| Opening hours | 24 hours |
| Time of visit | 6am |
| Date of visit | June 2022 |
| Occupancy | ~30% |
| Location | Airside, level 3 |
| Entry type | Free with Qatar Airways First Class boarding pass |
How to access this lounge
I visited this lounge before my Qatar Airways First Class flight from Doha to Paris, after arriving from Singapore.
Related: Award Space Alert: Qatar Airways A380 First Class from Sep 2022
Passengers flying in Qatar Airways First Class can access this exclusive lounge upon arrival or before departure.
Qatar Airways Platinum members can also access this lounge, but only when travelling in Business Class.
Other passengers flying in Qatar Airways Business Class may also purchase access to this lounge for QAR 600 (US$165).
The lounge
Getting there
Like Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Al Safwa First Lounge is located just off the main concourse of Doha’s Hamad International Airport (yes, the one with a yellow teddy bear) and you will find clear signage leading to long escalators to a higher floor.
General areas
The lounge is massive! I’m sure that I have been in airport terminals smaller than this. As a minimalist myself, I truly appreciated the understated design and architecture of the lounge.
As it was my first time there, I took some time to explore different areas of the lounge and enjoy the ancient artworks/artifacts that were on display.
Family area
Spa and wellness
The spa area houses nap rooms and showers that are free to use and can be booked in-person. I was told that there are a total of 12 nap rooms. 4 of them have 2 beds and 8 of them for single-occupancy.
Visitors can also pay for spa treatments and a 30-minute massage starts at QAR 350 (US$96).
Dining
Visitors can dine at the restaurant which offers breakfast from 5am to 10.30am and Lunch and Dinner from 11am to 4.30am.
The food options did not include typical “luxurious” dishes involving caviar, lobster or truffle but presentation and taste was very good!
Here’s the dining menu at Al Safwa First Lounge:
al-safwa-dining-en-compressed
WiFi speed
The WiFi speed was fantastic during my visit.
Top complimentary amenities
- WiFi
- Drinks (including alcoholic)
- Hot food
- Shower
- Computers
- Nap rooms
My ratings
| Food | 9/10 |
| Peace & quiet | 10/10 |
| Furnishing | 10/10 |
| Privacy | 10/10 |
| Cleanliness | 10/10 |
| Service | 10/10 |
| Facilities | 10/10 |
Bottom line
It was a short but enjoyable visit to the (somewhat) exclusive Al Safwa First Lounge. I loved the minimalist design language, the sheer space and facilities available to visitors.
However, I feel that the culinary experience could be improved to make visits more memorable. Add a couple of complimentary short-duration spa services and we may be looking at calling this the best First Class lounge in the world!
Is it true that passengers arriving in First class have access to AL Safwa lounge? Even if they are connecting onto a Business class flight?
You should be able to access Al Safwa Lounge upon arriving in First Class, before departing in Business Class.
You “catched” my wife and my daughter as well as a small part of my leg (hahaha) on picture number nine 😉
Hi Andreas, haha what a small world!
Hi Fai,
Indeed it is 🙂
And I will be there again this weekend …..