Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha (DOH)

My favorite lounge, besides The Pier.

Thanks for this review.

The one time I was there was a few years ago between 11p and 1a on a connection on the way to Johannesburg, and I couldn’t fathom the positive reviews. It was a zoo! Plus I was with my partner, who has dementia, so the crowds really didn’t help.

This clarifies a lot, and next visit I’ll aim to miss one of the busy times! (If possible)

Thanks again!

It's a nice lounge IF you can get a table at either of the restaurants, which I could not during peak time. There needs to be a more extensive buffet available for the general seating. I was able to scrounge a few randomly mixed tapas from the casual restaurant with a few very long walks back and forth to my seat. Couldn't for the life of me find any silverware or napkins without stealing from someone's table. I was only drinking sparkling water so at least that was self-serve, but I had to flag down an attendant to get ice. Very fussy and inconvenient experience.

Can you advise any trends on Qatar business class award space to/from the US? Is it usually up close or far out? I am looking end of the year and into early 2023 and seeing nothing from any destinations...

Thanks for the review. Going there for the first time soon. Is there a bar where You can sit and just have a drink?

@ Turnpike -- The upstairs bar used to have seating, but I think due to COVID-19 policies they removed those seats. So unfortunately there's no bar option at the moment.

The photos of the ginormous empty lounge frankly were a turnoff. Looked like the inside of a very high end airport concourse. I guess I want my lounge to look smaller and more intimate. YMMV

Have around 2 hrs arriving at 5 pm and leaving for HYD at 7 pm. Do you think If I stand any chance of getting a quick shower after a 16hr flight from IAH ?

This is easily the most over-rated lounge in the world. The food is simply bad. If this is good food to you, then I at once pity and perhaps envy your tastebuds. Any of the premier oneworld lounges is better (NRT, HND, JFK, MAD, HKG, HEL, and yes...even BA in LHR since they introduced the meal-to-your-seat service). There are 20 naps cubbies you have almost no chance to get and those damn uncomfortable wave seats that won't let you sleep unless your body has exactly the same dimensions as the planes. The most comfortable people are those fetal using two chairs and the big round tables.

Don't get me wrong, it's still scads better than the sorry excuse of a lounge oneworld elites get, but the step down from the treatment in the air to the treatment on the ground is remarkable. You'd think the ground would be the easy bit.

@Lucky, a huge fan of yours, so apologies for a correction and adding some info…

…for context, I literally was just in the lounge for 6.5 hours overnight last night, and transit the lounge several times a year.

The lounge has always been available to oneworld elite, no matter what cabin or member airline you’re flying, so the info stated is incorrect. I’m Emerald, and last night was flying on an American FF economy redemption ticket; boarding passes issued by BA in South Africa, JNB-DOH on Qatar, onward connections on Royal Air Jordanian. All oneworld airlines print your status on the boarding cards…and it has never been an issue, not a single bat of the eye or question to enter. Though mostly fly in business class, have also flown economy it’s never been an issue at all…and the oneworld website verifies that you can enter the lounge with your status no matter which member airline you’re flying.

To clarify for readers, there are 4 shower areas in the lounge. Male & Female in the main central hall, but also additional male & female areas in the sleep lounge area, which are very tucked away and therefore much more likely to be available during peak connection hours without any waitlist.

I disagree about the food. The tapas style eats in both sections you mention are very mediocre to me. The buffet in the main 2nd floor dining is also mediocre. Items from the a la carte menu are a toss up, with breakfast a la carte generally being better. Don’t waste your time on the sushi…it’s grocery store quality, if that.

In the main 2nd floor restaurant, there’s also a dining area which almost no one discovers or uses. It’s back at the end of the walkway to the bathrooms, and behind glass doors. The glass doors seem to inhibit everyone, and in all of my visits, last night was the first time I poked my head in and asked who could use it. Turns out that everyone can use it, has the same a la carte menu as the restaurant, and is super quiet and spacious. Overall my favorite seating are the large seats by the windows overlooking the tarmac, as the wings at the head level provide a sense of privacy.

