al safwa travel

+1 929-610-6926

[email protected]

Safwa Travels

Premium Hajj & Umrah Service Provider

200+ Happy Clients

70+ destinations, lowest prices guaranteed, 24/7 customer support, why choose us.

✔ We focus on offering Hajj and Umrah services and recognize the deep meaning and spiritual importance these pilgrimages hold.

✔ Our skilled team is dedicated to making sure every traveler has an easy and memorable journey.

✔ Our packages cover all parts of the trip – from travel and lodging to visas and guidance during the pilgrimage.

✔ We put the well-being, safety, and spiritual experience of our valued pilgrims first. Our goal is to provide an atmosphere where they can concentrate entirely on their spiritual devotion and connection.

Umrah Packages for Groups

Umrah Package for Spring Break

Mecca : 3 Nights | Madinah : 2 Nights

Price Includes :

Umrah Package for September Groups

Umrah Package for November Groups

Umrah Package for December Groups

Deluxe umrah packages.

Deluxe Umrah Package

Mecca : 3 Nights | Madinah : 4 Nights

Mecca : 4 Nights | Madinah : 3 Nights

Exclusive Umrah Packages

Exclusive Umrah Package

Affordable Umrah Packages

Affordable umrah package, organize your journey with safwa travels..

Safwa Travels, founded in 2018, has quickly become known as a dependable travel company that specializes in Hajj, Umrah, and religious tours. With a strong emphasis on making customers happy, we offer a wide variety of travel services, such as booking flights, buses, and trains, handling visas, arranging cruises, and more. Our dedication to helping the Muslim community has resulted in our clients trusting us, which is why they prefer us for their travel requirements.

Know About Us?

Established in 2018, Safwa Travels has swiftly earned the confidence of Muslims in search of dependable travel solutions for Hajj, Umrah, and religious tours. Our primary emphasis is on delivering exceptional customer service, encompassing the booking of airline tickets, bus and rail transportation, visa processing, cruises, and an array of travel provisions. We stand as a reliable and revered option within the Muslim community, committed to fulfilling their travel requirements.

Trusted Agency For?

Destinations.

Limited Time

Exclusive Deal

Transit Umrah Packages

Our Partners

Here are a few partners we are working with:.

Muhammad Ismail

Hajj customer.

Plan your trip with us

We prioritise customer satisfaction, safety, and reliability., proceed booking, already a member.

Username or E-mail

Forget Password?

Don't have an account? Create one.

Or continue as guest, get special discounts.

Suggested companies

Safwa & taibah travels, al harmain travels, alharamaintravel.co.uk.

Al Safwa Travels   Reviews

In the Tour operator category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.1.

Most relevant

I highly recommend Al safwa travels

I highly recommend Al safwa travels The transportation to Mecca, Madina driver was very helpful and the hotels was excellent. I would highly recommend this company to future travelers for UMRAH.He answered my all questions and concerns very nicely about travel.

Date of experience : 14 July 2024

Habib bhai is the Man of his words.

Habib bhai is the Man of his words. I recommend Safwa Travel because they deliver on everything they promise. The experience of Umrah was great due to their 24-hr round the clock access. Whatever you need they provide before and during your travel. I will be using them again Insha Allah and will be recommending to any of my Muslim family in the UK to book using Al Safwa Travel. I took a chance and it was more than what I expected. Brother Ahmed did a wonderful job making sure all questions, concerns, and expectations were met.

Date of experience : 02 July 2024

I’v booked two weeks travel to Saudi…

I’v booked two weeks travel to Saudi Arabia I would say they made very affordable and convenient travel . Excellent service friendly staff and always there to assist. Must recommend them.

im extremely impressed wuth there…

im extremely impressed wuth there proffessionalim and support services.Highly recommended fof anyone to book umrah packages,holidays traveling.Thanks again for help and services.

Date of experience : 16 July 2024

We have just returned from our Umeah…

We have just returned from our Umrah trip, and it was an amazing experience. May Allah reward the team Al Safwa Travels for coordinating our flights and hotels. I greatly appreciated their honesty and patience. I would also like to express my appreciation for the hospitality of the team in Saudi Arabia. They were always available, day or night. May Allah reward these brothers. I highly recommend Al Safwa Travels.

Date of experience : 26 June 2024

I arranged my parents' first Umrah…

I arranged my parents' first Umrah journey in May through Al Safwa Travels. My parents are older and not as good with technology as many people are, so I wanted to find an agency that will be able to guide them throughout their journey. Al Safwa travels team was extremely helpful and explained the whole process to us, which is exactly what we wanted since they were first time travelers. Al Safwa Travels Team promptly addressed any questions we had, which shows the agency's expertise. My parents thoroughly enjoyed their hotels in both Makkah and Madinah, as well as the chosen airlines. The agency's provided Ziyaraat was extremely insightful and an amazing experience for them. I have already recommended them to a few other friends and family members Al Safwa Travels surpassed our expectations, and we will be forever thankful.🙏

Date of experience : 27 June 2024

Scheming company new name

This company formerly known as Al Harmain travels. They are the same scheming people who we booked our umrah trip with. If you want to know how good their service is just search truspilot reviews on Alharmaintravels.co.uk I am writing this to raise awareness so that brothers and sisters don't make the same mistake that we did by booking with them. They scam people and then change their company name. My advice is to book with a reputable local travel agent and save yourself the heartache. Also the 5 star reviews on trustpilot are written by the staff themselves. May Allah protect us from the likes of these people.

Date of experience : 02 May 2024

The holidays trip went very smoothly…

The holidays trip went very smoothly with no problems.Staff were very helpful and honest and good communication 👏 👍 Thank you

Date of experience : 01 July 2024

I had overall very Good experience.The…

I had overall very Good experience.The transport staff adnan at Saudi were very good and very punctual.Highly recommended the travel agents for organising Umrag trips.

Date of experience : 11 May 2024

TRIP ADVISOR AL HARMAIN TRAVELS…

I would not use these lying thieving scumbags check TripAdvisor reviews for al harmain travels as this was their company name as we travelled with them in may for umrah absolutely pathetic low life thieves u will not get the package u want they will change ur hotels last minute and also exclude people from breakfast and pocket the difference. They also owe their counterparts in saudi arabia over £5k so please guys if u want hassle free umrah with peace of mind pay that bit more and go with someone official. All their reviews for this new company are their own staff talha, osman, habib this is to make people aware of how companies use the name of allah swt to con people out of money please guys be careful.

Date of experience : 04 July 2024

Excellent costumer service

I booked my Umrah package with Al Safwa and had the most amazing experience from the time of booking and returning back. The service was excellent and the hotels was chosen carefully to give the best experience. I will highly recommend to others and will book all my future travels with them Thank you Al Safwa travels Team

Date of experience : 07 May 2024

Reliable travels

Hi, It’s a reliable company to travel with. Thank you.

I want to give a shoutout to the people…

I want to give a shoutout to the people who trained the staff. They did a brilliant job and deserve a raise. Very satisfied with the service that I got and that too in an extremely friendly and helpful way. Thanks alot guy.

Date of experience : 20 May 2024

Thank you so much Al safwa travels team…

Thank you so much Al safwa travels team for all your help and support. You did an amazing work. You being very kind and honest for all your work. Thank you again.

Date of experience : 03 May 2024

My family had a great trip

My family had a great trip. Everything was well arranged

Brilliant service

Date of experience : 19 May 2024

Prince of Travel

Prince of Travel is a full-service travel brand with an emphasis on luxury travel.

Get in-depth information on hotel programs and learn more about Prince Collection’s premier brands and vendors.

Credit Cards

Get the latest news, deals, guides, and travel reviews straight to your inbox with a Prince of Travel newsletter subscription.

Join Our Newsletter

Subscribe to the prince of travel newsletter.

You'll receive priority information about the newest luxury properties worldwide, exclusive reservations and deals through Prince of Travel , and unique destinations across the globe.

By providing your email, you agree to the Prince of Travel Privacy Policy

Thank you for subscribing!

Please check your email to confirm your subscription!

Id ea eiusmod magna cupidatat proident commodo tempor sit incididunt. Fugiat aliquip officia exercitation ad culpa ipsum est.

Points Programs

Hotel programs, best credit cards, back to reviews, review: qatar airways al safwa first class lounge doha.

Qatar Airways offers a tremendous First Class ground experience in the form of the Al Safwa Lounge in Doha, from private nap rooms to an in-lounge spa, all set in a gorgeous minimalistic environment.

Written by Ricky Zhang

On June 12, 2020

Read time 43 mins

My Qsuites flight from Doha to Montreal would be departing at 8:10am, but I headed to the airport at the very early hour of 5am.

