We recently stopped over in Doha International Airport, before flying Qatar Airways back to Adelaide. Travelling from Muscat with Oman Air Business Class, we had a few hours to experience the lounges Qatar Airways has to offer, one being the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge.
Although Qatar Airways fly direct to Australia, they also offer codeshare with a range of airlines such as Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and Finnair through the oneworld alliance, allowing for round the world flight offerings.
Due to travelling for work, we were lucky enough to not only experience one lounge, but also the Al Mourjan Business - The Garden, and also get a tour of the Al Safwa First Lounge (it was a busy stopover!).
Continue reading to find out what you can expect when visiting the Al Mourjan Business Lounge in Doha International Airport.
Al Mourjan Business Class Entrance
When entering the lounge you are first greeted by a large steel sculpture. These types of artwork are very apparent across all the Qatar Airways lounges in Doha. The first thing we noticed was the sheer size of the lounge - it was huge.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Entrance
To the right of the entrance way is the dining area, located up on the next level (more on this later), while to the left we found seating areas, dining, showers and Quiet Area.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Main Area
We wanted to have a shower before our final flight home, so we headed round to the left to locate these. There was a variety of seating located to the left and right of the main walkway as we made our way through the lounge. Those located to the left were smaller single chairs with wireless charging ports available on the tables.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Seating
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Wireless Charging
To the right was a more secluded seating area that ran all the way down the centre of the lounge. This held bigger style lounge chairs and offered some more privacy behind plants and glass.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Private Seating
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Middle Lounge Section
Continuing through the lounge we noticed there were small coffee and drink stations located within each seating area. This meant if you were relaxing within the lounge, you didn’t have to travel to the other end of the lounge to get a drink or snack.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Self Serve Station
Although there was a large amount of space through the mid section of the lounge, we found the seating style to be a bit odd. Offering small, blue chairs provide a nice look, but they did not provide a large amount of seating, nor look that comfortable.
Continuing past these seating areas there is more of a cafe style dining area. This included high tables and also low dining tables, already set. This area was empty when we came through, but was fully occupied later when we left the lounge.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Casual Dining Area
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Casual Dining Area
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Casual Dining Area
Before settling down, we looped back along the main walkway, which takes you down the other side of the lounge, similar to a racetrack. Here we found more seating, the business centre located on the left and also a large water feature toward the end, located directly under the main restaurant.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Business Centre
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Restaurant From Lower Level
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Water Feature
These water features are consistent across all the Qatar Airways lounges in Doha. A nice touch that brings some softness to the lounges. A big ‘wow’ feature of the lounge is a large lighting feature centred through the wrap around staircase leading to the main restaurant on the upper level.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Staircase Feature
The main restaurant is located upstairs which offers more of a formal dining environment for those looking for a full meal. More on our experience eating here later!
Quiet Area Offerings
The Quiet Area and shower facilities are located to the left of the main entrance. This area is like a maze, with high ceilings and a number of pods that can be reserved for up to 6 hours on a first-come-first-served basis at the counter. Each pod is equipped with a TV displaying flight times, a large couch and facilities to hang your clothing if desired.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Quiet Area
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Quiet Area Pod
We were lucky enough to be provided with a room in the Quiet Area. If you’re after a quiet space and these pods aren’t available (they do get snapped up fast), there is a cluster of pods to the right of the lounge entrance, each featuring a recliner. If you’re a side sleeper these might not be the best options as they aren’t adjustable.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Sleeping Pods
Within this Quiet Area Qatar Airways also offer two Family Area lounges. They offer the same number of sleeping pods as the Quiet Area, but the pods are significantly larger, accommodating up to 2 people.
Al Mourjan Shower Facilities
After experiencing the small shower spaces in the Oman Air Muscat Business and First Lounge, the showers in the Al Mourjan Business Lounge felt exceptional. These large spaces offered a vanity, separate toilet and shower, hanging space for clothing, and a range of amenities such as shampoos, conditioner and moisturiser. If you’re looking to freshen up prior to your flight, we highly recommend checking out these facilities.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Showers
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Showers
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Showers
Al Mourjan Business Center
Al Mourjan Business Lounge offers one of the largest business facilities that we have seen so far. Departing the Quiet Area and heading towards the main restaurant located upstairs, you’ll pass by the Business Center located on the left.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Business Center
Here there is more seating available with wireless charging tables, along with a large office space offering private pods, open hot desks and also large soundproof meeting rooms. A number of offerings are available such as printing and presentation facilities. One thing we did like was that each section of the lounge had its own reception desk.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Business Center
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dining
We decided to dine at the main restaurant in the lounge, located on the second floor of the lounge. This is accessible via the large staircase in the middle or by some lifts to the side. This restaurant overlooks the entire length of the lounge, while also providing some great views of the tarmac.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Staircase to Restaurant
A range of seating is available in this restaurant, from larger couches available overlooking the tarmac, or regular dining seating available through the remainder of the area. When entering the restaurant we were greeted by staff members asking if we had a preference on where to be seated. We were lucky enough to get a seat in one of the couches, overlooking the tarmac - an excellent view!
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dining
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dining
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dining Tarmac Views
Walking around we noticed a wide variety of options were available. The different dining options were broken down into four sections. The first section was the bar, which also offer a sushi bar where you could get freshly made sushi.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Fresh Sushi
The second section was more of a tapas style offering, with a selection of cheeses, salads and dips, fresh fruit and vegetables, and smaller snack offerings. These were neatly presented in smaller style bowls, a nice change to the self-serve offerings we often see in airport lounges.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Tapas Offerings
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Tapas Offerings
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Tapas Offerings
Over the opposite side was a selection of hot food, served to you by a chef. During our lounge visit they had braised beef, chicken fricassee and creamy mashed potato on offer, along with a large, and beautifully presented, selection of salad and bread.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Hot Food Selection
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Hot Food Selections
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Salad Bar
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Bread Selection
The final section in the restaurant offers a range of desserts and coffee facilities. There was panna cotta, cheesecakes and a range of other sweet treats that could be taken to your table.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dessert Selection
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Dessert Section
Al Mourjan Dining also offers an a la carte menu that offers some more customisable options. Breakfast is available 5am - 10:30am, while lunch and dinner is available from 11am - 4am.
We opted for some fresh sushi from the sushi bar, along with some salmon and a glass of red wine to finish off.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Fresh Sushi
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Salmon Dish
Our honest opinion?
This was easily the best meal we have experienced within an airport.
We aren’t usually this generous with our comments on lounges or general experience whilst flying, but it simply cannot be denied that the food at the Al Mourjan Business Lounge is exceptional.
Once we finished our meal we were headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge - The Garden, to see what it had to offer.
Lounge Experience Overview
Our experience at Al Mourjan Business Lounge was quite possibly one of our favourites from our return Business Class trip to Europe.
The lounge offers a large space with high ceilings, good amenities such as working spaces, a quiet area, great shower facilities, along with a restaurant that rivales any other airline.
We would however like to see more seating capacity on the main floor, such as replacing the chairs with more comfort driven options. Having the sleeping pods does however offer more of a comfortable place for those looking to relax more.
Overall, a very enjoyable experience!
If you're looking at travelling Business Class to Europe, why not schedule in a stopover in Doha. Get started by submitting an enquiry to an airfare specialist and maximise your status credit earning today!