Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge Doha Airport DOH

Ben Schlappig
November 10, 2014
55

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I arrived at the Hamad International Airport shortly before 5AM, about three hours before my 7:55AM departure to London Heathrow on the inaugural Qatar Airways A380 flight.

Right as you pull up to the terminal, the first signage is for premium check-in, so I was dropped off there.

Hamad International Airport check-in hall

The check-in hall is extremely impressive, with high ceilings and a modern look. On the right side of the terminal is the premium check-in area, with business class check-in being on the left and first class check-in being on the right.

Hamad International Airport premium check-in

I had already been issued my boarding pass to London when I checked in the previous day in Cairo, so just walked past the first class check-in area.

Hamad International Airport premium check-in

There’s plenty of lounge style seating alongside the check-in desks, presumably in the event that you’re waiting on someone or have ticketing issues.

Hamad International Airport premium check-in

Then there are really sleek and private check-in desks, whereby you can be seated while your check-in is being processed.

Hamad International Airport premium check-in

At the end of the check-in hall was a dedicated premium line for immigration, where I was through in no time. Behind that was security, which was equally efficient.

Hamad International Airport terminal

The central part of the airside terminal is super impressive, with the centerpiece being the $6.8 million, 23 foot, 35,000 pound teddy bear, belonging to the Qatari royal family.

Hamad International Airport terminal

I can’t help but feel bad for the teddy bear, given that he looks like he’s being interrogated, and has a lamp lodged in his back.

Hamad International Airport terminal teddy bear

While the Oryx Lounge (for oneworld frequent flyers and oneworld premium cabin passengers) is located on the right side of the terminal, the Al Mourjan Lounge (for Qatar Airways first & business class passengers) is located on the left side of the terminal. For what it’s worth they’re also building a first class lounge, which should open in the first half of 2015. There are some other options available to those with a credit card with lounge access.

Hamad International Airport terminal

There’s clear signage leading up to the Al Mourjan Lounge, which can be accessed via an escalator.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge signage

At the bottom of the escalator is an agent that already verifies eligibility to access the lounge.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge escalator

Then at the top of the escalator is a reception desk, where they scan your boarding pass and check on your departure gate information.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge reception desk

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge reception area

As I mentioned above, for the time being this lounge is shared by first and business class passengers, so presumably it will only get emptier in the future. That being said, the lounge was massive, and didn’t feel crowded at all.

It’s a physically stunning lounge. I know it sounds cliche at this point with my reporting on Qatar Airways, but His Excellency’s attention to detail really is reflected in this lounge, both in terms of how it was designed and in terms of the quality of the furniture and finishes.

There’s tons and tons of seating spread across all kinds of environments.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge seating

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge magazines

One thing this lounge does brilliantly is that it simultaneously create a sense of privacy and spaciousness. The ceilings in the lounge are really high, but at the same time there are so many “shields” between seats that you really don’t realize how many people you’re sharing the lounge with.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge seating

Each seat has a power outlet, touchscreen monitor with airport and flight info, and most of the seats have a bottle of water and packaged cookies as well.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge cookies & water

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge

There are also tons of couches. I was amazed by how many people took their shoes off and used them as beds (the lounge doesn’t have any nap rooms, unfortunately).

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge seating

Most of the lounge is centered around the first floor, though the restaurant is one level up. Below the spiral staircase leading up the restaurant is a cute little “pond” of sorts, which is almost hypnotizing thanks to how it reflects on the ceiling.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge

Throughout the lounge there are drink stations with water and soft drinks. Then there are several stations with snacks as well.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge drinks

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge

Then at the far end of the main level of the lounge is a deli, which physically is the highlight of the lounge, in my opinion. It’s such a gorgeous space, and even if not eating I’d almost choose to sit there.

There’s bar-top seating, dining tables, and booths.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge deli

The food concept in this area is a bit confusing to me. They have made to order sandwiches 24/7. There’s not even a sandwich menu, they’ll literally just make you whatever the hell you want.

