it moist certainly had an effect on our ability to use or refer others to you ever again. We had been admitted to you lounges 2x earlier in our trip.
Please explain?
Just spent the morning in the lounge and I can say that while it is very nice, the exclusive areas (LV lounge, Dior boutique) haven't opened yet.
I added a bunch of photos to Google maps for those interested in seeing more.
I love the Mourjan Garden, but the one thing I will say is that in the shower rooms. unlike the original Mourjan lounge, there are no toilets.
Also, the hair dryer plugs have 3 pins, but the shower rooms can only accommodate 2 pins. So, no hair dryer after a shower.
I was chatting wiht qatar SFO to DOHA ( Buisnes -U) and then DOHA to HYD on etihad busines class with AA miles. I was chatting with qatar agent i was told Mileague tickets with partners are not allowed in this new Garden lounge but allowed access on other Al Mourjan Business Lounge. ANyone can put their expereince
@ Praveen N -- The agent was misinformed, as you do get access to either Al Mourjan Business Lounge with a partner award ticket.