The reason? I wanted to spend some quality time in the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge, which is widely considered one of the world’s best First Class lounges.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Check-in

Qatar Airways has done a seriously good job with the premium check-in experience at their home base of Hamad International Airport.

A large slate-shaped wall welcomes you to the premium check-in zone, directing business class passengers to the left-hand side and First Class passengers to the right.

Doha Airport – Qatar Airways premium check-in

Even as a business class passenger, you’re made to feel warmly welcomed by the individualized check-in desks and the open-concept seating area. Since I was so early, I was the only passenger at the check-in queue, and received my boarding pass for Montreal within a few moments.

Doha Airport – Qatar Airways business class check-in

From there, my passage continued smoothly through Qatar exit immigration, followed by the security queue, before I found myself in the airside departures hall – face-to-face with the famous giant teddy bear installation here at Hamad International Airport.

Singapore Changi has the Jewel, Seoul Incheon has the indoor gardens, and Doha has… this. A giant teddy bear worth $6.8 million.

Doha Airport – Giant teddy bear

Take a look at it, acknowledge its existence, and move on with your life – there are two exciting lounges that premium passengers can visit here in Doha: the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge and the Al Safwa First Class Lounge.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Access

From the main departures hall, the Al Safwa Lounge is accessible after a long escalator ride to an elevated level. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Escalator

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Front desk

As a business class passenger, I was entitled to access the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge free of charge, but could also pay a fee of 600 QAR (US$165) to enter the Al Safwa First Class Lounge for up to six hours instead. 

In an ideal world, I’d try to review both lounges, but since I was short on time for this morning departure, I chose to spend all of it in the highly-acclaimed Al Safwa Lounge instead, and will have to save the Al Mourjan Lounge for another time. 

In addition to paying for access as a business class passenger, you can also access the Al Safwa Lounge as a Qatar Airways Privilege Club Platinum member travelling in any class of service, or with a valid same-day departure on Qatar Airways First Class – including their long-haul First Class on the Airbus A380, as well as their short-haul First Class on flights to other places in the Gulf. 

(Indeed, redeeming Avios for a short-haul Qatar Airways First Class ticket from Doha to Muscat or Kuwait can be a great way to sample the Al Safwa Lounge for a very affordable outlay.)

Finally, the option of paying the US$165 surcharge for accessing the Al Safwa Lounge is available to business class passengers. You are technically limited to a six-hour stay, but by all accounts the limit seems to be loosely enforced, and in the meantime you enjoy the same full access to all of the lounge’s facilities as a First Class or elite passenger.

The payment is taken at the front desk upon presentation of your business class boarding pass. It’s a direct charge from Qatar Airways, so make sure to pay with a credit card that earns bonus points for a travel purchase. Once payment is taken, you’ll be directed into the lounge. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Entrance

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Seating

Let’s take a walk around the Al Safwa First Class Lounge’s main public areas, and then we’ll delve into all of the separate amenities and facilities that it offers. 

The Al Safwa Lounge is arranged in the shape of a long and thin hallway with extremely high ceilings, and all of the lounge’s features are dotted evenly around the space. 

The lounge has two entrances: one that’s accessible from the departures hall (where I entered from), and another that’s accessible directly from the landside First Class check-in desks. The latter is ostensibly the “true” entrance to the lounge, as it’s where you’d enter from as a First Class or elite passenger originating in Doha, so that’s where we’ll begin our tour.

Guests are welcomed to the lounge at a beautifully designed check-in desk, set against a minimalistic stone backdrop and precipitously high ceilings. 

From there, an illuminated arrow on the wall guides you down the vast hallway, its expansive walls and ceiling decorated with a single piece of artwork, the occasional decorative plant, and very little else. As soon as you arrive, it’s clear that this lounge conveys a sense of luxury through simplicity and minimalism rather than ostentatiousness of any kind, and I must say I took an instant liking to it.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Hallway

Together with the fact that there are rarely more than a dozen or so guests in the lounge at any given time, there’s a true sense of peace and quiet here in the Al Safwa Lounge that you might not find at many other First Class lounges around the world. 

It’s an absolutely breathtaking feeling to walk down the hallway in the midst of that quiet ambience. But hold on – what’s that trickling noise ahead?

Well, it’s none other than an entire section of the left-side wall serving as a slow-moving water display!

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Water display

Opposite this wall is yet another unorthodox feature. The Al Safwa Lounge is often described as “more of a fine art museum than an airport lounge”, so it’s fitting that a portion of the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is displayed along the wall here. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Artwork

Between the vases, ceramics, and textiles, there are plenty of intricate items to pore over as you indulge your scholarly side. 

Then we’ll continue down the hallway, past the second entrance that leads to the departures hall, until we reach the central feature for which the Al Safwa Lounge is quite famous: a giant circular water display, in which water drips down from a cylinder all the way up from the ceiling, falling into a large metal dish and forming a mirror-like surface. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Seating area

It’s quite a mesmerizing fixture to say the least, and one can easily lose track of time standing by the water’s edge and watching the water descend. 

While seating areas are a key component to most airport lounges, they almost feels like an afterthought compared to the interior decoration here at Al Safwa.

A few different types of seating, both communal and individual, are scattered around the central fountain; otherwise, there are relatively few dedicated seating zones to be found throughout the lounge.

That’s not a problem, however, because there are never that many guests using this lounge anyway, and most guests occupy themselves with all of the other lounge facilities (dining room, private nap room, spa, media room, business centre, etc.) instead of simply sitting down in the public areas. 

Overall, the interior of Al Safwa can be described in a single word: stunning. Simply stunning. 

It won’t be everyone’s preferred style, as I know some guests complain that the lounge is overly sterile, but I must say that the minimalist luxury decor was exactly to my taste, and I thoroughly relished every second of my stay. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Dining

The Al Safwa Lounge offers an à la carte dining room with a fully-staffed bar. After booking myself a private room (which we’ll get to later), I headed to the dining room to have breakfast. The dining tables are mostly designed for two-person seating, although there are a few larger tables with up to four seats as well. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Dining room

As the first guest of the morning, I was greeted warmly by one of the servers and offered a breakfast menu to browse. I began with an order of a cappuccino and a glass of mango juice to get my morning off to the ideal start.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Menu

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Drinks

The breakfast menu had a solid coverage of Western and Arabic items, and you could order as many items as you wished – although perhaps there could be a greater variety of “premium” items in a First Class lounge. Nevertheless, I was more than happy with my order of baked shakshouka and Belgian waffles; after all, I still had to eat on the plane later!

I was told to expect a preparation time of at least 15 minutes, and sure enough, my baked shakshouka arrived 15 minutes later, with the waffles 10 minutes after that. Both items were prepared to a very high standard; while the variety of food here at Al Safwa was perhaps less impressive than the First Class Lounges of Lufthansa , Swiss , or Emirates , the quality certainly could not be faulted.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Shakshouka

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Waffles

A handful of other guests were starting to sit down for breakfast, just as I polished off my second cappuccino and headed off to explore other parts of the lounge. 

Later on, shortly before I left the lounge, I stopped by the bar to scope out the drinks menu as well. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Bar

There was a wide selection of hard and soft drinks, but similar to the food menu, the premium factor perhaps left a little to be desired.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Drinks menu

Even as a whiskey neophyte, for example, I’ve observed that many airlines tend to offer Johnnie Walker Black Label in business class lounges and Blue Label in First Class; the fact that Qatar Airways sticks with Black Label in the First Class ground experience is therefore telling.

I ordered another glass of mango juice, which is technically an off-menu item but quite delicious indeed, before retreating from the bar and departing the lounge. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Mango juice

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private Rooms

One of the Al Safwa Lounge’s most sought-after features is its private nap rooms in its “Quiet Area”, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. By all accounts, it seems relatively unlikely that the private rooms will be fully booked when you visit, and most people seem to be able to secure one for themselves without much waiting time at all.

The entrance to both the Quiet Area and the Spa are located roughly midway along the lounge’s central hallway, and there’s a dedicated check-in desk where you’d register your intent to use these facilities. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Quiet Area & Spa

There are a total of 12 private rooms arranged throughout this hallway. I was assigned Quiet Space 10, a single-person room, although there are also at least a handful of two-person rooms (which have two single beds inside) should you be travelling as a couple.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private rooms

Each occupant is given an electronic keycard, which provides access to their Quiet Space throughout the duration of their stay in the lounge. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Quiet Space 10

My Quiet Space consisted of a twin bed, adorned with that gorgeous Qatar Airways shade of redcurrant (can you tell it’s my favourite colour?)

