Review: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)

After a few nights in Doha, my dad and I continued our round the world journey by flying Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380 first class to Perth. We spent lots of time at Doha Hamad Airport so that I could review several lounges (including the Al Mourjan Garden Lounge) plus the airport expansion, and in this post I wanted to provide an updated review of the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge.

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge is one of my favorite first class lounges in the world. The lounge has incredible architecture, a great restaurant area, comfortable nap rooms, and all kinds of additional amenities. This is a great place to kill some time, so let’s get into the review.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First check-in Doha

The Qatar Airways first class experience starts before you get to the lounge. If you’re originating in Doha, you can be dropped off at the first set of doors at Hamad International Airport, which is for first and business class passengers. There are porters there who are happy to help you with bags, but we just had carry-ons.

There’s then a premium check-in facility, with the Al Safwa area being to the right.

The Al Safwa check-in area is a gorgeous facility. There are private check-in desks, where each guest can have a seat while being checked in, and there’s also a larger general sitting area.

While your check-in is processed, you’re offered a refreshing towel, and there are also some Qatar Airways first class luggage tags, which you’re free to take.

Our check-in process was a bit complicated (I’ll talk more about that in a separate post — it wasn’t the carrier’s fault), though eventually we had our boarding passes and headed to the lounge.

The premium check-in area also has a dedicated immigration and security queue. Once you clear that, there’s an escalator leading directly to the Al Safwa Lounge, which sure is convenient. Short of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, this has to be one of the most efficient airports in the world for getting from the curb to the lounge.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha location

As you can see above, getting to the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge is super easy if you’re originating in Doha, since there’s an escalator directly after security and immigration. What about if you’re in transit? Well, head to the center part of the terminal, which is hard to miss, due to the huge teddy bear.

When you’re facing the teddy bear, turn right, and follow the signage in the direction of the Al Safwa Lounge. Just past some duty free shops you’ll see an escalator leading up to the lounge.

There will be a Qatar Airways representative standing at the bottom of the escalator, so they’ll admit you to the lounge.

Then there’s a pretty reception desk at the top of the escalator as well, should you need help with anything.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha hours & crowding

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge is open 24/7, reflecting that Qatar Airways has flights all hours of the day and night. Qatar Airways has a heavily banked network, so there are certain hours where the airport is packed, and certain hours where the airport is deserted.

You can expect that the Al Safwa Lounge will be most crowded between 10PM and 2AM, and again from 4AM until 8AM, give or take. Meanwhile between 8AM and 5PM, you can expect the lounge to be the quietest.

It goes without saying that crowding levels could impact your experience, since service will be much more attentive when the lounge is empty.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha entry requirements

Who has access to the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge?

• Anyone connecting onto or off of a Qatar Airways first class flight; this includes those flying first class long haul on an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777, as well as those flying in regional first class, which is how the forward cabin is marketed on many short haul flights
• Those traveling in first class on a oneworld partner (like American Airlines) also get access to the lounge
• Qatar Privilege Club Platinum members receive access to the lounge when flying in Qatar Airways business class; however, oneworld Emeralds with partner airlines don’t receive access to this lounge
• You can buy access to the lounge when flying in Qatar Airways business class on a ticket eligible for Al Mourjan Lounge access, as long as the ticket is issued by Qatar Airways; the cost is 600 QAR (~$165)

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha layout & seating

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has a striking design, plain and simple. I can’t think of another lounge with architecture quite like this. The central walkway connecting various parts of the lounge is in and of itself larger than most other first class lounges in the world. This area also has all kinds of art and water displays, and the ceiling must be 40 feet high.

The lounge almost has more of the vibe of a very impressive museum than an airport lounge.

In the center part of the lounge there’s a huge water display, which is between the dining area and the rest of the lounge. Let’s start with the lounge’s general seating, and then we’ll look at the dining area.

The lounge has a variety of seating clusters along the central part of the lounge. Since many guests head straight to the restaurant, many of the seating areas tend to remain pretty empty.

There are also some comfortable semi-private chairs for lounging, each with an ottoman, which is probably my favorite place in the lounge to hang out.

The lounge has an “outdoor” terrace (in the sense that it opens up to the terminal) through a set of double doors, which you could easily miss unless you’re specifically looking for it.

The other main part of the lounge is the restaurant area, which is huge. There’s a bar, and then there are dozens and dozens of dining tables, so there should never be a wait to get a table.

Off to the side of the main dining area is an additional bistro area, with communal high-top seating, where you can just grab some food from a buffet.

The signage throughout the lounge is very good, so if you follow that, you should have no issues finding whatever amenity you might be looking for. For example, the lounge has its own duty free shop.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha food & drinks

By design, the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has very limited self-serve food and drink options. On display in the bistro area, you’ll find some juice, fruit, pastries, and other light snacks. There’s usually someone working behind the counter, who will serve you whatever you’d like.

There are also a couple of other drink and snack stations throughout the lounge, but options are very limited. We’re talking soft drinks, juice, and maybe some pastries.

