Inside Qatar Airways’ Lavish New The Garden Lounge At Doha Airport

In mid-2023, Qatar Airways opened its vast new Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International Airport (HIA) named ‘The Garden’. The lounge overlooks ‘The ORCHARD’, which is the central garden in the north extension of the airport surrounded by retailers and restaurants.

How to find the lounge

If you arrive in the central hub of Doha near the original Al Mourjan South lounge, you need to follow the signs for gates C, D and E gates. You can either walk or take the train for one stop. The North area has a prominent central area with a ceiling sculpture, and you will find signs for the lounge by the signs towards the C gates.

Who can use the lounge?

The lounge is open to business class and first class passengers except for Qatar Airways business class passengers who upgraded or are travelling on lite fares. You can’t enter either Al Mourjan Lounge with Oneworld elite status, but there are other lounges provided for frequent flyers. The lounge is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The lounge and its facilities

What hits you first is the sheer scale of the lounge, with two separate sides stretching over an area of 7,390 square meters and which can accommodate up to 707 passengers. There are plenty of areas to sit in a comfortable seat on both sides of the lounge, which has an air of calm due to all the open space.

The West Wing is more about relaxation and refreshment and tends to be the quieter of the two areas. Here, you can find 24 quiet spaces, each designed to offer relaxation, which are available free of charge for the first six hours. Most rooms offer two lounger-type chairs, mineral water, a desk/dressing table with a stool, and a fridge. There are also single rooms. Also nearby are the shower facilities, which have good ventilation and come stocked with Dipytique toiletries.

If you want to enjoy the Orchard Garden, the lounge runs alongside it with plentiful seats giving a ringside view of the foliage and water features, perfect for chilling out after a long journey. The central water feature of the West Wing also adds to the tranquil feel of this area, stretching done the center of the lounge.

For further relaxation, the lounge will have a full-service Dior spa with a relaxation area and a fitness studio with treadmills and elliptical Exercise bikes. There will also be a Qatar Airways salon with pedicure & manicure stations and neck and shoulder massage chairs.

If you are travelling with children, they will be well catered for with a children’s room, family rooms and for older kids of all ages there is also a games room. This contains sofas, table football, TVs and a snooker table. Finally, there is even a nursery for infants.

Food and drink

When you are feeling slightly peckish or want a full-blown meal, there are plenty of choices for most palates in the lounge. The East Wing features the main dining areas, where passengers can select food from hot and cold buffets, as well as sushi & salad, coffee & patisserie, and cocktail & bistro bar offerings, together with à la carte dining. Table service is offered as well.

If you just want to grab a quick bite from the buffet, you can expect a variety of international and local cuisine, including soups, salads, appetisers and entrees. Examples include pea and cheese ravioli, kibbeh, stir-fried noodles with shrimp, beef with broccoli and creamy mash. You will also find bakery, cake and dessert selections.

Elsewhere, there is a deli counter where you can get fresh salads and sandwiches made with your choice of ingredients, as well as a selection of tempting-looking fresh sushi. Made-to-order breakfast and poke bowls are also available if you want to keep things healthy. If you are feeling more indulgent, there is even a Gelato and ice cream station.

You also don’t need to worry about whether the lounge serves alcohol. There is a full bar with Champagne, wine, spirits, beer, cocktails and mocktails. If you wish, you can sit at the bar and treat yourself to some nibbles and appetisers to go with your beverage. You can also get drinks service with your meal or use one of the beverage stations in both wings of the lounge.

The West Wing offers a small selection of food with its Coffee and Patisserie Bar providing fresh fruit, juices and smoothies, a selection of pastries, made to order sandwiches and barista prepared hot and cold beverages.

If all of those options are not enough or you fancy treating yourself to some fine dining, you can also enter the Louis Vuitton cafe from The Garden Lounge. This beautiful cafe comes at an additional charge but serves some very indulgent dishes such as caviar, sushi, langoustine carpaccio and lobster caesar salad. They also do several set menus such as the lunch menu with two or three courses or the full tasting menu which includes caviar.

So if you are in Doha airport and have enough time, it is well worth making the effort to visit Qatar Airways’ newest business class lounge.