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room twin bed

Then there was a small desk and a television, with a tissue box and bottled water as additional amenities.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room desk

The rooms also contain a full private bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and shower. Even though I didn’t need to take a shower, I went for a quick rinse anyway, just for the full Al Safwa Lounge experience. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room ensuite

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room shower

A pack of toiletries is provided for your use, as is a bathrobe and some closet space for hanging up your street clothes, should you choose to do so. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room sink

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Private room wardrobe

Overall, the Quiet Spaces give you a great deal of privacy in your own little space (as if you really needed more peace and quiet from the rest of the Al Safwa Lounge itself). Each Quiet Space is equipped with virtually everything you need to rest and freshen up, and it’s truly akin to having your very own hotel room inside an airport lounge. 

(Is this the best in-lounge hotel room in the world? Not quite – I’d rank it as a close second to the Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich , if only for its sweeping tarmac views!) 

Even though you’ve booked a private room, you’re under no obligation to stay there, and may simply leave your belongings inside and wander throughout the rest of the lounge instead. And after briefly lying down on the bed to test out its comfort (it was fine for a nap or a quick overnight sleep, but nothing too special), that’s exactly what I did.

Nevertheless, with Qatar Airways’s round-the-clock flight schedule, I could definitely see the Al Safwa Lounge being a suitable place to sleep during an overnight layover before catching your next flight in the morning.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Spa

Qatar Airways offers its most valued customers a luxurious spa and wellness centre in the Al Safwa Lounge, known as the Qspa. 

Spa treatments are not complimentary, as can be seen in the spa menu below:

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Spa menu

As someone who isn’t a big fan of spa treatments, I simply asked if I could take a look around the spa facilities instead – and you guessed it, they are very impressive indeed.

Once you enter the spa, you first proceed down one of two long and calming corridors depending on gender, with water displays trickling by your feet on either side. 

The corridor leads to a small relaxation nook at the end, where you can sit face-to-face with another full-length wall of slow-moving water.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Relaxation room

On the opposite side is a variety of different treatment rooms, including massage chairs and heat therapy. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Treatment rooms

But hold on, what’s this? The sound of rumbling water piqued my curiosity just around the corner, and it turns out that it’s a dedicated Jacuzzi room! 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Jacuzzi room

I went back to the spa counter and asked if I could go use the Jacuzzi even though I wasn’t getting a spa treatment. And while it would normally be reserved for spa patrons to relax after their treatment, there was no one using the spa right now, so I was free to go for a nice long soak! 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Jacuzzi

I’ve wined and dined, bathed, and slept in an airport lounge before, but this was my first time soaking in a hot tub. It’s safe to say that I was grinning ear to ear as I immersed myself in the jets, only realizing too late that I should’ve brought over a glass of Laurent Perrier rosé from the bar to enjoy with this moment.

Nevertheless, it was an incredibly satisfying experience to dip in the Jacuzzi during my stay in the Al Safwa Lounge, and as I trudged back to my Quiet Space in my bathrobe for another cleansing shower, I could scarcely believe that I was in an airport lounge at all! 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Other Facilities

On the off-chance that you happen to grow bored of the stunning architecture, à la carte dining, private nap rooms, and luxury spa, the Al Safwa Lounge has plenty more to keep you occupied. 

Let’s begin with the business centre. The lounge offers an absolutely gorgeous set of brightly-lit office spaces, partitioned from each other with a series of partially frosted glass panes. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Business centre

Some desks came with a dedicated iMac, while others were more geared towards holding meetings. Either way, as I looked around the office space, I almost wished that my flight would be cancelled and I could spend the whole day working here in the lounge instead. 

Then, an entire partitioned-off section of the lounge is dedicated to families with young children. There is a well-appointed Games Room to keep the kids occupied, as well as a communal family space with chairs, couches, and a television if you want to hang out together as a family without bothering the other guests in the lounge.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Games room

Interestingly, there was also a “Nanny Room”, which was basically a very bare-bones kitchenette. Perhaps this speaks to the type of clientele that frequently passes through the Al Safwa Lounge, although if the Qatari upper crust is accustomed to flying as a family with their nanny in tow, then I’m certainly in the wrong industry.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Nanny room

A Media Room was available for guests who wished to watch television. Unlike the rest of the lounge, though, it was a small and dark space, which made it seem like a less attractive place to spend your time (not to mention that you could also watch television in the privacy of your Quiet Space as well). 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Media room

Finally, the Al Safwa Lounge also treats its guests to an in-lounge duty free boutique, saving you the trouble of doing duty-free shopping among the riff-raff in the rest of the airport terminal. 

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha – Duty Free

If there was one thing I disliked about my visit to the Al Safwa Lounge, it was that the duration was far too short – indeed, after only a two-hour stay, I had to bid farewell to the lounge and head for the boarding gate for my flight back to Montreal. 

Qatar Airways offers a ground experience of tremendous quality for their most esteemed passengers in the form of the Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha. For me, it’s certainly up there alongside Lufthansa’s and Swiss’s offerings as one of the best First Class lounges in the world. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and from my perspective, the Al Safwa Lounge’s minimalistic interior aesthetic was an instant favourite. Meanwhile, the private nap rooms fulfill every need you might have for an extended stay, while the spa provided me with an unforgettable maiden experience of a soaking in a hot tub in an airport lounge. 

One criticism of the Al Safwa Lounge may be that the food and beverage offerings do have some room to improve, especially when compared to its peers. But that certainly does not subtract from what is an outstanding First Class ground experience overall.

Everyone can decide for themselves whether it’s worth paying the US$165 surcharge to access Al Safwa as a business class passenger, but if it’s your first time passing through Doha and you’d like to kill a few hours in some serious luxurious surroundings, I’d highly recommend it.

I can’t wait to return to the Al Safwa Lounge one day, perhaps along my generously rebooked Qatar Airways fares later this year – although I’ll be sure to also review the Al Mourjan business class lounge this time as well.

Middle East GCC

• Iran English ایران فارسی
• Iraq English العراق العربيّة
• Jordan English الأردن العربيّة
• Kuwait English الكويت العربيّة
• Lebanon English لبنان العربيّة Liban Français
• Oman English عُمان العربيّة
• Qatar English قطر العربيّة
• Saudi Arabia English المملكة العربِيّة السعودية العربِيّة
• United Arab Emirates English الإمارات العربِيّة المتحدة العربِيّة
• Bahrain English البحرين العربية

Find great fares

• Before you fly
• At the airport
• Hamad International Airport
• Oryx Airport Hotel
• Qatar Duty Free
• Checking in

Your preferred seat

• Privilege Club
• Claim missing Avios
• Buy or boost Avios
• Buy Qpoints
• My Calculator
• Cash + Avios
• Student Club
• Family Programme

Enjoy exclusive benefits

• Flight Status
• Search Search
• Popular searches

Choose your region

Get more on our app.

Make the most out of your trips!

Your upcoming trip

• Dashboard Edit profile Logout
• Earn Avios on every booking
• Enjoy award flights & upgrades
• Pay with Cash + Avios & save

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge

In our Al Safwa First Lounge, our one and only priority is you – our distinguished guest.

Every inch, feature, and facet is specially designed to create the most luxurious lounge experience ever imagined. Our focus is on perfecting every moment with meticulous detail so that you can enjoy a seamless journey from the moment you arrive until we bid  farewell.

An oasis of luxury

Taking inspiration from the architectural beauty of Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, Al Safwa First Lounge encapsulates its cultural surroundings, showcasing a blend of elegance and refinement with opulent features and captivating installations.

An experience where exquisite craftsmanship meets tranquil surroundings, our open spaces, adorned with flawless sandstone finishing, have been curated to inspire your creativity.

Experience Al Safwa First Lounge in 360°

A journey of flavours

Indulge in the culinary creations that have become synonymous with the pinnacle of luxury in First Class dining. The 250-seat restaurant offers a choice of international delicacies and Arabic-infused cuisine.

Choose from a selection of perfected à la carte dishes or mix and match from our Executive Chef’s favourites – while experiencing the magic of it all through the live open kitchen.

An elite range of services

Discover a haven of self-expression as you select from our bespoke offerings and state-of-the-art facilities – designed with your individuality in mind.

There is always time for a high-end shopping experience at our exclusive Duty-Free, conveniently located within the lounge, or sit back and explore our captivating cinematic media room. With Qatar Airways’ world-class hospitality, your visit is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

An indulgence for your senses

The quintessential relaxation experience in the lounge may be found in our Qspa. Featuring nine treatment rooms, this is where you can indulge all of your senses with a selection of muscle treatments that renew and re-energise.

Before your flight, you can also step into our thermal jacuzzi, enjoy a pedicure and manicure, or rejuvenate in the relaxation room.

Plan your visit

Located on Level 3, with a dedicated entrance immediately after the Immigration and Security Check area.

