Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

EXCLUSIVE: I get a ‘hard hat’ tour of the NEW Qatar Airways Al Mourjan lounge in Doha

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

Many Head for Points readers will have visited the Al Mourjan business class lounge at Doha’s Hamad Airport at some point. Here’s our last Al Mourjan review from 2022.

It is an impressive facility – I once had Krug with my breakfast on a visit there which isn’t something you get in a British Airways business class lounge (and to be fair isn’t something you’ll get in Doha now either!) – but overcrowding has become an issue at peak times.

Last week I was one of the first outsiders to see the BRAND NEW Al Mourjan business class lounge being built above ‘The Orchard’. It should be stunning.

Let me spoil your fun upfront. In order to see the new lounge I had to agree not to take any photographs and not to reveal certain elements about what it contains. This means that, frankly, this article won’t tell you much!

The only way I can even prove I was there is with this photograph:

The Orchard Doha Hamad airport

…. which is taken from the lounge looking down into ‘The Orchard’.

Let me tell you what I can tell you.

There are two elements in this lounge which will be a world first. One of them genuinely stunned me. Two of the biggest brands in the world will be opening ‘brand extensions’ here.

When I say ‘world first’ I don’t mean ‘first in an airport lounge’. I mean that the airport has persuaded two huge brands to do something totally different for the first time anywhere.

I can’t say any more. However, I can say without a doubt that some people – admittedly probably not HfP readers – will rearrange their travel plans purely to travel through Hamad in order to visit one or both of these facilities. Interestingly, neither will be free – in fact, the total opposite. Deep pockets will be required.

I fully expect that many people will stop using the Al Safwa First Class lounge and move to the new Al Mourjan lounge purely to try out these two facilities.

The Orchard Doha Airport

The new Al Mourjan lounge is huge

‘The Orchard’ is basically a big circular space with the gardens in the centre and luxury shopping – probably the world’s biggest collection of luxury duty free boutiques – around the outside. Even the cafes are branded – I passed a Fendi bar and a stand-alone Ralph Lauren coffee outlet.

It opened in November 2022. There is a 60,000 square foot rainforest-like atrium. It claims to have 300 trees and 25,000 plants, with some trees reaching 50 feet high, and a large water feature.

As you can see above, it has elements of the ‘Jewel’ garden and fountain unveiled at Singapore’s Changi Airport a few years ago.

The lounge will sit one level higher, a bit like the First Class and Business Class lounges that Emirates runs in Dubai. You are basically sitting on a huge balcony which covers around 1/3rd of the perimeter of ‘The Orchard’.

Capacity will apparently be around 1,000 people. For comparison, the current Al Mourjan lounge – which remains open – apparently holds 800. I saw a report elsewhere that this will be the biggest Business Class lounge in the world, although to be fair it doesn’t look it. That said, because you’re on a balcony with the roof far above you and the garden and boutiques down below, I understand how it can feel smaller than it actually is.

It’s great for transfer passengers, but not for Doha travellers

If you’ve never been to Hamad then you won’t understand how large it is. Even before this new extension, it was the largest free standing building in the world. There is an internal monorail to ferry passengers around.

Many, but not all, transfer passengers will find themselves funnelled into the departures area via ‘The Orchard’, which makes sense as it is a lovely space.

If you are starting your journey in Doha, however, it is a l-o-n-g way away from check-in. You would need to take the monorail to get to it. However, the existing Al Mourjan lounge will be massively quieter once the new lounge opens so – if you’re not in shopping mode – you may well prefer to stick with that.

When does the new Al Mourjan lounge open?

It was largely complete when I was there last week although I don’t know what may need finishing behind the scenes. Much of the furniture was already in place, for example, and about half of the gym equipment was installed.

Let’s just say that Ramadan runs from 22nd March to 21st April and its unlikely you would see a formal opening during that period. I don’t know if there will be a soft opening before the official one.

The entry rules will, I believe, be the same as the current Al Mourjan lounge – ticketed Business and First Class passengers only, excluding ‘Business Light’ cash tickets and anyone who has upgraded an Economy ticket with Avios. Avios redemptions in Business Class can get in.

oneworld status members in Economy will not get in and need to use the new oneworld lounges, which I will be reviewing soon.