I had a chicken sandwich, which was actually extremely good.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge deli sandwich

Then there’s also a small continental breakfast spread with cereal and pastries.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge deli breakfast

The service concept throughout the lounge is a bit confusing, though. It seems that they sort of offer service, though you have to request it. In other words, it’s not like a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse or the Lufthansa First Class Terminal where someone will proactively come up to you and see if you want anything. Instead, I typically had to flag someone down, but once I did, they usually stopped by again to see if I wanted anything. I’m not sure if that’s how it’s supposed to work, or…

Speaking of service, one interesting thing is that they actually have cabin crew working in the lounge. I only noticed this because the guy serving me had “Cabin Crew” written on his name tag. He explained that the lounge was understaffed because of how new it was, so they had some cabin crew working in it for the time being.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge bistro cappuccino

Anyway, the lounge’s main dining area is actually one level up from the lounge, and can be accessed by spiral staircase or elevator.

It’s also a fairly nice dining area. I prefer the design of the deli, since the ceilings aren’t quite as high here. That being said, the restaurant boasts nice views of the rest of the lounge, and also has several types of seating options. The big leather chairs by the windows are especially comfortable.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge restaurant

The restaurant area also has a bar, which as far as I’m concerned has the single best feature of the lounge — Krug!

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge bar

They have a large champagne selection, and Krug is among them. That being said, you specifically have to request Krug, and it’s only available in the restaurant area. There’s no airline in the world that serves Krug in their lounges as far as I know, so that’s amazing.

At first I wondered if they’d stop offering it in the business class lounge once the first class lounge opened, though I was told that’s not the plan as of now. I guess we’ll see if that remains true in a few months.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge restaurant bar drinks

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge Krug!

In addition to a buffet, the lounge also has a limited a la carte menu. Later on I had the chance to ask a lounge manager why the a la carte menu wasn’t bigger, and it was explained to me that apparently the lounge’s kitchen is tiny, and wasn’t properly designed to serve a lounge of this size.

Anyway, the breakfast menu read as follows:

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge restaurant breakfast menu

The buffet spread was quite good, though, with several hot and cold options.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge restaurant breakfast buffet

The restaurant is definitely where the service was most attentive, almost too much so.

In terms of the lounge’s other facilities, there are several shower rooms, which are decent enough, though not really cutting edge.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge shower room

There’s a pretty big game room as well.

Doha Airport Al Mourjan Business Lounge game room

Then there’s a prayer room, though I didn’t take a picture of that.

Anyway, at around 7AM I decided to head to the gate, just under an hour before departure. At this point I had met up with my friend Sven, who was also on the inaugural flight in first class.

Doha Airport terminal

Our A380 was departing from gate A3, where they had separate queues for premium passengers and economy passengers.

Doha Airport A380 departure gate

I was curious what festivities they had planned at the gate, as no one at check-in or in the lounge seemed to have a clue of anything special going on, let alone had they heard of the A380.

To my surprise there was a lovely lady from Qatar Airways handing out roses as passengers entered the gate area.

Doha Airport inaugural A380 flight departure gate

There was a large seating area on the main concourse level.

Doha Airport inaugural A380 flight departure gate

And then there were stairs and an elevator leading up to the second floor, where first & business class passengers could wait for the flight before boarding.

Doha Airport inaugural A380 flight departure gate

It was a large area, and it’s rather unique on the part of Hamad Airport that they actually have a separate floor for upper deck passengers to wait.

Doha Airport inaugural A380 flight departure gate

At around 7:10AM a frantic Qatar Airways employee showed up and asked us our names. Once we told her, she said “I was looking all over for you.” Apparently they escort first class passengers from the lounge to the gate, though I’m not sure how that would happen anyway, given that the lounge is so big and we hadn’t identified ourselves there.

I couldn’t help but ask her if The Chief was going to be on the flight, and she said “yes, I think he will be.” Naturally I had a hard time controlling myself.

Qatar Airways A380 Doha Airport

Anyway, another German joined Sven and I shortly before boarding, who was also in first class on the inaugural flight, so I suppose Germany was well represented on this one. 😉

At around 7:20AM the agent informed us that they were ready for boarding, and she escorted us all to the door of the plane.

Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge bottom line

Ultimately I think this should be judged as a business class lounge, since that’s what it is. It’s an absolutely stunning lounge physically. The food is excellent, and the drink select is spectacular.

What could they do to improve?

Make the service concept a bit more consistent, or at least explain it — where in the lounge should you expect service, and how quickly should you expect it?
Add some amenities — while it’s a nice lounge to sit in, there’s not really a spa or other amenities like some other lounges have

I’ve been told that the first class lounge will be amazing, though admittedly it was from a biased source. But apparently it will have a spa, restaurant with an a la carte menu, etc. I guess we’ll find out soon enough!

But all-in-all, this is a great lounge, among the best business class lounges out there.

If you’ve been to the Al Mourjan Lounge, what was your experience like?

Conversations (55)

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Rajat Guest
December 27, 2016, 12:19 pm

Krug is over -- lucky I think you should update your post to reflect this!

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Scott C. Guest
December 13, 2016, 9:32 pm

Thanks for all the pictures and the detailed review. Going here on Christmas Day and excited about the journey as well as the lounge.

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John Williams Guest
October 20, 2016, 9:04 am

Qatar's lounge needs to be compared to that of other premium airlines.

To be honest, its very dissapointing when compared to Emirates and Qantas home base lounges.

American Express has better lounges than Qatar.

Not enough staff are on duty to service the quantity of guests in its one and only lounge in Doha.
After waiting 30 minutes for a waiter, you walk up to place an order for coffee and an avergae sandwich...
Qatar's lounge needs to be compared to that of other premium airlines.

To be honest, its very dissapointing when compared to Emirates and Qantas home base lounges.

American Express has better lounges than Qatar.

Not enough staff are on duty to service the quantity of guests in its one and only lounge in Doha.
After waiting 30 minutes for a waiter, you walk up to place an order for coffee and an avergae sandwich and you are yelled at to go sit back down.
Broken coffee machines.
Buffet quality was on par with that of a 3 star hotel.
2hr wait to use the shower facilities.
One World Emerald members are not allowed to access the first class lounge.

In comparison, Emirates and Qantas first class lounges which can be used by respective top tier members have access to day spa's, al a carte table service. A grade beer, wine and spirits

For an airline that is trying to attract Emirates and Qantas premium international passenges, Qatar has failed.

I'd rather pay the premium and fly Emirates of Qantas who provide an end to end premium service

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Hayk Guest
February 6, 2016, 10:58 pm

Feb 2016: They aren't serving Krug anymore. I asked and the attendant said they've discontinued it. I'm hoping he's mistaken...

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TangoQuebec Guest
August 23, 2015, 5:18 am

@Lucky,

Is the food any better now? Last trip I'd been on (April 2015) the food was horrendous. Everything tasted like cardboard (granted I'm a chef on the side), but I was horrified. Also, no real sleeping area. 8 hours in Doha was a nightmare even with an amazing lounge. But I had asked about Krug and it was still there then... Guess I'll fly QR - Singapore much less now. Missed the ex-Germany...
@Lucky,

Is the food any better now? Last trip I'd been on (April 2015) the food was horrendous. Everything tasted like cardboard (granted I'm a chef on the side), but I was horrified. Also, no real sleeping area. 8 hours in Doha was a nightmare even with an amazing lounge. But I had asked about Krug and it was still there then... Guess I'll fly QR - Singapore much less now. Missed the ex-Germany - KUL first class error fare on BA last week by seconds too - which was a total bummer.

Also agree with a previous post that LHR-DOH-SIN is stupid silly with an 8 hour layover as I didn't sleep during 6 hour LHR-DOH but crashed so hard DOH-SIN (I didn't even eat) because I hadn't slept for about 28 hours then. :/

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Maja Guest
July 14, 2015, 3:07 am

Question - does anyknow know when the new first class lounge will open? Thanks!

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1. lucky OMAAT
  July 15, 2015, 9:23 am
  
  @ Maja -- They still don't have a date, unfortunately.
  
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Nathan Guest
June 7, 2015, 1:59 am

My partner & I (flying QR in discount Y, with myself as a OWS) were allowed access a few weeks ago, while transiting from MEL to BCN. Until the new First Class lounge opens, OneWorld Sapphires & Emeralds (regardless of class flown) are being temporarily allowed access. Word on the block is that this will occur sometime in June.