*Access to Al Safwa First lounge is exclusive to First Class passengers, Privilege Club Platinum members travelling Business Class with Qatar Airways and  one world First Class passengers. 

One-time pin

Add an extra layer of security to your account with a one-time pin (OTP).

Secure your account with an OTP:

Receive your otp via:.

Enter a mobile number

login.otp.mobile.calling.code.emptyerrormessage

Please enter email address

Mobile number and email address should not be empty

Please enter valid email address

Placeholder for service error message

Your account is less secure without an OTP

Your OTP preferences have been updated.

A verification link will be sent to your newly amended email address. You will now logged out of your Privilege Club account. Do you wish to continue

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) sent to your mobile number, {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) resent to your mobile number {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) sent to your email address {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) resent to your email address {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) sent to your email address, {1} and mobile number, {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the one-time pin (OTP) resent to your email address {1} and mobile number {0}, within the next {2}.

Please enter the valid one-time password

OTP should not be empty

Your account has been temporarily locked as the maximum number of daily attempts has been reached. Please try again by resetting your password after 24 hours.  Back

The OTP has been successfully verified.

Your contact details have been successfully changed..

• Auction Bids
• Auction Watchlist

Travel news, tips, reviews & videos of luxury hotels to help plan your vacation.

Bid & win a fablous luxury hotel stay or travel item for your next vacation.

• Accessories
• Accommodation
• Experiences

Book hotels with us for complimentary upgrades like breakfast for two at your favorite luxury hotel.

• Find Out More

Recents Clear

Review: Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First Class Lounge Hamad Airport, Doha

popular post today

Is Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha’s new Hamad International Airport the best airline lounge in the world? It is certainly one of two. We also love the Etihad First Class Lounge & Spa in Abu Dhabi . The Al Safwa First Class lounge is only accessible to passengers who fly First Class on Qatar Airways metal or a Oneworld airline (so it is not open to Oneworld Emerald members who fly Economy or Business Class).

The lounge’s scale, architecture, and design are amazing. The lounge space is massive, with very high ceilings that make it seem even larger than it is. It features a beautiful minimalist design, with predominant light sandstone colors, creating a peaceful and exclusive ambiance.

From the reception, a very long and impressive hallway leads to the lounge’s central area. The hallways feature artwork from – amongst others – Keith Haring, as well as a water wall, making you feel at a museum rather than an airport lounge. Several side corridors open into additional spaces, including a prayer room, a spa (where, unfortunately, you have to pay for treatments and showers), a mini-hotel with several sleep rooms (complimentary to passengers that have a layover of at least six hours), a duty-free shop and a business center with several iMac workstations.

At the end of the hallway, you enter the lounge’s central seating area, a triangular space with a spectacular, tube-enclosed water fountain. There are several types of seats present in this area, featuring a design that ranges from comfortable to artsy. There’s also a ‘terrace’ under the roof of the airport’s terminal with some more seats. There is far too much space for the number of passengers that the lounge needs to accommodate, so it will never feel full.

The lounge’s restaurant and bar are located adjacent to the seating area and feature plenty of tables. The space is quite bright because of the very large windows that not only embrace the Arabian sunlight but also offer nice views across the airport. The restaurant has an open kitchen, and you can choose from several buffet stations or dine a la carte. I was there during breakfast time (our Qatar Airways Airbus A380 flight to Paris left at 8:00 am), but I did not eat too much since I did not want to kill my appetite shortly before my First Class experience.

It was a 15-minute walk to the gate from the lounge, where the Airbus A380 was ready for boarding. The waiting area at the gate was divided into a lower and upper space for Economy and First/Business Class passengers, respectively.

Review by our friends at Luxury Travel Expert

Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.

Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.

Featured By

Join our mailing list

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Receive news on auctions & our most popular posts. Opt out at any time. See our Privacy Policy for details.

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Review: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge, Doha

Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Airport lounges invariably promise free food and a respite from crowds, but let’s be real: These days, a lot of lounges feel every bit as busy as the terminal, and depending on when you visit, you may be jostling with your fellow frequent flyers for cookie crumbs.

You'll have no such first-world problems at Qatar Airways’ enormous first class lounge at its hub in Doha, which is best described as museum-like — both in its aesthetics and in its hush-hush noise factor. (In my entire six hours there, I saw a grand total of one other passenger.) As overnight layovers in the Middle East go, there are worse places you could spend your time.

How I got in

As a business class passenger transiting through Doha on an award ticket, I was able to purchase "upgraded" access to the first class lounge for roughly the equivalent of $170. (NerdWallet comped my payment for the purposes of this review.) I had flown in from the Maldives that evening and was looking to take advantage of one of the lounge's private bedrooms to get a few hours of rest before my morning flight to Los Angeles.

All Qatar Airways business class passengers are entitled to free access to the similarly massive but much more crowded Al Mourjan business class lounge, which offers some of the same perks as this lounge but has no dedicated sleeping rooms.

» Lounge review: Etihad Airways first class lounge, Abu Dhabi

The Al Safwa lounge is on the top level of the terminal, accessed via a soaring escalator. If you’re on a layover in Doha, once you exit transit security follow signs across the main terminal entry hall to access the lounge (it’s about a five-minute walk).

If you’re originating in Doha, you can enter the lounge directly from the separate first class security area.

I presented my business class ticket and was told I could pay 600 Qatari riyals — roughly $170 — for six hours of access to the first class lounge. It was 9:15 p.m. when I entered; the attendant said she’d come get me at 3:30 a.m. My onward flight boarded at 7 a.m., so while I would have liked to stay a bit longer, I was grateful for even a bonus 15 minutes.

The “spine” of the lounge is its cavernous main hall, from which the various sections branched out on either the left or the right-hand side.

Though the lounge takes up a lot of square footage, it’s incredibly easy to navigate, with wayfinding signs all along the main hall.

Scattered along the main hall are various art installations; according to Qatar’s website, these pieces are on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art.

Water is a prevalent theme here, with a floor-to-ceiling waterfall built into the side of the main hall as well as this central water installation:

Tucked off along the sides of the main hall are the seating areas. There are separate screens at each seat that allow you to keep tabs on when your flight is boarding, which is useful since there are no announcements in the lounge.

Seats generally come equipped with power outlets that are capable of handling U.S. plugs (no adapter needed).

There’s an area of the lounge set aside specifically for families, with several playrooms and a handful of adjacent private rooms where adults can relax while the kids are at play.

If none of the lounge's dedicated sleep rooms are available (hard to imagine!), the “adult” rooms adjacent to the play areas wouldn’t be a bad place to come doze for a bit. They're plenty dark enough for it.

As is typical with Middle Eastern lounges, there’s a separate “smoking room” for those who wish to partake …

… along with a prayer room.

Several mini-newsstands are scattered throughout the lounge, with English- and Arabic-language papers.

A large bank of his-and-hers restrooms are stocked with fresh washcloths, along with fully enclosed stalls for maximum privacy.

You know you’re in a fancy lounge when they keep the toilet paper folded.

One of the larger areas of the lounge in terms of square footage is the spa area. It includes several private treatment rooms …

… and even a hot tub, with room enough for two.

Business, shopping and entertainment

For more productive pursuits, a small business center is provided, with several workstations all separated into small private offices. A Mac or a PC is available at each station.

There’s a small media room off the main hall, with comfy chairs and CNN playing on a big-screen TV.

The lounge even has its own duty-free shop, the first time I’ve seen such an arrangement inside a lounge.

There are two dining areas in the lounge. One was stocked with sushi and various snacks.

This area has a fair amount of seating, though not as much as in the main dining room.

Behind the counter is a small station with tea, coffee and alcohol.

The second dining area, the main restaurant, was the only place in the whole lounge where I saw another passenger — and it was just that. One other person. The restaurant has an enormous main bar as its center showpiece …

… along with several “mini”-dining areas separated by walls and an open kitchen, creating a more intimate feeling.

Although the clock was ticking on my six hours with access to a bed, I had to give the restaurant a try, as once you're in the lounge, all food is free. This was the menu on offer at roughly 10 p.m. (Given the lack of customers, I was surprised to get such a well-worn menu, though I also managed to take the world's blurriest photo.)

I ordered the seafood bisque to start, which was delivered with a tasty amuse-bouche.

Following my usual routine of ordering the thing I’m least knowledgeable about on a menu when I’m in a foreign country, I ordered the beef sambusak as an appetizer, followed by the chicken machboos as a main course. Neither was terribly photo-worthy, but both were tasty.

For dessert, I tried both of the Arabic offerings.

I’d requested a relatively fast pacing and was grateful to receive it. The food, while consistently good, was roughly on par with what I was served in business class on the flights themselves — which perhaps speaks more to the quality of Qatar Airways’ onboard catering than anything else.