There will be more news from Hamad, and a competition, on HfP next week.

Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.

Category

Qatar Airways and Privilege Club

Comments (117)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Jon says:
    15 Feb15 February 05:33

    Disneyland Hamad Airport?
    Coca-Cola Dental Repair Clinic?
    Boeing flight simulators / Airbus lawsuit simulators?

    • aseftel says:
      15 Feb15 February 07:46

      Well it has to be at the intersection of Qatari, brand with fans, unprecedented and low relevance to HfP.

      On that basis, I think it will be some sort of studio where, for a reasonable fee, you can make a TikTok collaboration with a rotating selection of Paris Saint Germain players.

      My main concern is that perhaps the Qataris have moved on from football now that the WC is done.

    • memesweeper says:
      15 Feb15 February 08:26

      A brand that could draw people in it’s own right, and has little relevance to HfP? +1 for a Disney (or spinoff, like StarWars) type experience.

  • BJ says:
    15 Feb15 February 06:08

    “the existing Al Mourjan lounge will be massively quieter once the new lounge opens so – if you’re not in shopping mode – you may well prefer to stick with that.”

    After gushing about the new lounge for paragraphs this single statement seems to suggest it may be no more, or not much more special than the existing lounge? Anyway, I much prefer smooth and quick connections but in event I do find myself with an hour to spare, the quiet peaceful option is preferable to me.

    Are both lounges going to be called Al Mourjan?

    • Rob says:
      15 Feb15 February 06:40

      Both called Al Mourjan, yes.

      Obviously without telling you what these exclusive new features are, I can’t advise you whether you’d want to take a train for possibly half a mile to go there ….

      • BJ says:
        15 Feb15 February 07:14

        Anything between arrival gate and departure gates work fine for me, long detours do not unless it’s a long layover which I try to avoid. So I guess the circumstances of connection will determine if I ever get to see/experience it. The original lounge was interesting in that the first time I got in was soon after opening, it just felt like an extension of the terminal as opposed to a lounge and I was undecided if I liked that. My second visit was then last year and the experience was completely transformed, it just felt like an overcrowded business lounge so the new 1000 seat lounge is definitely welcome to reduce crowding alone.

  • Hilda M says:
    15 Feb15 February 06:43

    Will be heading for an early breakfast at the Al Mourjan lounge tomorrow- where is The Orchard in relation to there ?

    • Hilda M says:
      15 Feb15 February 06:44

      Just seen your reply above – so it’s a train ride away …

      • Rob says:
        15 Feb15 February 07:09

        If you start in Doha, yes. If you are in transit you come out in The Orchard.

        • BJ says:
          15 Feb15 February 07:20

          So you’re saying ALL transit passengers now connect via The Orchard and tgereforecthe new lounge is conveniently accessible to those with entry rights?

          • Daftboy says:
            15 Feb15 February 07:34

            Recent visits (November and January) still have transfer security where it always has been, near existing Al Mourjan lounge and opposite end to the Orchard – it is a pretty quick trip on the internal train though

            Would be pleased to hear another transfer security has opened by the Orchard, if that is indeed the case…(and of course not all arriving pax need to re-clear, albeit I think that has an element of randomness)

          • Rob says:
            15 Feb15 February 07:41

            That’s what I was told by Qatar staff, and Sinead confirmed when she came back from the Maldives recently that they popped out there.

          • HM says:
            15 Feb15 February 07:53

            Arrived at C gates (near the Orchard) on Sunday morning – can confirm there is now an entirely new transfer security in the extension (much better than the old one I went through in November); once you clear security you take a lift/escalator which drops you down to the shopping perimeter of the Orchard.

            New transfer security is quite slick, but does require a winding dog-legging walk from the gates and has an annoying system where you have to scan your boarding pass for each tray that you put through the scanner…

    • Rob says:
      15 Feb15 February 06:44

      The run of gates where the monorail operates ….. it’s built on the end.