Constant cleaners in the bathroom are creepy - agreed. You feel them ready to pounce!

I...
My partner & I (flying QR in discount Y, with myself as a OWS) were allowed access a few weeks ago, while transiting from MEL to BCN. Until the new First Class lounge opens, OneWorld Sapphires & Emeralds (regardless of class flown) are being temporarily allowed access. Word on the block is that this will occur sometime in June.

Constant cleaners in the bathroom are creepy - agreed. You feel them ready to pounce!

I find it minimalist & mildly sterile, but am also somewhat a fan of those aesthetics too. Checked at the bar and with the maître d’ upstairs - definitely no longer any Krug available in this lounge, nor any plans to do so again. Apparently this will be reserved only for the new First Class lounge once it opens. The service I found to be impeccable; my partner & I asked where in the terminal the smoking lounge would be only to find to his surprise it was a small room WITHIN the actual lounge itself! The staff member insisted he escort my partner down. Well played!

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Mark New Member
February 17, 2015, 7:09 am

I have visited the Al Mourjan lounge a couple times the last two weeks. The lounge is still combined first&bizz class.

My first visit was 2 hrs during the busy early morning hrs. There were no a`la carte in the restaurant and no Krug (or other champagne for that matter). But great service at the tables downstairs and the waiters quickly asked the guests if they wanted refill of what they had in their glasses,...
I have visited the Al Mourjan lounge a couple times the last two weeks. The lounge is still combined first&bizz class.

My first visit was 2 hrs during the busy early morning hrs. There were no a`la carte in the restaurant and no Krug (or other champagne for that matter). But great service at the tables downstairs and the waiters quickly asked the guests if they wanted refill of what they had in their glasses, as soon as anything started to become empty.

My second visit was 2 hrs during the even more busy late evening hrs. Again no a`la carte and no Krug. I asked a waiter about the a`la carte, and he said it was not available "for certain reasons", but it should come back at a later date. He said "for certain reasons" several times and in a bit of a funny way, so I started to get curious what those reasons were, but I didnt find out. Maybe it was for the best.
The waiters downstairs, that were so nice a couple weeks before, were now hardly to be seen, and you had to go and find a bar to get anything. Well, I guess that is ok for a bizz lounge.
The internet was terrible, both on the wi-fi and on the table side tablets. Hardly possible to download even the simplest web sites.

It is still a good lounge, but reading your review, I do get the feeling they might not manage keep the standard, not even when it still is a combined F/J lounge.

And as a sidenote, after the 2nd visit, I headed to the gate early, as I felt it would be better to wait in the aircraft than in the crowded lounge. I walked to a gate in "D", where you have to be bussed to the aircraft. I walked for a long, long time and finally came to check in. They hurdled us bizz pax into one buss and the econ pax into another.
After 5 min the econ buss took off and we waited. And waited. And waited. One econ buss took off. Then another econ buss were filled. Apparently, they wanted to have one buss for the bizz and wanted all to arrive before it could be released. Finally I got up and asked if we were punished for buying bizz, since we had to wait in a crappy buss during the whole dang check in. Finally, the manager released the buss, even with 2 pax still to come. So we headed for the aircraft and arrived after two econ busses, that had to finish embarking the single entry, before we were released from our moving prison.
If I only knew... Id taken the first econ buss...

And unfortunately, it was an A333. If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going.... (well, I had to take that dang buss this time)

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Charlie Guest
February 6, 2015, 6:05 am

@Lucky , just wanted to know whether you knew the answer, cause I'm getting more and more confused with different information from Google, Qatar's website and the airport's website.

How many lounges are there to get into in DOH?
- from QR's website and the oneworld 'Lounge access' site, seems that there is the Al Mourjan lounge limited to J and F passengers; the 'First Class' and 'Business Class' lounges for oneworld elites on...
@Lucky , just wanted to know whether you knew the answer, cause I'm getting more and more confused with different information from Google, Qatar's website and the airport's website.

How many lounges are there to get into in DOH?
- from QR's website and the oneworld 'Lounge access' site, seems that there is the Al Mourjan lounge limited to J and F passengers; the 'First Class' and 'Business Class' lounges for oneworld elites on Y; and the Oryx Lounge for 'lounge-eligible' passengers on other oneworld flights
- from the airport's page, seems like F passengers on QR are supposed to go the 'First Class' lounge; QR J passengers and non-QR F/J to the Oryx lounge; QR FFP eligible members to a 'Silver' or a 'Gold' lounge

- yet there seem to be absolutely no reviews or mentions of visits to any lounge in DOH other than the Al Mourjan lounge --> is there really a 'First Class', 'Business Class', Oryx, 'Silver' and 'Gold' lounge in addition to the Al Mourjan?

On that point, any news about the Al Safwa lounge? Is it still 'in progress' or cancelled?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  February 6, 2015, 9:19 am
  
  @ Charlie -- There's an Al Mourjan and Oryx Lounge. The first class lounge will open in the coming months.
  
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Cameron Guest
December 11, 2014, 10:37 pm

I'm in DOH and using the Al Mourjan Business lounge as a OWE right now (Dec 12). While the official Qatar airways website says you can't use it, when I went to the Oryx lounge I was directed here. They were checking access at the bottom of the escalator and had a portable sign up saying OWE and OWS can access.

The lounge, at around 6-7am, gets super busy. They aren't staffed up to...
I'm in DOH and using the Al Mourjan Business lounge as a OWE right now (Dec 12). While the official Qatar airways website says you can't use it, when I went to the Oryx lounge I was directed here. They were checking access at the bottom of the escalator and had a portable sign up saying OWE and OWS can access.

The lounge, at around 6-7am, gets super busy. They aren't staffed up to handle these many people. The Deli had a line of around 20 people waiting for food, and the main restaurant was equally pasked.

They do still serve Krug though, but as they ran out of proper classes they served it in a normal wine glass.

I'll be passing through in mid Jan again and will report if access by OWE is still allowed.

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Steve Guest
November 16, 2014, 12:30 am

I used the lounge a few days ago and thought it was great.

I agree that the service was confusing - there was staff wandering around the lounge, and whenever I got up to help myself to a drink from the drink station, the one nearest me would jump to attention, run over and intently watch me as I poured myself a drink. I'm not sure what the deal is, whether I should have...
I used the lounge a few days ago and thought it was great.

I agree that the service was confusing - there was staff wandering around the lounge, and whenever I got up to help myself to a drink from the drink station, the one nearest me would jump to attention, run over and intently watch me as I poured myself a drink. I'm not sure what the deal is, whether I should have ordered drinks from him, or what. Having said that, all of the staff were very friendly.

I also agree with the comment above regarding toilet attendants - at least let me leave the bathroom before cleaning after me!

Also it's worth noting that when I was there, a member of staff was going round asking passengers what flight they were on, and then she seemed to be noting it down, presumably with the passengers' location in the lounge.

I was there early afternoon and it was practically empty.

Great lounge.

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Steve New Member
November 12, 2014, 3:22 pm

Lucky, are pax in paid J allowed to bring a guest into the lounge? Is anyone allowed to bring a guest?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 12, 2014, 5:16 pm
  
  @ Steve -- Yep, one guest.
  
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Dan Guest
November 12, 2014, 12:00 pm

@Lucky....Great TR! Do members flying EY business class get access to the lounge?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 12, 2014, 1:54 pm
  
  @ Dan -- Sadly not, they use a contract lounge as far as I know.
  
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2. Dan Guest
  November 12, 2014, 2:01 pm
  
  @Lucky. Ahh ok for some reason from all of mid January-Mid February to the UAE from DOH. QR has blocked ALL award space where EY was open. Obviously want to fly QR so I can go into the lounge. Any experiences with this and if so when can I anticipate things will open back up as its every flight to AUH/DXB for a months time.
  
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3. lucky OMAAT
  November 12, 2014, 2:05 pm
  
  @ Dan -- They are pretty good about opening space as the departure date approaches, so I'd keep monitoring. Not sure about the timeframe though -- perhaps only within a couple of weeks of departure.
  
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M. Shah Guest
November 12, 2014, 6:18 am

I found during busy times, their service really wanes. I went to the upstairs restaurant area, and got a table. There was no proactive offer for drinks, so went to the bar (staffed by one person who was serving wait staff and passengers), order 2 OJ's, 2 waters and 2 coffee's. Took them to the table myself. Staff did not offer to help.

An order for fried eggs took close to 20 minutes,

I felt service to be very underwhelming. But the Krug made up for it:)

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Abidjan Gold
November 11, 2014, 12:26 pm

Nice lounge. I dig the game room.

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Peter Guest
November 11, 2014, 9:45 am

Breakfast menu: I'm guessing you passed on having foul madamas? ;-)

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Norman Member
November 11, 2014, 8:59 am

I find it odd that they don't have separate showers area but instead they were built together with the washrooms with no clear signage, making them a bit difficult to find. And when you ask for directions, depending on where you are in the lounge, you may be pointed to a washroom area with just one or two shower rooms, which I find very awkward to use(since you'll probably the only one naked in that...
I find it odd that they don't have separate showers area but instead they were built together with the washrooms with no clear signage, making them a bit difficult to find. And when you ask for directions, depending on where you are in the lounge, you may be pointed to a washroom area with just one or two shower rooms, which I find very awkward to use(since you'll probably the only one naked in that area). It also lacked some of the basic amenities like comb, shower cap, etc. Apart from that, they have a decent-looking game room, though unfortunately none of the devices seem to be working or even turned on. The service there was indeed lacking a bit, as you'd have to ask every time, and I also find it a bit disappointing that they don't have a dedicated First Class area inside even though it's huge. The locker is definitely a plus, and I was able to spend some time in the shopping area of the terminal thanks to that.

I think all in all it has a potential to become the world's best Business Class Lounge, though there's definitely room for improvement in terms of service and amenities.

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arraitch Guest
November 11, 2014, 4:13 am

Thanks for the report. We only had time for a quick light lunch in the bistro recently and the grilled sandwiches were fine. But ... the bottle of Krug in the ice bucket was empty and other champagnes were at room temperature. By the look of your pix, they have faith in the chilling properties of cork in the restaurant too. Training/supervision issues, maybe? We'll check it out on our return next week.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 11, 2014, 9:13 am
  
  @ arraitch -- That's just a display. The drinks themselves should be poured by the bartender from fresh bottles in the fridge.
  
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Antonio C. Guest
November 11, 2014, 2:04 am

NAP ROOMS ON AL MOURJAN LOUNGE

There are nap rooms, pretty cool ones.

This is what you need to do:

1) Go to the "Resort Area" which is a glass paneled area with seating and informal ambience. (is on the left side where there is a "bistro").
2) Behind the bar, there is a rest Area (opposite to the kids playground area).

The place is great! you will have a mini-cabana with 3 bottles...
NAP ROOMS ON AL MOURJAN LOUNGE

There are nap rooms, pretty cool ones.

This is what you need to do:

1) Go to the "Resort Area" which is a glass paneled area with seating and informal ambience. (is on the left side where there is a "bistro").
2) Behind the bar, there is a rest Area (opposite to the kids playground area).

The place is great! you will have a mini-cabana with 3 bottles of water and chocolates, a hanger an open closet, 42 inch screen, a leather couch with ottoman, a coffee table with magazines. It is very private and it has probably 12 "cabanas". You can use the showers there which are more private than the ones presented by @lucky.

Sad that you missed them; my pictures were not very clear. Next week for my trip to KL I will try to make nicer ones!

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wwk5d Guest
November 11, 2014, 1:36 am

Here is a TR with a visit to another business class lounge at HIA. It's at the end of the TR.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/253860/

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naif Member
November 11, 2014, 1:29 am

ROFL on "Naturally I had a hard time controlling myself."

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TheRealBabushka Guest
November 11, 2014, 12:53 am

Hi Ben,

Did you check out the Oryx lounge? I thought that was something you were going to do the last time you were in Doha! Could you please do a review of this lounge the next time you pass through, even only to take pictures :)

It's obvious that Al Mourjan is a great lounge, but the key here is that OW Emerald and Sapphires flying Economy are not able to use it.

How does Oryx compare against Al Mourjan? Is it like Galleries First vs. the Concorde Room?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 11, 2014, 9:09 am
  
  @ TheRealBabushka -- I'll be sure to check it out the next time I pass through.
  
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yw1248 Guest
November 11, 2014, 12:07 am

@lucky, they actually do have a day-bed zone hidden to the right side of the deli without any sign at the end of the corridor leading to the toilets. In front of the zone, it says VIP only. You just need to ask a staff member to bring you there. I guess it is reserved for first class passengers. In that area there are around 10 beds and a dedicated shower facility. FYI.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 11, 2014, 9:07 am
  
  @ yw1248 -- Wow, interesting. Saw the "VIP Only" sign, but didn't bother asking what was behind it. Figured it was only for "Excellencies." ;)
  
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Charlie Guest
November 10, 2014, 9:09 pm

Lucky, did the lounge ever feel 'sterile'? I notice that they've replaced a lot of the brown woods with a much darker greyish wood and a lot of metal/faux-metal...

Bathroom-wise, it's a great improvement over the old ones though!

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 9:59 pm
  
  @ Charlie -- That's a toughie, as I sometimes have a weird taste. It's somewhere between sterile and minimalist, which I have a tendency to like, actually...
  
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Aubrey Guest
November 10, 2014, 8:03 pm

Hey Lucky, I was hoping there would be some kind of sleeper rooms for my 11:30pm to 8am layover coming up. Besides the airport hotel that wants to charge 180USD for 6 hours, do you have any sleeping tips or ideas? I am flying in on CX and out on QR biz on an award ticket, so QR declined to provide accommodations. Any ideas? Thanks for the review, I'm glad you got it up before my trip.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 9:56 pm
  
  @ Aubrey -- It's a fairly nice lounge, so if you get some rest on the flights then it's not a bad place to kill the night. That being said, I'd probably pay for the hotel to get some rest. Don't know of any other options, unfortunately.
  
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John Guest
November 10, 2014, 7:40 pm

I flew early November. I suspect the access may be revoked once they finish building the First Class lounge and their VIP terminals.

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Slugger New Member
November 10, 2014, 7:04 pm

Do they have any quiet rooms/cabanas/daybed style seating where you could nap undisturbed for a few hours on a long layover? Is that what the "family area" is for? I'll be there from midnight til 6 am in January.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 9:52 pm
  
  @ Slugger -- If there were, I didn't notice them.
  
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Michael Guest
November 10, 2014, 6:48 pm

I have been flying Y on QR every other week since September and they have always given me access as OWE.

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Matt Guest
November 10, 2014, 6:01 pm

@John, I also had access to the Al Mourjan lounge as a OneWorld Emerald flying QR in Y in early October. I was wondering if they were going to close that access. What was the date of your flight?

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John Guest
November 10, 2014, 5:33 pm

Actually they are letting in OneWorld Emeralds flying Y. I was flying Y as a OWE and went to the Oryx lounge but they redirected me to the Al Mourjan lounge. It was a much nicer lounge.

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Patrick New Member
November 10, 2014, 5:26 pm

Was The Chief actually on the flight? If so did you get to meet him?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 5:27 pm
  
  @ Patrick -- Sadly he wasn't. :(
  
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AmandaB Guest
November 10, 2014, 5:23 pm

We had a long transit here in Sept. Between 11pm and 6am The lounge becomes very quiet and believe me the only comfy seats are the long leather couches. Then the floor buffers start.... There is a VIP lounge, which I believe has bed type seats, but they are uni-sex. I think long transit customers can use them, but I didnt try to access.
The washroom cleaners stay in them all night long, very...
We had a long transit here in Sept. Between 11pm and 6am The lounge becomes very quiet and believe me the only comfy seats are the long leather couches. Then the floor buffers start.... There is a VIP lounge, which I believe has bed type seats, but they are uni-sex. I think long transit customers can use them, but I didnt try to access.
The washroom cleaners stay in them all night long, very creepy. Also, check your gate when you arrive, we nearly missed our flight to Jakarta as our gate was E4 and it was a VERY long walk which we were not aware of.