The sleep pods

About 30 minutes after I sat down to eat, it was time to head to my sleep pod.

There looked to be at least a dozen rooms, each with its own private door, en suite restroom and shower.

The room came stocked with water and a handy bedside panel from which you can control the lighting and room temperature.

The bed itself was incredibly comfortable, owing in part to the large mattress pad included. I fell asleep more or less immediately.

Though I had been hoping the staff would “forget” about my six-hour limit, that was not to be: At 3:30 a.m. on the dot, an attendant knocked softly on the door to wake me, and it was time to go. (I was able to take an extra 10 minutes or so to freshen up, so they weren’t too draconian about the time limit, at least.)

I was grateful to have even had a few hours with this level of comfort. Other lounges have rest areas, but these hotel-style sleep pods are truly in a league of their own.

From here, I headed to the much more crowded Al Mourjan business class lounge for the final three hours or so before my flight to Los Angeles boarded. (Speaking of that flight: You could do a lot worse with 70,000 American Airlines miles than use them to fly 16 hours in Qatar's revolutionary Qsuites business class.)

» Learn more: American Airlines AAdvantage program: The complete guide

The bottom line

Thanks to the popularity of credit cards that confer Priority Pass access, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , plenty of lounges offer only a modest respite from airport crowds. This lounge, however, is true luxury — and if you feel like the only passenger in the whole lounge, it might be because you are.

If you're a first class passenger on Qatar Airways, congratulations: You're in for free. Otherwise, you'll have to decide whether it's worth ponying up $170 for a meal and a bed for a few hours. Given that the airport hotel could cost quite a bit more without free food and drink, this might be a bargain in comparison.

Photos by Brad Walters.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Citibank's application

1x Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

70,000 Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

UponArriving

Qatar Airways First Class Al Safwa Lounge at Doha (DOH) Review

The Qatar Airways First Class Al Safwa First Lounge in Doha is a stunning first class lounge. It’s a wide open lounge that feels more like a museum than a lounge at times. But the lounge also has solid features like sleeping rooms, great dining, family/game rooms, and a spa.

Find out more about all of these features in this full Al Safwa Lounge review.

Journey to the Al Safwa First Lounge

Our journey started in Paris where we got to experience the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge for first class and business class passengers. I loved the design and layout of the lounge as well as the food offerings and you can read more about that lounge experience here .

We flew from Paris to Doha on the Qatar Airways A380 in first class . I had a great flight and enjoyed the elegant first class experience with spacious suites, great service, and a beautiful on-board bar and lounge. It easily ranked as one of my top first class experiences.

We arrived close to midnight to Doha and made our way through the security line for transfers. The escalators leading to the Al Safwa Lounge were immediately after security and so we didn’t have to walk very far at all.

Al Safwa Lounge access rules

The Al Safwa Lounge is restricted to those flying on first class on Qatar and according to Flyertalk , also those flying on one world first class. I don’t believe the standard procedure is to allow access to Emerald status members but I think that some have been given access before.

Upgraded passengers are not given access to the Al Safwa Lounge.

You can still get access if you’re connecting from a first class flight that’s longer than five hours even if your connecting leg out of Doha is not first class. In fact, that’s what we did by flying CDG->DOH->MLE, with CDG->DOH in first class and DOH->MLE in business class.

But beware.

We were initially denied access because our layover was over eight hours. The agent working the front desk had to convince his superiors that they should make an exception and admit us since our layover was only 45 minutes over the eight hour limit. It took about 15 minutes to sort out but I was very relieved when they allowed us in!

Entering Al Safwa Lounge

Once we were given access we made our way through the massive sandstone and marble corridors of the lounge where we were met with a beautiful and colorful art piece from the late  Keith Haring . It’s not the type of art I expected to see here but in a weird way it sort of fit in.

Making your way through the high ceiling corridors feels like strolling through a world-class museum. I’m a pretty big museum fan so I was in love with the architecture and layout of the lounge (though the use of some of the space can definitely be questioned).

The lounge is home to an interesting collection of Middle Eastern artifacts from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Some of these pieces like the earthenware below date back to the 10th century or even longer ago.  As you make your way from the entrance, you’ll see these artifacts housed in glass displays along with interpretive panels.

I love lounges that incorporate unique features and design elements into their lounge environments and that’s something that the Al Safwa Lounge does to a maximum. You definitely do not feel like you’re at “just another airport lounge” here.

On the other side of the hallway, a waterfall flows gently from the ceiling along the wall and down to the floor. It’s yet another impressive design feature of the lounge.

Al Safwa Lounge sleep rooms

After getting a bit of a museum fix, we headed straight for the sleep rooms.

The Al Safwa Lounge offers sleep rooms that come with either one or two beds but we were each given a separate room, which was okay with me. These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and you’re allowed a maximum six hours though you can pay for extra time.

Note: If your layover is under four hours, you might get some pushback on getting access.

After checking in with the front desk they led us to our rooms which were at the end of the hallway.

I had room 8 which was more spacious than Brad’s room, which was room 7.

These sleeping rooms are more like hotel rooms than nap rooms. They are spacious rooms with a comfortable bed, desk, TV,  and convenient control settings for the temperature and lighting right beside the bed. I can’t even begin to explain how good it feels to fully relax in a room like this after a long flight.

They have a connected bathroom with showers that are on par with luxury hotels and come with all your amenities, including shampoo, soap, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers, blow dryer, and just about anything else that you think you’d need.

Once in the bed, I got comfortable pretty quickly though initially the room was on the warm side. But I just couldn’t sleep because I knew we had this amazing lounge to ourselves at the moment and I wanted to get out and explore (and get photos). I did rest up for about two hours though. I never actually fell asleep but after getting up and taking a shower, I was ready to grab breakfast.

Al Safwa dining experience

The dining area is very open just like the rest of the lounge. It has a large bar in the middle and restaurant-style seating lines the perimeter of the lounge.

The large reflective wall you see on the left of the image below is actually a gigantic wine cabinet.

The bar has a great selection of spirits, but I didn’t see Krug on the shelves or on the menu. Although it was about 3:30am, I don’t think I would’ve turned down a glass of Krug had I been offered one.

Note that during Ramadan no alcohol will be served in the lounge , unlike other Middle Eastern carriers that at least serve it during some hours.

We made our way to one of the tables in the dining area which is beautifully designed in a very open layout with partitions that help create a more intimate setting and giant halo lights which hang from the high ceiling.

Even though we were the only people actively walking around the lounge, there were several staff members on duty. They greeted us very warmly and quickly brought us out menus. During our entire meal, the staff was extremely attentive and personable and it really was a great lounge dining experience.

I wasn’t in the mood for a traditional Arabic breakfast (although those are quite good), so I went with the waffles and eggs Benedict and we both tried out the pastries and cappuccinos.

I loved the presentation of the cappuccinos.

The waffles, while small, came with great presentation and were very sweet.

Meanwhile the eggs Benedict offered a nice hearty way to start the day.

Here’s the full breakfast menu that we were given.

And here’s the drink menu from the bar.

After breakfast, I decided to explore the rest of the lounge while it was still empty.

The Grand Water Fountain

I backtracked through the lounge and came across the “Grand Water Fountain,” which looks like something straight out of Harry Potter.

Al Safwa Lounge seating

There’s a good variety of seating options in the lounge that you can choose from and they are scattered throughout this vast temple of a lounge.

Some seats are a bit more modern casual.

And others are a bit more luxurious and come equipped with tablets so that you can monitor your flight status at any moment.

There are also some sofas for a more relaxed vibe and well suited for socializing.

Then there are my favorite seats which were the recliners with privacy cubicles. I would’ve preferred for these to be oriented the other way for maximum privacy but I felt that these seats were very comfortable and a great place to get some work done.

I did notice how chilly the lounge felt when I was sitting in these seats as vents are located above them so having a jacket or sweater is not a bad idea.

The buffet area

I then made my way over to the the small buffet/snack area. They had some of the same food items that were served in the dining area, such as the muffins and pastries. They also had your typical lounge buffet items, such as cold cuts, fruits, berries, and other items.

It’s not an overly impressive spread but throughout the day they’ll serve up snacks and food items, such as sushi so it can be a nice alternative to the restaurant style dining that might hold you up for more time.

After checking out the dining areas, I was in full-blown exploratory mode and started to check out each individual section and room in the lounge.

I first came across the media room, which was a cool cinema room with seating for about ten people.

Family rooms

An entire section of the lounge is dedicated to various family needs.

There’s large semi-private family rooms which are like cozy living rooms with sofas, TVs, and plenty of room to store your luggage. I think there might also be a shower in this area.

A nanny room

There’s a room for attentive nannies.