All other food and drink options are available in the restaurant area from one of the servers. You can find the Al Safwa Lounge food and drink menu here. The food and drink selection is very good, for the most part:

• I think the food has actually improved a bit compared to the past, though it’s still not quite to the level of what you’d find in the Air France La Premiere Lounge Paris, for example
• While the drink selection is good, there has been significant cost cutting compared to back in the day; for example, the standard champagne is now Laurent-Perrier Brut, which is perfectly nice, but pales in comparison to the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame and Krug that used to be served in the lounge

I was really struggling to stay awake for our 2AM flight to Perth, though the combination of champagne and coffee helped. 😉

My dad and I enjoyed a light meal in the Al Safwa Lounge. At the start of the meal we were brought a bread basket, along with an amuse bouche, some butter, and some olive tapenade.

I wasn’t that hungry, so just ordered the seared scallops with gochujang butter asparagus, truffle, and ikura roe, while my dad had the pan-seared sea bass with fondant potato, broccolini, cherry tomato, and meunière sauce.

Then for dessert, we split a cheese plate and a fruit plate.

I found the food to be very good, though I do wish Qatar Airways had proper barista made coffee in the lounge.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha nap rooms

One of the most popular features of the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge is that the lounge has proper bedrooms that guests can enjoy at no extra cost. The lounge has roughly a dozen bedrooms, and they’re available on a first come, first served basis.

Any guest who has at least four hours before their departing flight can get a bedroom, and they can keep the bedroom for up to six hours. As you might expect, these bedrooms tend to be popular. You shouldn’t have any issues getting a bedroom during the day, but overnight they’re in much higher demand, so you can’t count on getting one immediately.

The bedrooms can be reserved at the spa reception area, and then once you’re assigned a room, you’ll be given a key so that you can freely access the bedroom.

Bedrooms have either one or two beds, so if you’re traveling with someone, you can share a bedroom. We ended up getting a room for the evening, and it featured two twin beds, a desk with a chair, and a full bathroom with a toilet and walk-in shower.

This is such an awesome amenity that makes a long layover much more enjoyable. These bedrooms are hotel-quality, which you don’t often find at airports.

If you’re not able to secure a bedroom, the lounge also has some semi-private living areas that you can reserve. Each features a couch and some chairs. While it’s not as comfortable as a proper bedroom, it offers at least a little bit of privacy, and is a good place to relax.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha spa

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has a proper spa, which is a pretty cool amenity to find in an airport lounge. The catch is that all treatments are chargeable, unlike in some other lounges. You can find the Qatar Airways spa menu here (for what it’s worth, the QAR to USD exchange rate is roughly 4:1). Treatments include everything from massages, to facials, to manicures and pedicures.

Pricing ranges from outrageous (~$40 for a 10-minute reflexology massage) to comparable to what you’d pay at a decent hotel (~$110 for a 50-minute signature massage). The spa has everything from a water feature, to a relaxation area, to a jacuzzi, to several private treatment rooms (the jacuzzi can be enjoyed on a complimentary basis).

The spa also has some showers, which can be used on a complimentary basis if you don’t have a private bedroom.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha business center

As far as other amenities, the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has an impressive business center, which has to be one of the nicest you’ll find at any airport. This consists of several private “offices” with frosted glass walls, each with a desk and a couple of chairs.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha game & kids room

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge area has a couple of areas for kids and families.

For younger kids, there’s a play area with basic toys.

For older kids (or adults who are kids at heart), there’s a foosball table, as well as several video games and arcades.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha smoking room

For smokers, the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has quite a dignified smoking room, with comfortable leather chairs. My dad enjoyed a cigar here. Personally I appreciated that the ventilation seemed to be pretty good, as you didn’t smell this in the rest of the lounge.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha entertainment room

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge has an entertainment room, with roughly a dozen chairs facing a large TV. This tends to stay pretty quiet, since you don’t have much choice in what you watch, and the seats also aren’t particularly comfortable for napping.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha bathrooms

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge Dona has a couple of sets of bathrooms, which are constantly kept clean, to the point that you’ll almost always find hand towels by the sinks in a perfect “triangle.” The men’s room had several individual stalls, as well as urinals.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha service

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge is very well staffed. During peak hours it probably doesn’t feel that way (due to the number of guests), but during the day the staff to guest ratio almost seems to be 10:1. Fortunately I find the staff are quite friendly, so they don’t make you feel weird if you’re taking pictures, walking around a lot, etc.

In the restaurant area I found service to be very good. My one point of feedback is that I wish the staff were a bit more proactive in offering drinks in other parts of the lounge. They do come around every so often, but given the number of people working in the lounge, it would be nice if they checked a bit more often.

Bottom line

The Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha is an excellent lounge. It has an incredible design, is spacious, has a great food and drink selection, and has lots of cool amenities, like private bedrooms. Best of all, it’s not too hard to gain access to the lounge, since even a short haul first class ticket will get you in.

It’s always a treat to visit this lounge, and I’m happy to see that it’s holding up pretty well.

What’s your take on the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha?