Our Qatar Airways flight let out directly into the departures area, which I wasn’t expecting. We found ourselves following signage directly to the A gates.
Doha Hamad Airport Departures Area
Soon we found ourselves in Doha Airport’s impressive atrium, housing the 6.8-million-dollar teddy bear. From there we started spotting signage towards Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan business class lounge, which I followed (my parents wanted to do some duty-free shopping, so I figured I might as well take a photo or 93, and we’d meet up after).
Doha Hamad Airport Atrium
I found an escalator pointing straight up to the Al Mourjan business class lounge, though my boarding pass was checked underneath the escalator, presumably to alleviate traffic near the entryway.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Signage
My boarding pass was promptly accepted, and she reminded me that there would be no boarding calls in the lounge. I proceeded up the escalator and reached the Al Mourjan lounge’s entryway – as stunning as it is, the only purpose of the front desk is for misconnects and last-minute seat selections, as you no longer have to get your boarding pass checked there.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Entrance
Also at the entryway was some comfortable seating including a sofa and a few chairs on each side.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Entrance Seating
After being directed by an attendant to the side of the entrance, I found myself in the stunning Al Mourjan business class lounge. The lounge was massive, airy and gorgeous at the same time, and the lack of a “pop” made the colour tones slightly mystic, especially during the early morning.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Entryway
With chandeliers, a “pool” on display and a couple of metal statues, the lounge was really blinged out.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Entryway
I wasn’t sure where to start when I first arrived the lounge, and I’m not sure how to start explaining all of the lounge’s features right now. I’ll just attempt to start from the middle of the lounge, which is what I did when I was there at the time.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha
Other travelers feeling as lost as I did at the time will be happy to find several maps embedded into glass panels along the main seating areas.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Map
The centerpiece of the lounge was a “pool” of sorts, featuring water that reflected onto the ceiling. It was cool to look at – it’s interesting that Qatar Airways has decided to invest so much space for purely decorative purposes, but then again, Qatar Airways basically operates Doha Hamad Airport, so I imagine it isn’t that much of an investment.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Pond
The Al Mourjan lounge featured a ton of seating. There was individual seating located near one side of the lounge, consisting of comfortable blue chairs that ran along the length of the front of the lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Each seat featured a tablet that was handy for tracking your flight’s gate, etc.. I found it useful that you wouldn’t have to leave your seat should you have wanted to check your flight status.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
The other side featured armchairs which were equally comfortable and slightly more private, and they also featured tablets at every seat. In theory you can surf the web on these tablets, but I couldn’t manage to – not that I had a need for it, as WiFi worked fast and free here at the airport (the lounge doesn’t have a separate WiFi connection, though that’s not an issue, as WiFi was speedy as ever).
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
The middle consisted of an elevated surface with more…extravagant seating.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
There were higher-backed chairs which I found comfortable.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
However, I found it hard to get comfortable in these “wired” chairs, and decided to just avoid them in the end.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
The entire elevated area seemed like it had more of a focus on style over substance (especially the “wire” chairs), though with the lounge never even nearing capacity, I wouldn’t see that posing a problem for anybody.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Towards one end of the lounge was another load of seating of which I found rather private. As the lounge reached capacity I decided that this was a good place to sit (not during the outbound, but I worked here during the return – I’ll be combining both experiences, as I won’t be talking about the lounge when I review the inbound).
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Most of the “stations” featured four seats, though near the end there was a larger amount of seating, presumably for larger groups.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
The blinds were left closed, though you could open them and have a look at great plane views outside. Parked outside was a Qatar Airways 777-200LR, and beyond that was a plethora of Qatar Airways aircraft – welcome to Doha!