Parent’s room and game rooms

There’s even a parent’s room dedicated for things like diaper changes. Another section of the lounge houses game rooms for kids of various ages and has a room dedicated to game consoles (Playstation, etc.).

What I remember most about this area, though, was coming across this tower of macaroons . I don’t know who these macaroons were destined for but they were about tempting as can be. These were found in a section of the family area dedicated for refreshments and snacks that is probably set up better when it’s not 4am.

Al Safwa Lounge business center

The business center is very modern. The walls are not fully private though, so while I love the look of the design, it’s odd to me that they didn’t have any truly private meeting rooms.

The glass walls and minimalist design along with the Macbooks and wooden desks, made me feel like I had stepped into an Apple store for a second.

Al Safwa Lounge duty free shop

I also wandered into the duty free shop where I was told I’d be allowed only one photo for “security purposes.” I guess they really need to protect those chocolates?

After that I walked to the jewelry store, which housed items like Rolexes and other high-end items. The security in this part of the lounge was even tighter and I didn’t get the feeling that getting even one photo of these high-end items was an option, so I left pretty quickly.

The jewelry store is located out on the terrace which opens up to the terminal. On this terrace, there’s additional seating as well.

The bathroom was very spacious, clean, and elegant. There was an attendant in there even in the wee hours of the morning which honestly felt a bit awkward.

The Al Safwa Spa

I’m not a spa person but I’ll at least consider it when it’s complimentary. However, at the Al Safwa lounge they don’t offer you any complimentary services (unlike many other flagship first class lounges). And not just that but the prices for some of the services are quite high.

So I ultimately did not try out the spa and can’t comment on the quality.

Final word on the Al Safwa Lounge

With the artwork, cultural artifacts, and water features, the  Al Safwa Lounge in Doha is probably the most visually stunning first class lounge I’ve visited. I give it huge props for the sleeping rooms (which are heaven sent) and for having so much space so that it doesn’t feel crowded. The dining and service was exceptional, too. And I loved that there were a lot of different relaxation options for both business travelers and families.

I enjoyed this experience more than other top flagship first class lounges like Cathay Pacific’s The Pier , Singapore’s Private Room , and Etihad’s First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi. While I still have a lot more first class lounges to explore, I think the Al Safwa Lounge is definitely going to be one of the top first class lounge experiences for me.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

• Pingback: Qatar Airways A380 First Class Review (CDG to DOH) - UponArriving
• Pingback: AA Award Chart: Guide to AA Sweet Spots - UponArriving

Comments are closed.

Privacy Overview

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market.  See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our  credit card rating methodology .

Qatar’s Al Safwa First Lounge Has Reopened: Is It Worth Paying To Upgrade Your Lounge Experience?

Daniel Ross

Senior Content Contributor

688 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 56 U.S. States Visited: 17

Michael Y. Park

24 Published Articles 318 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 60+ U.S. States Visited: 50

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

41 Published Articles 3364 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 50 U.S. States Visited: 28

Table of Contents

Accessing qatar airways’ al safwa first lounge at hamad international airport, how to upgrade to al safwa first lounge, is it worth paying to upgrade to al safwa first lounge, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Often receiving the title of one of the world’s most luxurious and prestigious lounge experiences , Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First Lounge is on the must-go list of many a frequent flyer and AvGeek.

However, those hoping to visit the airline’s flagship lounge between October 13 and November 30, 2023, were disappointed, as the space was closed for what was apparently some structural maintenance.

As luck would have it, I had a layover in Doha, Qatar, just days after the lounge reopened on December 3. I jumped at the opportunity to spend some time in the lounge again, even though it meant I’d have to pay for entry .

Here are my thoughts on Al Safwa First Lounge and whether it’s worth paying for entry on your next layover when flying Qatar Airways through Doha.

As you might imagine, getting access to such a prestigious lounge is about as exclusive as it gets. Passengers holding Qatar Airways first class tickets or Privilege Club Platinum elite members with business class tickets are the only ones eligible for complimentary access.

What makes access even more exclusive is that Qatar only offers first class on a handful of routes compared to other major carriers:

• Routes operated by the Airbus A380
• Routes operated by its Boeing 777s formerly owned by Cathay Pacific, which only serve a few destinations, including Istanbul (IST), Malé (MLE), and Zurich (ZRH)
• Routes within the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) on which the business class cabin is marketed as first class

Unfortunately for hopeful Oneworld loyalists, Qatar doesn’t extend access to its most exclusive lounge to top-tier elites of other Oneworld airlines , even if they hold the equivalent of Emerald — the highest possible level of Oneworld status.

Are you a Qatar Airways loyalist? You’ll want to know how to redeem Qatar Airways Avios for maximum value.

Al Safwa First Lounge extends its hospitality, for a fee, to Qatar Airways passengers with a business class ticket.

You can only purchase entry at either of the 2 entrances to the lounge in Doha. Note that there’s a small chance you’ll be turned away, depending on capacity .

I paid 585 QR (~$161) for 6 hours in the lounge . This included a small discount of around 10% to 15% for having a Privilege Club membership number. I wasn’t aware of this before arriving at the lounge, but a helpful reception desk staffer informed me.

While purchasing my lounge entry, staffers mentioned several times that I would have to check out after 6 hours in the lounge. It was even written on the back of my boarding pass!

First things first: If you have a short layover, I wouldn’t recommend upgrading, as you simply won’t get value for your money.

That would have been the case if I’d stuck with my original itinerary, which had me arriving at 10 p.m. from Malé (MLE) in Maldives and leaving at 1:30 a.m. for London Gatwick (LGW).

Having loved my last experience at Al Safwa First Lounge before I flew first class to Sydney on Qatar’s A380 , I extended my layover. Thanks to Qatar’s helpful online chat, it took no time at all to change my flight for $42. My new departure time of 12:50 p.m. afforded me a whopping 14-plus hours at Hamad International Airport (DOH) so that I could definitely get to spend quality time in the lounge once again.

The main benefit of spending a long layover at Al Safwa First Lounge is that the lounge features a limited number of exclusive quiet rooms , which are pretty much hotel rooms complete with a single bed or 2 twin beds and a private bathroom.

This means that rather than wasting time and money traveling to a city hotel for the night, you could wander straight from your flight into Al Safwa First Lounge and sleep here instead.

A drawback is that the so-called quiet rooms are on a first-come, first-served basis , so even if you pay to upgrade to Al Safwa First Lounge, you’re not guaranteed access.

The maximum time you’re allowed to stay in quiet rooms is 6 hours — the same amount of time you’re allowed in the lounge when you pay for entry.

To maximize my sleep chances, I napped on a sofa in Qatar’s Al Mourjan Business Lounge until around 3 a.m. — when I’d been told that a quiet room would become available.

If you’re paying to upgrade to Al Safwa First Lounge and have an overnight layover, it’s worth delaying the start of your 6-hour slot in Al Safwa First Lounge until a quiet room is available so you can maximize quality sleep time.

When I returned to Al Safwa First Lounge at around 3:30 a.m., there was still no quiet room available. This is likely because once guests have reached their 6-hour limit in the quiet room, they can pay to extend their time.

I was told that the next slot would be around 6 a.m. Determined not to miss my slot again, I paid my fee and then slept on the couch you see below for around an hour — until I was told I wasn’t allowed to sleep there.

I was escorted to my third and final couch of the night, which was the comfiest of all. Located in Al Safwa First Lounge’s family area (which was all but empty during my visit), these couches were long enough to stretch out properly and had moveable cushions that could double up as pillows.

Finally, at around 7 a.m., a quiet room became available. I was finally able to get some proper sleep in a bed.

The bed was divinely comfortable and left me feeling surprisingly refreshed even after just 90 minutes of shut-eye snuggled down into it.

Even though my luck wasn’t in, and I didn’t get to spend my entire stay in a quiet room, I’m still glad I did this rather than spending a similar amount or more on a hotel or city airport.

I could have spent a couple more hours of my 6-hour allotted lounge time sleeping in the quiet room, but that would have meant less time to enjoy my second favorite aspect of this lounge: the dining.

The à la carte dining experience at Al Safwa is enough in itself to make paying for entrance worth it . I’ve had breakfast here twice and absolutely loved it both times.

I’m pretty sure that eating in this wonderful first class setting would be far more relaxed than rushing a mediocre hotel breakfast buffet in the city.

My made-to-order egg-white omelet came quickly after I ordered. The addition of melted cheese atop the roasted tomato was a novel quirk that I actually enjoyed.

As for the coffee, I can confirm that the espresso passed my very high standards.

The views from the lounge were great for planespotting . The image below doesn’t do it justice, but at peak hours, this apron gets filled up with Qatar’s varied fleet of long-haul jets.

