Review: Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First Lounge in Doha Airport
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 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 favourite 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 centre 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 when the airport is packed and certain hours when the airport is deserted.
You can expect that the Al Safwa Lounge will be most crowded between 10 PM and 2 AM, and again from 4 AM until 8 AM, give or take. Meanwhile, between 8 AM and 5 PM, 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 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 centre 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.
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.
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.
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 travelling 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.