I arrived at the 11pm rush hour, and there was a crowd waiting at the stairs to be allowed to go up to the 2nd floor restaurant. That turned out to be a great thing for me, as my departure wasn’t until the morning, so I immediately went to grab an unused rest “salon” (whatever they’re called) not in the official rest area, but across from it in the family area (walk past the playrooms). They are the exact same, and both are open to anyone…but, once again, the lounge is so massive that most don’t know the family units even exist. During the time I was in there, most of the 6 or 9 units were unused, even though the rest of he lounge was crammed between the 11pm to 130am connecting bank. By the time I woke up from a nap at 3am the entire lounge was almost empty (the next wave arrives about 530), so I enjoyed all the facilities and more than a bit of champagne almost by myself.

About those shower lounges, they are definitely lacking air circulation. It’s like being in a sauna…but my newest trick is to use hot water only in the first few minutes, and then wind down the temperature as quickly as possible to avoid the hot and sticky humid air from building up. They also don’t proactively offer additional supplies like tooth brushes, razors, hair dryers, etc, but they are all available on request. In a silly oversight, IMO, the lack of some basics like kleenex seems amateur to me.

My two cents from last night, and previous visits.

Happy travels.

My wife put her feet up on one of those big round ottomans (socks, not shoes) and was promptly told to remove them as that wasn't what they were meant for. What then? The food was nothing special, especially when compared to what the serve in the air.

Seats at the front of the 2nd floor bar have disappeared to display food items, but there are still bar stools on the backside of the bar.

Excellent lounge, excellent food and everything is honestly excellent. But I couldn't get to shower, the que was long. And I didn't know about baggage lockers which is an excellent idea. I could have stored my carry on when I took a bus tour of Doha. If I could afford it I would never fly any airline other than Qatar business class. I never thought you could fly 15 hours straight without getting tired until when I flew Qatar business class. Even economy class I prefer Qatar than any airline anyways.

looks amazing. I’ve never been. Qn? Why do people rave about the Polaris lounge in Ohare when you see this?

Because people generally have realistic expectations. No way that any US airline could spend this kind of budget (nor have 100,000+ square feet to work with at any airport) to build a lounge like this. Polaris is a solid lounge. It does the job, but is it over-the-top luxurious? No. Does it need to be to be good? No.

There's also the fact that NA and Europe generally doesn't have access to the low-cost (some might argue near slave labor) the ME and Asia has access to.

Great tips, thank you!

Second the entry reqs comment above. Just there in Dec en route to Cairo and they let me bring in one my parents (who was flying in economy) as a guest “per emerald elite rules.” I think the rules changed sometime during Covid but haven’t seemingly changed back with the sapphire and emerald lounges closed.

I second Richard's note that food is rather mediocre - it is essentially an attempt to prepare something resembling restaurant quality but using cafeteria facilities. Alcohol is fine and individually packages dates are great. Regarding food, I would prefer AA Miami Flagship over Al Mourjian. Yes, Al Mourjian is a huge space but the seating areas are not great and the pool of water in the middle makes it difficult to walk across the lounge.

I'll second this: Big but very mediocre. However I agree with Ben that outside rush hours it's a little more palatable.

Actually, while the menu is impressive (less so for the last 3 years), the food, although well presented, is not very good. It all depends on what you expect. I have often had better dishes on other OW members. The baiscs, cheese plates, mezze etc... are usually good but the main courses all taste the same. The wines, on the other hand, ar exceptional in variety and quality.

Sorry but I STRONGLY disagree... To put The Pier and Al Mourjan on an equal footing makes me want to share what you may be smoking... On the other hand, what will be left in the future of HK lounges remains to be seen.

Hmm. Thanks for all the bubble busting comments! I was excited about my 8 h layover, hoping for a stellar experience in the lounge. Does anyone use the pool at DOH? Might be a good option if it’s worthwhile.

Thanks for the details!!