Qatar Airways Boeing 777-200LR Doha Hamad Airport
Also situated near the same end of the lounge was a spread of cold beverages.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Drinks Spread
Furthermore, there was more “business-style” seating where you could sit with a small group of people to convene, have quick business meetings, etc.. They were rather exposed so didn’t seem like the best places to relax, though it’s always nice to have the option.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Near that area was a simple food selection, which was breakfast in the case of when I was there, since it was 5 AM in the morning.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Mini-Food Spread
Further along the longe I spotted a nap area, which ran along one half of the length of the lounge near the side.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Nap Area
There were multiple nap areas, with varying configurations, so you could choose your preferred place to rest.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Nap Area
However, most of the nap pods were laid out similarly. I never used one of the nap pods, but a common complaint is that there’s no way to turn off the light right next to the seat, which seems like a rather large oversight for a man like Akbar Al Baker.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Nap Cubicle
I found some nap pods where you wouldn’t have this problem, however.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Nap Cubicle
Furthermore, some nap pods were not only free of the lamp issue, but also featured their fullscreen TV, in case you wanted to watch TV in bed.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Nap Cubicle
Further next to the entryway near the same end of the lounge was another selection of seating, consisting of very comfortable armchairs arranged in groups of four, as well as more sleeping cubicles facing the terminal.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Seating
Similar to the seating areas, the cubicles also featured their separate drinks spread, which was an example of the attention to detail displayed in this lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Drinks Spread
On the same side of the lounge a set of stairs led up to the restaurant, which was located a floor above the rest of the lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Stairs to Restaurant
The restaurant itself was massive, and featured warmer wooden tones with great views over the rest of the lounge. There was also a huge variety of seating, so you were covered no matter if you were traveling solo or in a group of 12.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
The tables were set up so meticulously and reminded me of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow I’d visited a couple of days prior.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
The main part of the restaurant was rather busy, though when I ventured further in I was guided by the attendants to a deserted part of the restaurant. Boy, this lounge has more capacity than any other lounge I’ve been to.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant
In addition to the restaurant, there’s also a bar. Unfortunately the bar no longer serves Krug (which I believe is a rather premium champagne), though I believe Qatar Airways’ signature champagnes available in the air are still available at the bar. All that mattered to 16-year-old me was the non-alcoholic So Jennie champagne, which was delicious.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant Bar
The restaurant featured the biggest food spread, with cold and hot items. It’s worth noting that they used to do table service at the restaurant, though eliminated it as a cost-cutting measure, so all the lounge is left with is a rather disappointing spread. It still featured hot and cold items, though, so it was sufficient for the time we were there.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Food Spread
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Food Spread
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Food Spread
In addition to the food spread, coffee machines were also dotted throughout the lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Drinks Counter
As aforementioned, the restaurant area afforded great views of the rest of the lounge – it takes sitting here to put into perspective exactly how big the lounge is.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Restaurant View of Lounge
Moving further down the lounge, I found a separate area pointing to the business center. Outside the business center was another abundance of seating in red this time, with a separate food spread offering various pastries.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Business Area
All the chairs were comfortable and similar in design to the blue chairs seen in the main area of the lounge.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Business Area
The actual business center was really well-equipped – there were lots of computers, as well as cubicles where you could work if you so wished to. I also believe some travelers would appreciate that there are printers handy for some last-minute paperwork.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Business Center
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Business Center
Companies traveling in large groups will be excited to see that Qatar Airways has communal spaces for business meetings in the business center.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Business Center
Apart from pastries, the spread near the business center also featured various amuse bouche-style dishes.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Food Spread
At the other end of the lounge was the deli, which had more “proper” restaurant-style seating. There was also a large selection of seating, most of which was deserted at the time (this wasn’t the case at 12 AM during the return, though – the deli was packed then).
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Deli
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Deli
The deli features its own menu, though they seem to make sandwiches around the clock. During breakfast the menu read as follows:
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Deli Menu
To start I was offered a drink by a waiter, where I requested orange juice to start off the morning.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Deli Orange Juice
As much as I wanted a grilled cheese at this time of day, I still had a sore throat and wasn’t feeling well, so I ordered myself a Caprese sandwich. I wasn’t expecting a Caprese sandwich to be heated, though it was – as far as tomato and mozzarella goes, the sandwich was great.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Deli Caprese Sandwich
I have to say that it’s a bit disappointing that the best “real” food you can get in a lounge of this caliber is a good old sandwich, though a good old sandwich is better than nothing.
Further along the lounge you’d find a game room, which was really well equipped – it’s cool that Qatar Airways offers a game room, as it’s the first airline lounge in the world I know that does so. No one seemed to be using the game room at the time, though.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Game Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Game Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Game Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Game Room
In addition to the game room there was a similarly-designed kids area, which I believe parents would appreciate.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Kids’ Area
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Kids’ Area
To the other side of the deli was an abundance of quiet rooms, which were largely unoccupied at the time.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Quiet Rooms
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Quiet Rooms
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Quiet Room Drinks
Past the game room I found the men’s showers, as well as another quiet room area. These rooms had to be booked, so I’m assuming they were a bit more exclusive – I had a look, and they didn’t seem way too different from the quiet rooms I’d mentioned above.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower and Quiet Room Area
Unfortunately during both of my visits I was held back by a shower queue – there are actually showers near the other end of the lounge, though they were consistently full. During my first visit I had to wait about five minutes, and during my second visit I had to return after half an hour.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Waiting Area
When I did get a shower, though, the shower room was clean, large and well designed, and featured a sink separately enclosed toilet and shower rooms.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room Toilet
Water pressure in the shower was great, though they were on the fiddly side (there’s a handheld shower head and a fixed shower head, though the handle’s one of the fiddly handles that have to be twisted left for one shower head and right for the other, so it’s hard to find the “middle”).