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elteetrav Gold
November 10, 2014, 5:14 pm

From all the pictures I've seen, that Teddy Bear is weird. Not sure who thought it should go in an airport. Though I'm not sure where it should go.

Thought it funny that the giant screens at the boarding area had to be labeled "Television" Isn't it obvious that's what they are?

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Filipe Guest
November 10, 2014, 5:08 pm

Regarding finding you in the lounge... I once had to buy a last-minute ticket at the counter in DOH, and for some reason it wasn't issuing. The QR lady working the ticketing desk assured me that she would get it fixed, and I could feel free to move around the terminal, go do some shopping, and I'd receive the itinerary.

Sure enough, 15 minutes later, she comes up to me, halfway across the terminal, and hands me my ticket.

I think they're just magical.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 5:28 pm
  
  @ Filipe -- Hah, but it sounds like in that case they at least knew who you were since they saw you earlier. In this case I hadn't even checked in, so they had no way of knowing who I was.
  
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ernest Guest
November 10, 2014, 4:53 pm

Hey Ben,

Do you know what is the business hours for the lounge? If people have a boarding time 01.20am, do you think they close at the midnight?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 4:55 pm
  
  @ ernest -- I believe it's open 24 hours per day. It should definitely be open for your 1:20AM departure. In the Middle East airports are bustling at that hour!
  
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Jamie New Member
November 10, 2014, 4:53 pm

We thought it was great. Kids room was cool too with a diaper changing room fully stocked. Also you missed pictures of the "family area" where they essentially have little living rooms set up (private) with a sofa set and TV.

My one comment (which I didn't share with the man who asked us—maybe he was a manager or something) is that it's a little bit weird/embarrassing how the restroom attendants clean the toilet immediately...
We thought it was great. Kids room was cool too with a diaper changing room fully stocked. Also you missed pictures of the "family area" where they essentially have little living rooms set up (private) with a sofa set and TV.

My one comment (which I didn't share with the man who asked us—maybe he was a manager or something) is that it's a little bit weird/embarrassing how the restroom attendants clean the toilet immediately after you use it. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the cleanliness, but someone walking in to a bathroom stall moments after I use it (this happened 3 times during our long layover) was a little weird.

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 4:55 pm
  
  @ Jamie -- OMG! That was in my notes but forgot to mention it. TOTALLY agree. The whole situation creeps me out.
  
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Whisky Bravo Guest
November 10, 2014, 4:45 pm

Lucky, thanks for the review! Who can actually enter this lounge? QR J/F passengers only? Other airlines' premium cabin pax? Can you use this lounge with OW Sapphire or Emerald status?

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1. lucky OMAAT
  November 10, 2014, 4:57 pm
  
  @ Whisky Bravo -- Qatar Airways and oneworld first and business class passengers can use it. Unfortunately oneworld frequent flyers have to use the Oryx Lounge.
  
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Rajat Guest

December 27, 2016, 12:19 pm

Krug is over -- lucky I think you should update your post to reflect this!

Scott C. Guest

December 13, 2016, 9:32 pm

Thanks for all the pictures and the detailed review. Going here on Christmas Day and excited about the journey as well as the lounge.

John Williams Guest

October 20, 2016, 9:04 am

Qatar's lounge needs to be compared to that of other premium airlines. To be honest, its very dissapointing when compared to Emirates and Qantas home base lounges. American Express has better lounges than Qatar. Not enough staff are on duty to service the quantity of guests in its one and only lounge in Doha. After waiting 30 minutes for a waiter, you walk up to place an order for coffee and an avergae sandwich and you are yelled at to go sit back down. Broken coffee machines. Buffet quality was on par with that of a 3 star hotel. 2hr wait to use the shower facilities. One World Emerald members are not allowed to access the first class lounge. In comparison, Emirates and Qantas first class lounges which can be used by respective top tier members have access to day spa's, al a carte table service. A grade beer, wine and spirits For an airline that is trying to attract Emirates and Qantas premium international passenges, Qatar has failed. I'd rather pay the premium and fly Emirates of Qantas who provide an end to end premium service