  • Chris W says:
    15 Feb15 February 07:15

    It looks like a cheap copy of Changis The Jewel

  • Paul says:
    15 Feb15 February 08:06

    Maybe transfer point depends on which gate is used by the incoming aircraft? I transited on Saturday and came out by the bear, opposite end to the Orchard (which I did pop down to see).

    • Tom says:
      15 Feb15 February 10:18

      There is clearly no way all transfers are now going through the new security – why would you send a full A380 arriving at A1 / B1 right next to the old transfer security instead on a 20 minute plus walk out to the far end of C gates (unless they’ve built a secret second underground monorail you can take…)? I assume what’s actually happening is arrivals to most of the C gates (including the old D/E gates) are now being funneled there plus probably some bus stands.

  • HM says:
    15 Feb15 February 08:08

    Rob, it might also be worth mentioning that there are already two Al Mourjans open: ‘Al Mourjan – South’ (the original AM up the big escalators near the teddy bear); and ‘Al Mourjan – North’ (opened in November, near C gates, overlooking the beady gold cosmos sculpture). Both lounges were very crowded when I visited on Sunday (at around 0500-0800).

    I also vaguely remember seeing unlit signage for the new lounge, ‘Al Mourjan – Garden’, but this name may well change…

    • Paul says:
      15 Feb15 February 08:22

      How does one get to Al Mourjan North? On Sat I was properly confused since all up escalators and lifts round that signage were roped up. Then I read this article and thought aha it makes sense that’s the new lounge not open yet. But now I’m confused again 😀 And why are they all called Al Mourjan?

      • Chabuddy Geezy says:
        15 Feb15 February 08:27

        The entrance is near to the Monorail. Its quite basic inside compared to the original Al Mourjan, which makes me think they will turn it into a frequent flyer lounge when Al Mourjan Orchard opens or it will be an overflow area of Al Mourjan Orchard.

      • Rob says:
        15 Feb15 February 08:38

        There is a temporary Al Mourjan lounge near The Orchard at present.

    • Rob says:
      15 Feb15 February 08:39

      North is temporary and will close / be downgraded. The new one is ‘The Garden’.

      • HM says:
        15 Feb15 February 08:58

        Good to know, Rob – thanks. I had thought AM North looked a bit underwhelming…

      • Tom says:
        15 Feb15 February 10:20

        Makes a lot of sense since the Al Mourjan North interiors don’t look anywhere near the same quality as the original Al Mourjan. Excited to see if Al Mourjan Garden uses some of the design from the Premium Lounges which are some of the best lounges anywhere and nicer places to spend time than Al Mourjan South to me.

      • babyg says:
        15 Feb15 February 11:37

        I fly on Saturday via Doha, and am guessing the Garden wont be open then, but my return flight is 3 weeks later March 11… wonder if the garden will be open by then? (hot/cold answer sufficient)

        • Rob says:
          15 Feb15 February 11:58

          No, unless they do a soft opening before the big event.

          • babyg says:
            15 Feb15 February 12:20

            thats a big COLD then… i shall plan to use the swimming pool on my return instead of looking to see if the garden is open .. cheers

  • iHK says:
    15 Feb15 February 08:14

    “I can’t say any more”
    “and about half of the gym equipment was installed”
    Slip of the tongue?

    • Andrew J says:
      15 Feb15 February 08:37

      That wouldn’t be a “world first” or even and “airport first” or indeed something you would expect to pay extra for with “deep pockets”. So no, that’s not it.

  • VALittleRed says:
    15 Feb15 February 08:25

    Well least this will ease capacity on Business Lounges with two Al Mourjan lounges open, can only be a good thing they’re increasing space.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Got any questions? Ask them in our forums.

Latest Forum Posts

Get 40,000 bonus points (worth 40,000 Avios) and £300 dining credit with The Platinum Card

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Get £10 when you spend £150 on your free Currensea card

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.7 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

SME? SPECIAL OFFER TO 12TH MAY EARN POINTS WORTH 30,000 AVIOS WITH CAPITAL ON TAP

Get 20,000 bonus points, four airport lounge passes and your first year free with American Express Gold

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.

Got it!