The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden and the Al Mourjan Business Lounge South at Doha Hamad International Airport are the best business class airport lounges in the world. There isn’t any other airport lounge in the world that comes close to the level of luxury and decadence at a business class level.
The Garden is the newer of the two Al Mourjan lounges, only opened in 2023, and looks out over the ORCHARD – a private indoor tropical garden located at the northern end of the terminal building. Providing exclusive sanctuary for just 707 Qatar Business Class passengers, the 80,000 sq ft lounge is a must visit if you have access and are passing through or departing from Doha.
I wanted the full Qatar Airways experience at Doha, so I stopped over for a night before continuing onwards to Frankfurt. I was flying Qsuite, so I had access to both the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge and the Al Mourjan Business Lounge South at Doha Hamad upon departure.
In my opinion, The Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge is even better than the Business Lounge South.
This is Forward of the Wing’s review of the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge, at the northern end of Doha Hamad International Airport.
Early Check In at Doha Hamad
If you are travelling Business or First Class with Qatar Airways (including Qsuite), you have a dedicated check in area at Doha Hamad International Airport, with incredibly attentive pre-flight service throughout. There is also a dedicated security and immigration lane, which was completely empty on my departure.
To make the most of both the Al Mourjan Lounge The Garden and the Al Mourjan Business Lounge South, business class passengers can check in early. Some people have said you can check in as early as 12 hours ahead, same day is also good rule of thumb. I opted to get to the airport around 4 hours early which was completely fine, so I had time to explore both the Al Mourjan South and Al Mourjan The Garden lounges. If transiting Doha, it is well worth looking to see if there is a long layover option of 4-5 hours when booking, or taking advantage of the heavily discounted Qatar Airways’ Discover Qatar program for cheap hotel deals for an overnight or multi-day stopover.
Location of the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge, Doha
If you are departing from Doha, once through Business Class immigration and security, take the escalator down to the main departures hall (with the giant teddy bear). Walk straight past, and you will see a sign for the Automated People Mover. Go up the escalator and wait for the next departure. The Automated People Mover will transport you to the northern end of the terminal, a 500m trip, in just 90 seconds.
Head down the escalators at the arrival point, and keep heading straight in the same direction. You will see the lifts up to the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge (with staff in front) before you reach the ORCHARD.
If you are transiting at Doha, follow the signs for International Transfers and go through Transit Security. Once on the departures level, the elevator location is in the middle of the C, D and E Gates. Otherwise follow signs for the ORCHARD.
Opening Hours of the Al Mourjan Lounge, Doha
As one of two flagship airport lounges for Qatar Airways Business Class passengers at their Doha Hamad home hub, the Al Mourjan The Garden lounge is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Peak connection times at Doha Hamad are between 5:30pm and 7:30pm, 11pm and 1am, and 5:30am and 7:30am, so the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge is busiest then, and is generally fairly quiet during the day.
On my visit in the early afternoon, the lounge was very quiet with just a couple of large family groups. There was plenty of seating, and I am pretty sure the number of staff outweighed the number of passengers, ensuring service was attentive and top-notch.
Inside the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge, Doha
The Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge Doha is massive, and the sheer scale really hits you as you exit the elevator.
The lounge is split into two wings. On the left, a relaxation area with staffed bar, water reflection pond, the gym, showers, toilets, the Qspa and the Dior Spa. On the right, the main dining area, with a wide selection of buffet and á la carte options, attentive table service, a sushi bar, a kids area and more seating areas to relax in, all overlooking the green ORCHARD garden.
Additionally, right in front of the entrance, is a Louis Vuitton Café, only for Al Mourjan-eligible passengers.
There really is so much seating in this lounge, perfect for all types of travellers, whether travelling solo, as a couple or in a large group.
Main Relaxation Area (to the left of the entrance)
To the left of the entrance is the main lounging area, surrounding a long reflection pool, similar in design to the main Al Mourjan Business Lounge South. Seating is clustered into dual armchair arrangements for couples, groups of four armchairs for families and groups, single armchairs with semi-open partitions, and counter seating, perfect for some focus work time, in this large open-plan area. There are side tables, coffee tables and powerpoints thoughtfully placed throughout. The contrast between the marble, dark wood, tan leather and greenery of the ORCHARD is refined and luxurious.