From my experience, when the lounge tends to be empty the staff take full advantage of this by relaxing to the point of providing almost no service.
The food options also shrink dramatically as catering transitions from one meal service to the next.
I snagged a nap pod (easy, there are plenty of them) to re-group and get some quiet rest. Unfortunately there was almost nonstop jackhammering going on somewhere nearby which ruled out any quality naptime! I guess at a 24/7 airport there in never any ideal or quiet times to undertake construction works.
Lastly, if you are looking for any specific location you will need to ask for specific instructions to find it from any likey staff member. They are not proactive in advising the lounge's features.
The lounge (as with Qatar generally) is staffed by contract workers from third-world countries who are frequently 'new', and not knowledgble beyond their immediate job.

LOL! You would provide quite a spectacle floundering around in a shallow water feature I expect, Ella! Definately a no-no!

You'd need to make a bee-line off your flight for the lounge showers. You may or may not get one!
You will need to go through a sluggish security check when transitting (no idea why!) which will eat up time too.
Also they expect you to get to your departurre gate 60 minutes before departure. It will be a rush for you.

Am I the only person who thinks that many of the seating options look incredibly uncomfortable?

Ben, what are you hearing about the lounge situation when they open the new gates at the end of the C concourse? This airport badly needs the additional lounge space!

I’m talking about the pool in the spa in DOH. Obviously, I was asking for someone who knows the pool.

I miss the days where KRUG champagne was served in the business class lounge.

what was the champagne? The link to the menu doesnt work in the article.

Have you thought about popping into Doha or is it the middle of the night?

Been there several times but I never actually did anything there other than taking a shower mostly because my connection times were pretty short. I love their showers though I agree that they do get pretty hot and humid. Anyway, Last May 5, I was lucky to get a 6-hour layover so I was able to spend some time in the lounge and enjoy the other facilities. The queue to the main dining area was very long during breakfast. I managed to get a slot after about half an hour. The quality of food is somewhat in the middle. The service is very slow due to the crowd.

Regarding entry to the lounge, a friend who is traveling with me has Gold status but on economy, wasn't allowed entry but was directed to their other lounge for Silver/Gold status. They told him that only first/business class passengers on Qatar Airways/Oneworld airlines were allowed.

They may look uncomfortable but they are not. I have to agree with Ben that this is one of the best airline lounges anywhere.

QR has since covid allowed OWE to enter Al Mourjan as the status lounges were closed. OWS were even allowed until the new status lounge opened and there is another in the works for OWE so this courtesy is going to lapse eventually.

Re sluggish security check, yes but make sure that you go through the dedicated Business and FC lines. They are extremely badly indicated (almost unfindable if you are not directed by an attendant, which they do or don't...) but they save a lot of time

When I was there, there was a significant wait in line to even get to a staff member who was putting people on the waiting list for a shower. Long wait. Average food. No menus. You had to use a QR code to read it on your phone, which meant you had to mess about with setting up their wifi to be able to read a menu. Just annoying.

Odd. I’ve always used the Al Mourjan lounge with my Emerald status even before the pandemic, since when it originally opened.

The only lounge that is super strict is the Al Safwa, which is strictly for First passengers on day travel, and oneworld status alone doesn’t gain entry. From what I’ve read, that lounge does look superb. You can pay to enter the Al Safwa for about US$250 per person.

There’s a different First lounge, I think for non oneworld airlines, but I don’t remember the name of it, but it’s a bit pathetic in size and services.

If you have oneworld high elite status, then you can gain entry to the Al Mourjan lounge (described in this article) which is much much better.

During the height of the pandemic, access to the Al Mourjan lounge was also extended to Oneworld elites in economy. I flew through Doha in November 2021 (r/t) to MLE and had access with my partner on each long (8 hour) layover. All of the Oneworld lounges were closed at that time or operating a very limited capacity. Unless they are back to having fully opened one world partner lounges, non-business class One World Emeralds and possibly Sapphires would still have access.

