This is the classic business class lounge of Qatar Airways and the flagship lounge. I have heard of it for ages and have wanted to check it out for the longest time. I have heard how enormous it is that it doesn’t even feel crowded when it is crowded. I am looking forward to experiencing it for myself. It is exclusively for the use of Qatari and premium passengers at Doha Airport. Elite status doesn’t cut you any entrance here. This is located in the A & B gates of Qatar’s main concourse, where the giant bear is. They do have another brand new sparking business class lounge now in the CDE concourse. I had planned a long transit before my Amsterdam flight to allow me enough time to check out all the Qatar offerings at Doha Airport. I went to the lounge before exiting the airport to check out the city.

Access Requirements

The Qatar Al Mourjan Business Lounge South is open 24 hours daily. This makes lots of sense given that Qatar operates flights round the clock. The lounge comes with strict entrance requirements. You get access if you are flying in Oneworld and Qatar premium cabins. This is not a standard Oneworld lounge. It is exclusive for the use of premium passengers. Sadly, Qatar Airways does not grant lounge access to passengers who have upgraded from Economy to Business Class and passengers on Business Class Lite Fares. Oneworld elite status holders are also denied access and are invited to the Platinum / Gold Lounge instead. Qatar elite status holders don’t have Al Mourjan business lounge access either. This is to prevent overcrowding and the superior quality of the lounge than the others. It is something like the SilverKris Lounge we have here in Singapore. You can also pay for access at QAR 450. If you would like to upgrade to access the first-class Al Safwa Lounge, it would be QAR 585.

Arrival & Location

The lounge is located in the A gates area on the third floor. You can access it immediately after transfer security. I went through the dedicated lines for Qatar business and first-class passengers. It was very fast and took minutes. The lounge is just above transit security. Clear signs are directing you to the lounge. You can use the elevators to head to the lounge directly or use the escalators right next to Harrods. You can’t miss taking a picture with the giant bear when you are in Doha airport. There are clear signs for all sorts of lounges that are available in this airport. I went through the main escalator entrance. There is a staff here to verify your access. You then head up to the lounge entrance on the third floor. The place is so gigantic. You can then enter the lounge straight and bypass the desk. The staff are on hand to help you with any ticketing assistance that you might need. I went to check out the lounge first before heading out to the city. To exit the terminal, simply take the elevators from the lounge and head back out from transfer security.

Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge South

The Al Mourjan lounge consists of two levels. The main floor is the larger space of the two. The second level can be accessed via the iconic spiral staircases near the water display area. You can also use the elevators located towards the side. The upper level is the bar and restaurant area. It is found near the entrance side of the lounge. I will come back to this later.

Upon entering the lounge, you are sort of let out in the middle. Let me go slowly given how huge this lounge is. The lounge measures over 10,000 sqm! This is about 10 times the size of an Olympic swimming pool. It can hold up to 1000 passengers. You can expect to get a seat even on the crowded travel days. The main floor mainly consists of various seating areas around the water feature, in the centre and on the sides.

The seatings are made up of different furniture in different areas. This made it more interesting and less cookie-cutter. I love that they are made into tiny little areas to increase their privacy. The Wi-Fi connection is very strong throughout the lounge. Power outlets are readily available around the lounge. Scattered around the lounging area are also non-alcoholic drinks stations. This allows you to get a refill or drink easily. For alcoholic drinks, you will have to flag down a staff or head to one of the two dining areas. All the way at the end of the lounge, this is where you can find the Deli. One of the two dining areas in the lounge. Heading inside, you can also find more amenities in the lounge. There is also a prayer room and smoking room in the lounge. I didn’t get to take a look.

Toilets and Showers

There are three toilets in the lounge and two showers in the lounge. You can find toilets and showers in the deli area and in the middle of the main floor. There is another toilet in the restaurant area on the upper level. Showers are available on a first come first serve basis. It can be challenging to get one during the peak hours.

The showers are pretty lovely and well-maintained. It comes in individual suites with a toilet inside. As usual, Diptyque amenities can be found inside. It comes with a handheld shower head and a rainforest shower head.

Family Room

There are family rooms that are semi-private living room-like areas that you can use to rest and catch some shut-eye. This is handy for small groups and families. They are pretty cosy. You can find these in the area after the Deli dining area. They can find these large sofas that you can use to lie flat. There are some hangers and a television equipped here. This is the best spot to take a nap if you require one during your transit.

