Review: Al Safwa First Lounge Doha Airport

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Opening hours24 hours
Time of visit6am
Date of visitJune 2022
Occupancy~30%
LocationAirside, level 3
Entry typeFree 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).

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The lounge

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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.

Main concourse of Hamad International Airport
Escalator to Al Safwa First Lounge
Check-in area of Al Safwa First Lounge

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.

Walkway to other parts of the lounge
Walkway to other parts of the lounge (reversed angle)
Ancient artwork
Ancient artwork
Ancient artifacts
Main area of the lounge, leading to the dining area
Main area of the lounge (reversed angle)
Private seats
Lounging area
USB and universal power ports
Wireless charger built into the table

Family area

Kids play room
Game room
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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).

Spa
Nap room
Bathroom in the naproom
Main restroom
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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!

A section of the restaurant
Bar
My breakfast

Here’s the dining menu at Al Safwa First Lounge:

al-safwa-dining-en-compressed

Snack area
View from the snack area

WiFi speed

The WiFi speed was fantastic during my visit.

WiFi speed at Al Safwa First Lounge
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Top complimentary amenities

  • WiFi
  • Drinks (including alcoholic)
  • Hot food
  • Shower
  • Computers
  • Nap rooms

My ratings

Food9/10
Peace & quiet10/10
Furnishing10/10
Privacy10/10
Cleanliness10/10
Service10/10
Facilities10/10

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!

5 thoughts on “Review: Al Safwa First Lounge Doha Airport”

  1. 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?

    Reply

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