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room
The shower rooms featured Ritual amenities, which were good to use.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Shower Room Amenities
Service in the lounge was nice and attentive – everyone seemed genuine and happy to help, and seemed to embrace the fact that I was taking pictures. The lounge had been hyped for a very long time, so I guess that they’re used to people coming for reviews, Instagram shots, etc. so they didn’t take issue or surprise to me snapping 150+ photos of the lounge at all.
By 5:50 AM, the Qatar Airways app gave me a notification that my flight was boarding. I was informed that boarding didn’t start until 6:35 AM as stated on the boarding pass, though the “holding pen” was open until 7:20 AM. I wanted to make sure I was first onboard the LATAM A350, so I left the lounge at about 6:20 AM.
I was informed by an airport employee that A9 was a minute away, but it was more like a 5-7 minute walk away, as it’s at the end of the “A” pier. That’s fine, as Doha Hamad Airport is stunning, so I could spend my time gawking at how impressively the airport was designed.
Doha Hamad Airport A Pier
I reached the holding pen by about 6:25 AM, leaving myself ten minutes before boarding. Boarding on Qatar Airways is by zone, but business class passengers are allowed to board first. I didn’t want to sit at any of the priority seats, so I just put my sister’s carry-on adjacent to the priority seat nearest to the gate, and sat on that instead. 😉 To be clear, no one else was seated near the priority seats, there were about 20 priority seats near the gate, and the aisle heading towards the gate was rather wide, so I wasn’t disturbing anything.
Doha Hamad Airport Gate A9
After all, the spot I was in was also the primo position to marvel at the Qatar Airways A350 parked at the gate next to us.
Qatar Airways Airbus A350-900 Doha Airport
Unfortunately our plane was hidden behind a window with dots on it, so I couldn’t get nearly as great photos of it. Bummer!
LATAM Airbus A350-900 Doha Airport
At around 6:40 AM boarding was called, and I was admitted onto the jetway, where I was excited to be experiencing Qatar Airways’ leased A350 product!
Bottom Line: Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Lounge
In March I detailed the top 10 things I look for in an airline lounge. I believe Qatar Airways scores the most of these points out of any airline lounge I’ve been to. They have:
- a relaxed, quiet environment, which wasn’t hard for Qatar to achieve, especially since the lounge is huge
- great decor – while not my favourite, the decor in this lounge fits Qatar Airways completely
- nice workspaces, which they had – I thought their business center was hard to beat
- a variety of comfortable seating, which they indisputably had. Different types of seats, nap seating, comfortable seating, less comfortable seating, restaurant seating, deli seating – what more could you ask for?
- good food – as underwhelmed as I was coming in with high expectations, everything I had in the lounge was great, so you won’t go hungry
- a bar with a great drink selection, which Qatar offered
- fast internet, which the airport offered as a whole
- a dedicated relax area, of which Qatar Airways had multiple – the nap rooms are great (though I found the lamp issue a bit of an oversight), and the separate quiet rooms are great as well
- decent shower rooms – the shower rooms here are great and I have no complaints
The tenth thing I detailed was some local flair. I have to say that this lounge could easily be in Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi or Sao Paulo, and I would have no idea. That said, Doha Hamad Airport is basically its own society given how many people transit there, and only a tiny fraction of people in the lounge have originated from Doha, so I guess it’s especially hard for this lounge to do.
While the lounge features more facilities than you’d be able to find in any other business class lounge in the world, I didn’t find any of them worth going to the lounge early for. For example, Swiss’ Zurich Dock E lounge has great local food, Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong lounges have their signature noodles and tea selections, and Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse has table service that beats some restaurants on the ground.
Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan lounge lacks the X-factor compared to some of these other great hub lounges out there, though I have to say that it’s the most well-rounded out of all of them. If you have a long layover at Doha Hamad Airport and you’re flying Qatar Airways’ business class, trust me, you’re in for a treat.