You might wonder why did they not build some recliners or dayrooms. They definitely had the space for it. Qatar wants to channel transit passengers to the city, to advertise the destination. This is why they offered complimentary accommodations in the past and now heavily discounted ones. If you prefer to stay here for extended periods, the new Garden Lounge would be better since they have fully enclosed nap rooms.

Game Room

The game room consists of some console games and table games. You can find a foosball table, game consoles and a race simulator. There is more than one with one by the business centre and another near the deli area.

Business Centre

There is a business centre on the main floor. This is near the smoking room in the middle of the lounge. There are numerous computers in an office cubicle layout. Printers are available if you require to use one. The facility is staffed and they will be readily available to assist if you require any.

Food & Drinks

This is one of the more impressive aspects of the lounge. The two main dining areas in the lounge are the Deli on the main floor and the Restaurant on the upper floor. You can dine throughout the lounge but most will head to the two areas if you want to have a meal. The same goes for alcoholic drinks. You will head to the two dining areas or flag down a staff to bring you a drink. The entire Al Mourjan lounge is huge and I am glad to see that they had drinks and snack counters all over the place. This is stocked with non-alcoholic beverages. You can find water, soft drinks, coffee and tea. They do offer pretty nice artisan sparkling water but only local non-branded ones for natural water.

Deli

The Deli is located on the main floor. It is at the end of the lounge. It offers a lighter fair and and if you just want a quick bite. They still offer table service and full bar service. I highly recommend this place over the restaurant in the morning or if you want something lighter. You can find the menu for the Deli here. I have also attached the menu at the time of my visit.

They mainly offer salads and sandwiches. The drinks menu is the same for both the Deli and the Restaurant. Alcoholic drinks are not self-served but brought to you by the staff.

It is like a proper restaurant here with table service and staff on hand. The setting is top-notch. Service is very good and the staff even engage in small talks and offer recommendations once he knows that I will be checking out the city later on.

They also have a small buffet counter here with some breads, snacks and desserts.

I went to try and ordered the signature chicken sandwich. It was served to me in less than five minutes. Of course, this is during the lull period but it did not take much longer when I came back during the busy period in the morning. You can also mix and match and create your own.

The chicken sandwich was delicious. It was moist and flavourful. I love the combination. It is such a nice combo with the sun-dried tomatoes. This is one of the best sandwiches I ever had.  I was so wow at the moment and I got the roast beef to try too.

I made one of my own the next day.

Drink-wise, I ordered the signature Qatar lemon and mint juice as well as the signature Unity in Pink cocktail.

To finish off, I got some Tiramisu from the buffet counter too. I enjoyed the sandwiches so much that I came back in the morning as these look much better than the usual breakfast menu in the restaurant.

Restaurant

This is the other dining area and the main one of the two. It is located on the fourth floor, one level above the main lounge area. You can access it via the elevators or the spiral staircase. Upon getting up to the main dining area, the staff came over to welcome and and to show me around. This is the spot to visit if you want more substantial meals and a full multi-course dinner. This spot is much more busier than the Deli.

It is a proper restaurant with full table service with white table cloth and service. There is also a full bar over here. You can check out the menu for the restaurant over here. I have also attached the menu at the time of my visit.

Besides the buffet lineup, you also have some items on the buffet counters. The staff are readily stationed to help you if you want anything.

From the ala carte menu, I tried a couple of items. The best dish was the Seabass! It was so delicious and perfectly cooked. The fish was buttery and flaky. I could have easily gone for seconds if I am not that full. This dish is worth coming for. Somehow it tasted like cod.

I got a flute of the Lanson Black Brut which was excellent. Don’t miss dining here if you have the chance to do so. Make sure you have enough time for a proper dining experience.

Conclusion

This is one of the best business-class lounges out there. The space is amazing and you will never feel hard to find a seat no matter how busy this place is. It can get so quiet during the lull period. You should come early to this lounge for a meal or two! You will have a great time over here. The food and drinks aspects are outstanding! I am craving for that seabass right now! I do wish that they could better utilise the space, perhaps with some recliners or day rooms. This is a very nice lounge for a couple of hours during an extended transit. I still won’t choose to have an overnight transit over here. I am too old for this. This lounge is up there with the Polaris Lounge! It is very nice to have this standard for business class. Let’s compare this to the new Qatar Garden Lounge that I will be sharing very soon. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to visit Qatar First Class facilities shortly.