Rumor has it that a brand-new Al Safwa First Lounge equivalent might be planned for the terminal extension that you can see being built in the distance.

It wasn’t just the ability to sleep in a bed and dine like a king or queen that made this lounge worth visiting.

For starters, you could enjoy a complimentary Jacuzzi bath . You must reserve a time slot, so a relaxing dip isn’t guaranteed for everyone.

Even the bathrooms in the lounge were exquisite and smelled amazing!

An added touch of exclusivity came in the way of the possibility of boarding your flight directly from the lounge.

Unluckily, this wasn’t possible on either of my visits to the lounge.

In addition to the main first class à la carte dining area where I ate breakfast, there was a second dining area in the form of a sushi bar.

This was still closed on my visit, as it appeared to be undergoing some maintenance.

One final note: Nobody kicked me out after my 6 hours were up! I ended up staying a total of around 7.5 hours.

Want to continue the luxury in the air? Read our guide to booking Qatar Airways’ famed Qsuites !

Of all the airport lounges I’ve visited worldwide, Al Safwa First Lounge is undoubtedly my favorite.

It’s definitely worth paying to access the lounge if you’re passing through Doha airport with a long layover.

I’d even go as far as to say I would recommend doing what I did and extending your layover to ensure you experience the lounge properly, as everyone should at least once.

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation  calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

• City Guides
• Four Seasons Preferred Partner (FSPP)
• Belmond Bellini Club
• Rosewood Elite
• Shangri-La Luxury Circle
• Hyatt Privé
• Hilton Impresario
• LATEST OFFERS

REVIEW – Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha

Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge

• Class: First
• Upgraded tickets are not permitted
• Cash fares and outright mileage tickets only
• Departing and length of flight in First
• If arriving in First and continuing in another class, inbound flight must have been 5hours+
• for passengers travelling in Business Class or upgraded First Class tickets
• Time limit of 6 hours (although not strictly enforced)

After touching down into Doha after a very relaxing 14 hour flight from Sydney , we were met at the door of our A380 by a personal assistant.

Having travelled in Qatar F a couple of times before and since, the provision of assistants is a little hit and miss (much like buggy service in Thai First at BKK airport ). On this occasion I thought of it as a welcome surprise and really enjoyed chatting to our PA about her home country of Sri Lanka, during our walk to the lounge, since we were planning a trip there at the time.

Kamara walking with our Al Maha services personal assistant.

Upon reaching the lounge our PA told us to make ourselves comfortable inside and she would deal with the lounge check-in formalities.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – entrance.

We then made our way around the corner and along a very impressive, museum-like hallway filled with artwork.

We avoided the various turnings and made our way down to the central atrium…

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – art.

…stopping to look at some of the ancient pottery on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art on the way.

Often you’ll transfer through a country and feel a certain emptiness, knowing that you weren’t able to leave the airport and explore. This small cultural touch really offset that sense, adding a welcome cultural injection to the transit experience.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha.

Walking into the main atrium of the lounge I was immediately struck by its astonishing scale.

The column of illuminated water falling into an enormous bronze bowl is really quite a sight to behold. The expansive space has been described as sterile by some people and it is not an entirely unfair accusation.

The lounge is so quiet, cavernous and awe inspiring that it doesn’t feel like a space in which to kick back and have fun. If you’re expecting the Virgin Clubhouse you’ll be disappointed. It is however one of the most striking interior spaces I’ve ever spent time in. The calm and tranquility is a world away from the airport terminal below and it does feel quite special to have the opportunity to treat this space as your own. If anything, the atmosphere – whilst undoubtedly serious – also has the benefit of discouraging the types of people who would otherwise run around screaming or having loud conversations on their phones. This kind of space demands respect and decorum from its occupants and during my visit everybody appeared to have developed a tacit understanding of this fact.

Walking beyond the water feature, you come to the bar and restaurant area.

The staff at the bar seemed to know their wines quite well and were very keen conversationalists, always politely chatting with customers.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – wine selection.

The lounge has an absolutely fantastic wine selection, which during my visit included Cuvée Louise, Comtes de Champagne and Krug. As you can see, the spirits were not quite on that level, with Jameson, Jack Daniels, Absolut and Jäger on display.

As we made our way to the dining area we were greeted at the large brass greeting podium and shown to an available table. Just as we sat down, our PA came to hand us our passports and boarding passes. She also wrote our gate numbers on the boarding passes and advised us to leave early as we were due to depart from a bus gate, far away from the lounge. Not the best news but at least it was delivered with ample grace and advance notice.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – breakfast menu.

We were handed menus just after our PA left. I know breakfast can be tough to make luxurious and exciting but I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed with the selection. Maybe I’m so hopelessly millennial that the appearance of avocado toast would have been enough to satisfy me…

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – breakfast.

I ordered a glass of Comtes de Champagne as soon as our menus were handed to us and this was promptly delivered. It wasn’t poured at the table though, which I was surprised by given the extent to which Qatar clearly intends to deliver a true restaurant experience. A small detail, but usually small details don’t elude this airline.

I ordered a double macchiato and was instead brought a large filter coffee. When I raised this with the server he insisted that this was the ‘local style’ of macchiato and that the mistake was all mine . I left the coffee and waited until after the meal to order a macchiato at the bar (which was served in the usual internationally recognised fashion)

I love seeing grilled hollandaise on my Eggs Royale, the browned appearance on the top was reminiscent of my all time favourite breakfast dish at the Conrad Tokyo . Unfortunately the eggs were rock hard and the muffins untoasted, not the best version of this dish I’ve ever had…

After breakfast we went to explore a suitable space to settle down for the next couple of hours.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – booths.

Enclosed booths leading off the main atrium.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – seating.

Bright and open seating areas without much table space or power.

The quietest nook of the lounge. Nothing much going on here.

Actually this was the quietest area, with some really cool looking faded glass partitions and ample table space and power. This is probably the best business centre I’ve ever seen in a lounge. So spacious, quiet and bright.

We ended up settling into this area close to the buffet area and the concierge desk. There were plenty of power sockets here, we were close to snacks and drinks plus there was a decent amount of natural light. If your next flight is in F and departing from one of the far gates, you’ll walk through the doors on the left to the limo that will drive you to your gate.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – buffet.

The second dining area is a lot more relaxed and informal, with the feel of a coffee shop to it.

A selection of made to order salads and sandwiches are available in addition to the buffet items.

After plugging a few of my devices in I went to speak to a member of staff at the concierge desk. I had noticed that none of my outbound flights from over a week earlier had credited to my AA account and had credited to QR instead, despite my AA number being printed on the passes. Unfortunately the first person I spoke to just didn’t have a strong enough grasp of English to understand, she asked me to wait for her colleague to come over.

Twenty minutes later Sebastian greeted me and quickly explained that I would need to fly before being credited miles. I explained that I had already completed these segments and had already been credited the wrong kind of miles, I just needed this to be reversed so that they could credit to my AA account. At this point Sebastian was actually very helpful; he spent a really long time on hold and finally got through to a back office team. It seemed that they were also struggling to understand what was going on, as at one point he had to loudly explain, “of course I didn’t just print a boarding pass for the past. The customer has already flown and his pass shows the AA number” . Despite trying very hard Sebastian got absolutely nowhere and suggested that I should just email customer services when I got home. Generally airport staff are more empowered than those in the call centres but it seems like at Qatar this is not the case.

I ultimately ended up having to intermediate an email exchange between AA and QR, first getting the Q Miles returned and then waiting an additional 4 weeks for the AA miles to be credited (during which time Qatar still asked for photo proof of my flights, despite having credited me miles for them in the past).

Anyway. Back to the lounge.

I asked about availability of bedrooms during my visit but was told that they were all fully booked. Given the low cash price to enter this lounge, if you have an overnight layover it can make a lot of sense to just come here rather than paying for the airside Doha Airport Hotel , but be mindful of the fact that you may find yourself without a room.

If you have kids you are extremely well catered to (which explains the quiet in the main lounge areas).

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – family area.

The Family Area has its own separate dining facility, featuring a variety of made to order dishes as well as buffet items.

Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge – Doha – nanny area.

If you roll with a full entourage there’s even a separate nanny room! First time I’ve ever seen that in a lounge.

The physical space is stunning, as is the list of available champagnes. In fact the champagne list is the best of any airport lounge in the world . The Flyertalk thread dedicated to Al Safwa even chronicles a brief period during which they served Krug Clos du Mesnil 2003 here, a very exclusive bottle that retails at over £900. Even the famed Emirates wine program doesn’t offer wines of this level on board or in the lounges.

However, the food is rather basic both in terms of presentation and in terms of ingredient quality.