Probably one of the best in the World, agree

Lucky was correct about the shower rooms. They are very nice with great Diptyque toiletries but the room gets like a sauna. Be aware!! I made the mistake of taking a very long and hot shower and it literally took me about an hour to finally cool down afterwards. There is absolutely no ventilation in these rooms. Otherwise, a great experience!

Krug is expensive, but not particularly good.

They definitely are not uncomfortable

The labor in the ME is many things, but they are paid extremely well

I disagree strongly, but for other reasons. I think The Pier and The Wing are overrated

IME, far out is the best shot for this. Might have had a big run on award seats recently, as Qatar just adopted Avios as their awards currency at the same time that AMEX had a 40% transfer bonus to British Air's Avios.

Pre-COVID, Qatar used to run a "travel festival" sale early each year. At least once it included fantastic deals from North America to various destinations, and made paying cash for QR very affordable. Look to see if that sale returns post-COVID.

I'm a big fan of this lounge, but I understand why others may not be. I love the spaciousness, which means that even when it's packed I didn't feel like people were in my face. The a la carte food was good, but I understand that the buffets can be bettered by other airlines. And its' too huge to move around quickly, so it can feel impersonal and cold. Plus if you have mobility issues, 110K feet is too much.

The showers, especially the "secret" ones, are great if you can get them. And the lockers are big enough for huge bags.

I'm booked for Qsuites next January and I'm looking forward to a quick visit to Al Mourjan again.

I visited the lounge in March 2022 and they still allowed access for Oneworld Elites (including Emerald and Sapphire members) into the Al Mourjan lounge, and they were permitted one guest as well.

Lucky you. I am One World Emerald member, normally fly business on Qatar but the twice, when I flew pre pandemic in economy, I was denied entry. I had to use the lounge for One World members, which is nowhere near as good.

We all have our own tastes and preferences on wine, but the view that Krug is “not particularly good,” even at its price point, is very much a minority opinion. Now, most vintages of Dom Perignon? I completely agree. 🙂

Ben, thanks for the detail. I am not a world traveler as many of the respondents, but I found this very informative.

Can anyone advise whether US credit cards (Amex or Mastercard) are accepted at the Doha Business Lounge? I am there between flights (on my way to and from Khartoum) and the group with which I will be traveling has advised that no US credit cards are accepted in Sudan. Wondering if that is true of Qatar as well, since when I booked my flight, I was told that to use my credit card to pay for the tickets, I could only do it online. Many thanks if you can help me out on this possibly dumb question.

Hi Ben when I last flew Doha to Melbourne in September 2019 I went to the service desk for an upgrade to first as we were on the A380. We were able to purchase an upgrade for $950 per person .There is a separate service desk to purchase them near the escalator to the first class lounge. Sadly the upgrade does not get you into the lounge.

Do you or other readers know if this upgrade desk is still operating or have they not brought ack the A380s int service?

Thanks for this super thorough and helpful post. I'm going to be here in a week on my 15-hour layover to Male. I was wondering if you can enter, leave, and re-enter if you have access to this lounge? Given the duration of my layover, I wanted to be able to come and leave but I wasn't sure if it was a single entry only. Does anyone know? Thanks.

Sounds like you can. From close to the end of the review, "We found the luggage storage to be useful, since it makes it easier to freely roam around the lounge. Furthermore, given how much time we had at the airport, we decided to spend some time walking around the terminal, and it was nicer to do that without luggage."

That's good to know. We will be doing the same in early June, although our layover to Male isn't quite so long as yours.

Question regarding lounge access. I am arriving at 1 pm on a Qatar business class flt, departing business class on Etihad at 3 am. Booked with AA FF miles. Will I be able to use this lounge? If no, does anyone know which lounge in DOH I can use? Thank you.

Big fan of qatar lounges. Visited both al mourjan and al safwa first lounges. Mind blown. Thanks for such detailed reviews!

U.S. Credit Cards are widely accepted in Qatar.

I am traveling through Doha next week, business class, and just heard that genders are separated in the lounges. Does this apply to Al Mourhan?