Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Airport
Maiden experience at the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, and it was as advertised (aka fantastic!). But you need to experience it at the right time.
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Airport
AMS-LHR-HEL (British Airways and Finnair Economy Class)
Hilton Helsinki Strand
GLO Hotel Kluuvi
Helsinki Highlights
HEL-SIN (Finnair New Premium Economy Class)
Travelling to The Lounge
I landed from my Qatar Airways flight from Phuket at a really late time of 11.30pm, and I had a 9 hour layover before my morning flight to Amsterdam. Well, that was (sort of) the best scenario to fully experience the Al Mourjan Business Lounge!
First, I had to navigate through the iconic yellow bear at the centre atrium, cue memories of my first Europe flight with the missus to Scandinavia!
Fun fact: it is actually called the "Lamp Bear" by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, and while the artist has not explicitly stated the meaning behind the sculpture, it is widely believed that the "Lamp Bear" is a commentary on consumerism and our obsession with material possessions, and its conflict with the pursuit of knowledge. I prefer the other interpretation: the power of imagination on inspiration. *cue light bulb in my mind.
From the centre atrium, look for a prominent sign to the Al Mourjan Lounge near Harrods……..
Directions to Al Mourjan Business Lounge
And go up the escalator to the Al Mourjan Lounge.
Escalator To Al Mourjan Business Lounge
Al Mourjan Business Lounge - Atrium
Al Mourjan Business Lounge Check-In Counter
The Al Mourjan Business Lounge is spread over an area of 10,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers at any given time. Which is definitely required, given its status as a global transit hub.
Just beside the check-in counter is a baggage room, where you can put your bulky luggage in designated lockers before stepping into the lounge.
As you enter the lounge, you are greeted by a grand entrance hall with a beautiful silver art installation. To your right is the beautiful water feature and a stunning chandelier. This is where you go for the tarmac views (on ground level) and the main dining area (on the second level).
Bathroom
First order of the day (or rather night): a quick trip to the shower room. Especially needed after a night flight.
The staff at first mentioned that there will be a long wait, but after about 2 minutes wait, promptly directed me to the shower room.
There was a standing shower with ideal pressure, but not sure whether it was a rain shower-equivalent. But it does the job.
Qatar Airways collaborates with Diptyque, a luxury French fragrance and home goods brand known for its high-quality candles, perfumes, and other scented products. And the missus’ favourite! The scent was also very refreshing.
Seating Areas
After a refreshing shower, I proceeded to explore around the lounge. The Al Mourjan Business Lounge thoroughly demonstrates its understated lavishness with its expansive interior, while providing a sense of privacy and tranquillity. with its elegant seat designs and furnishings, definitely designed to provide a comfortable and luxurious experience for travelers. The seating areas are spacious and comfortable, and some areas even have wireless chargers installed on the counter tops.
For me, the ogling can come later. Sleep is of utmost priority! I immediately head to the “relatively quiet” area, where loungers in private cubbies are located, and with charging points. I had a significant amount of sleep here, but ultimately woke up halfway possibly due to the jet lag.
Quiet Area
Deciding to try my luck with getting a private room at the quiet area (tried it the first time without luck), I made my way to the far end of the snack bar, where the quiet area is located.
Snack Bar (where the quiet area is located)
There is a reception area where you book your room with the staff, and my guess is that probably they prioritize guests with really long layovers for a room (not sure if there is a policy for this though).
Second time lucky! Upon stepping in, there was a long sofa and a lounger in the private room, with a wrapped blanket placed on the table. There was also a large TV showing the flight times, although the accuracy was a bit doubtful (I panicked slightly when I couldn’t find my flight inside).
The sofa length was suitable for me (a 1.7m “lanky” guy, or maybe not), but I suppose it is not that ideal to lie-flat for taller individuals. Anyway I got about 3-4 hours of essential sleep, and proceeded to have my breakfast at the main dining area later on.
Wifi
I had a brief try on the lounge Wifi, which does not actually have one but connects onto the airport’s main Wifi.
The Wifi speed was good enough, but it kept on prompting to re-login intermittently. In the end, I decided to use my own cellular data, which was sufficient as I was catching up on jet lag most of the time.
Dining Experience
Still sleepy-eyed, I made my way to the main dining area right at the other end of the lounge. The lounge features multiple dining areas, but the main dining area is distinctly unique, designed to resemble a grand ballroom and serves a range of international cuisine.
I momentarily woke up while walking up the steps, with the dazzling chandelier in front of me (ok it is an exaggeration).
The main dining area has both a made-to-order menu and buffet sections for the hungry traveller(s). There is also an extensive selection of bread and a bar (more on that later).
I was guided to my table, which had an ala-carte and beverage menu, in the form of a QR code:
I had some hot Arabic soup before my mains, in which I ordered Eggs Benedict. The grilled asparagus was an interesting combination, but complemented surprisingly well, providing a refreshing palate cleanser (if it sounds correctly).
I made a note of the interesting pepper and salt pack design, found it very innovative! 2-in-1.
Other Areas
The lounge also features a wide range of facilities including a smoking room, game room (sadly the game consoles were not working), a business center, and multiple drinks/snacking areas. Apparantly there are also private workstations and communal workstations in the business center too. The game room would also be conducive for families with kids, with a football table and nice seating areas.
Busy Times To Note
As I was in the lounge for a good 9-10 hours overnight, I had an observation of the busiest times in the lounge:
About 11 pm - 1:30am
From 6 am - 7:30 am
Do take a note on this in order to maximise your experience! It gets super busy during these times, and it was difficult to get a seat or table. The peace and tranquillity was literally non-existent at all areas (except the Quiet Area).
Conclusion
I had a great time at the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, and I especially liked the understated luxury finishing, plenty of sleeping/napping facilities and the dining experience. Glad that I was able to tick this off my bucket list!
With my breakfast, I rushed off to my next flight, which had a surprise in store for me. Hint: starts with the letter QS…….