The staff are affable and genuinely attempt to be helpful but sometimes this can result in them being a little misguided or even overbearing.

When we first sat down in the lounge, a server came over to introduce himself and asked if he could help to arrange our bags. We were still settling down and moving things around so I said I was happy to leave things be for now. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding but he continued to touch our things and in the process dropped my camera on the floor. Now mistakes happen, I get that. However when somebody tells you not to touch their stuff, there’s probably a reason.

Later when we ordered drinks from the seats near the buffet, that server mentioned that we would have a car transfer to our next flight as this was offered to all First Class passengers. I’d not heard of this before but took him on his word and only headed to the desk to enquire about a transfer at around 40 mins to departure, just when the flight status turned to boarding.

It turns out that this service isn’t offered to passengers flying to a destination only served by a Business cabin, as we were, even if they’ve just come off a 15 hour flight in First . Instead this service is offered to passengers with an onward flight in F, which means a limited few A380 destinations… or pretty much all short haul flights since Qatar refers to short haul Business as First Class. If the rule is too complex for the lounge staff to fully understand then customers are ultimately going to become frustrated. As we were.

In the end we were told that no exceptions could be made, even when a lounge agent was to blame. We would just have to run to our next gate. I don’t think I’ve ever run as fast in my life.

Not the best way to end our visit but kind of the perfect metaphor for the lounge as a whole. A slightly impersonal and incomplete experience, despite the undeniable wow factor . If Qatar improved the food and delivered consistent ground service like Air France or Lufthansa do, this lounge would be the best in the world. This is speaking from the perspective of a passenger in First Class, as a Business Class passenger however the value provided by a 250QAR up-charge is exceptional and I would gladly pay it in a heartbeat.

JarvisMarcos

Related posts.

REVIEW – Park Hyatt Kyoto

REVIEW – Mandarin Oriental Santiago

Belmond VSOE - Grand Suite Budapest

REVIEW – Belmond VSOE (Orient Express)

SH Vega - Charlotte Bay

REVIEW – Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Qatar Airways Business Class Passengers Reportedly Able to Purchase First Class Lounge Access

Qatar Airways operates what is often considered one of the top first class lounges in the world. The Al Safwa First Class Lounge at the airline's main hub in Doha opened in 2014 along with Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH). As TPG's JT Genter put it in his review of the lounge , the new airport coupled with Qatar Airway's phenomenal first class product "established itself as one of the most luxurious airport experiences in the world." However, the Al Safwa Lounge also features one of the most restrictive access policies of any lounge .

On the contrary, Qatar's far less luxurious Al Mourjan Business Lounge at DOH is frequently overcrowded due to its less restrictive access policy, which has reportedly lead to cutbacks in amenities. However, a few weeks ago, multiple reports confirmed that Qatar Airways had come up with a rather unique way of alleviating overcrowding at the Al Mourjan Business Lounge: Qatar Airways began selling access to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge to Business Class passengers.

Details of Qatar Airways's new Al Safwa buy-up option are still extremely limited. Initially, most reports stated that to upgrade to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge, travelers had to be traveling on paid Business Class tickets. That meant that both passengers who had upgraded from economy and those passengers traveling on award tickets could not access the Al Safwa Lounge.

Obviously, this news came as a big letdown to many points and miles enthusiasts. Qatar Airways's Business Class product is a very popular award redemption that many travelers aspire to reach. Thanks to Qatar Airways' status as a Oneworld alliance partner, booking an award ticket on Qatar Airways can typically be done with ease through Oneworld partner American Airlines.

Luckily, weeks after Qatar Airways began selling Al Safwa Lounge access, reports from other travel blogs including One Mile At A Time claim that even those traveling on award tickets can buy-up to Qatar's ultra-luxe First Class Lounge in Doha. Here are the details:

To access the Al Safwa First Class Lounge when traveling in a lower class of service:

• Travelers must be booked in Business Class. It appears that economy class passengers are still excluded from any buy-up lounge access deal.
• Travelers must present a Business Class boarding pass, even if they have managed to upgrade to Business Class from economy.
• Eligible Business Class tickets include paid tickets and award tickets as well. This includes partner award tickets.
• Availability may vary . Since details are unavailable to the public, it's assumed that Qatar Airways is selling access to the Al Safwa Lounge based on the capacity of its First Class Lounge. If the First Class Lounge is unusually busy, it's very likely that the option to upgrade lounge access will be unavailable.
• The price to upgrade from the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge to the Al Safwa First Class Lounge appears to run anywhere from $69 USD (250QAR) to $99 USD (350QAR) . One Mile At A Time has reported that $69 is the standard price to upgrade.

To reiterate a point made throughout this post, the option to upgrade lounge access is not a stated service found anywhere on Qatar Airways' website. This means that travelers will experience varying degrees of success when attempting to upgrade their lounge access. However, even if the option to purchase Al Safwa First Class Lounge access isn't immediately offered when you check into the Al Mourjan Lounge, be sure to ask.

As mentioned, the Al Safwa Lounge is one of the most luxurious first class lounges in the world and the amenities offered to guests are truly jaw-dropping. From $150 bottle of champagne to private bedrooms, the Al Safwa First Class Lounge should be at the top of every frequent flyer's bucket list. Now, thanks to Qatar Airways's new buy-up option, it's much easier to cross this lounge off that bucket list.

Have you traveled through Doha on a Business Class ticket and been offered access to the Al Safwa Lounge? Let us know in the comments.

H/T: One Mile At A Time

Al Safwa First Lounge Review

• Posted April 4, 2022
• by Alex Hermann

Gaining access

I flew Qatar’s business class product, Qsuites, from San Francisco to Doha on our way to Male, which gave me access to the highly rated and very popular Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hammad International Airport in Doha. However, a little known travel hack is that business class passengers can often buy access to the more exclusive Al Safwa First lounge, which is exactly what we did for this flight. 

I called Qatar before our flight to purchase access, which they took payment for over the phone and added the lounge access to our reservation. For 6 hours in the lounge, it cost about $150USD per person. That might seem like a ridiculous thing to pay for since we already had access to the business class lounge, but I think it was totally worth it. Here’s why:

A less crowded experience

Many travelers love the Al Mourjan business class lounge, but almost every reviewer comments on how crowded and busy it gets during peak travel times at Doha. Since Qatar doesn’t actually operate many routes with a First Class cabin, the Al Safwa First lounge naturally has less people. 

Private rooms

In the Al Safwa First lounge, guests can reserve a private room for storing belongings and resting during a layover. There is also an en suite bathroom stocked with Diptyque amenities. A big plus in my book!

Elevated dining

There are two restaurants in the First Class Lounge, the main restaurant and a sushi restaurant. As is typical with First Class, the food and beverage selection is a step above the offerings in a business class lounge. For example, the champagne was a $150USD bottle of 2006 Piper-Heidsieck.

My experience

We reserved our private room as soon as we arrived since there is a limited number, and they definitely filled up as the day went on. They are actually located in the spa area of the lounge where treatments are available for an additional charge. I didn’t end up getting a treatment, but I toured the facilities and it was very peaceful.

Since we had an 8 hour layover, we ate twice at the main restaurant. Once when we arrived and another time just before our next flight to Malé. The design of the main restaurant was stunning… I kept commenting on how easy it was to forget I was in an airport. The service was attentive and very friendly, but the food left something to be desired. Nothing I ate was bad but it wasn’t amazing either. I was really surprised at how disappointing the food quality was both on our flight and in the lounge.

The lounge offered a ridiculous amount of amenities… there were all the typical things you’d expect like various seating areas, workstations and a restaurant. But there were also incredible features like water installations, fine art, a spa, dedicated family area, duty free shopping area and of course, the private rooms.

Ground Service

Unfortunately, there isn’t any ground service offered to First Class passengers or those using the lounge. We did find the signage at this airport very easy to follow though.

Considerations

I would absolutely recommend paying for access to Al Safwa if you’re traveling in business class and have a long layover in Doha. The lounge is stunning and there are a lot of amenities to make passengers comfortable. Improving the food quality and offering ground transportation could make it a more competitive lounge. It’s definitely one of the top first class lounges in the world, but I’m not convinced it’s the best. I would rank Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal above the Al Safwa First Lounge.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if your purchase through my link. This does not cost extra for you, and helps keep this blog running! You can read my full privacy policy here.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Latest Posts

Review: akelarre hotel in san sebastian, spain, review: six senses douro valley, review: intercontinental porto.

• Review: Air France Business Class 777-300ER (SFO-CDG)
• VIP Lounge Los Cabos International Airport review

you might like these too

Subscribe for Updates

• ©2024 Planely Alex
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Site Design by Georgia G. Kaye

All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Planely Alex with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.