The gym, showers, QSpa and toilets are located right next to the entrance to the lounge on the left, down a corridor away from lounge seating.
There is also a staffed bar towards the back of the lounge, and a sushi bar at the entrance end, so you really don’t need to walk far in this lounge to get a drink, or grab a light snack.
Dining Room (to the right of the entrance)
The main dining area is located to the right of the entrance, and features dining table pairs, couches with coffee tables and armchair seating to take advantage of the ORCHARD views.
The buffet area is located here, with table service for drinks and á la carte food options. A Diptyque refreshment towel was served at my table too, which I thought was a nice touch.
Nap Rooms
The Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge features 24 hidden nap rooms (18 single, 6 double) which are more private and smaller than those at the Al Mourjan South Lounge. They are actual rooms, compared to the Al Mourjan South version, which are just chaise loungers and mid-height partitions. The Al Mourjan The Garden lounge nap rooms feature a chaise lounger with a side table, a wardrobe with hangers, a mini fridge and a plastic-wrapped blanket. The nap rooms are open 24 hours a day, with passengers restricted to a maximum of six hours. A great spot for a couple hours of rest and relaxation between flights.
Gym
In case you have a long layover through Doha and have enough space in your carry on for your gym gear, the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge features an incredibly luxurious (but simple) gym for passenger use. The gym space features top-end, Technogym equipment, including two treadmills, a cross-trainer, a stationary bike, an adjustable incline bench with dumbbells, a Swiss ball and foam rollers. There is also a TV and departure board located within the gym which is handy. I don’t know how much use this area gets, but if I was between flights, going for a run does sound like a great idea to stretch the legs.
Dior Spa and QSpa
The Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge also features two spa areas within the lounge. Note, both offer paid treatments, with the QSpa priced similarly to treatments in Western countries, and the Dior Spa a step up on that. As such, the Dior Spa is only open by appointment only. The Dior Spa also offers a barber service, including shaves and a men’s facial, on top of regular facial and massage treatments. Because spa treatments in both areas aren’t cheap, they were both completely empty on my visit to the Al Mourjan Garden Lounge.
The Dior Spa is located at the far end of the main relaxation area, and the QSpa is located at the entrance end of this area, next to the gym. The Dior Spa uses Dior skincare and Sauvage skincare for male treatments.
You can see the QSpa menu here, and the Dior Spa menu here. Massages start from 120 QAR and facials start from 585 QAR. It’s not exactly cheap, and I don’t overly see the appeal of charging for treatments when you’ve shelled out thousands for QSuite flights, but it’s available for travellers seeking some R&R between flights.
Kids Room
Next to the lounge entrance on the right hand side is the kids room, with a selection of video games, beanbags, a foosball table and a pool table to keep the kids entertained. I would say it is a little baren, but it is hard to know how often this area gets used as I was travelling off-peak during the day and it was empty at the time.
If you are travelling with kids through Doha, I would recommend heading to the Al Mourjan South Lounge instead, as there are two kids’ rooms there as well as a family area with private spaces for groups, tucked away from the main lounge area.
Showers
Adjacent to the spa and gym, within the lounge, are individual shower suites, separated by gender. Each shower suite features a rain shower and hand shower, Diptyque amenities, fluffy towels, a hair dryer and the option of several other amenity kits including shaving kits and dental kits. This will be one of the best showers of your life, especially if you are connecting from one of Qatar Airways’ ultra-long-haul routes such as Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne.
Every shower suite is cleaned and refreshed between uses with fresh towels and amenities, which is another example of Qatar Airways’ out-of-this-world service.
Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge vs. Al Mourjan South Lounge at Doha
Compared to the Al Mourjan South, the Al Mourjan Lounge Garden is smaller, and there is definitely a focus on the leisure traveller over business travellers. There is no dedicated business area with meeting rooms at the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge, and if you were short on time either because of tight connections or if you had work to do, the global deli area in the Al Mourjan South Lounge is great for a quick bite to eat.
The Al Mourjan Business Lounge South also has an indoor smoking room, luggage lockers, a family area and more nap pods.
In summary, head to the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge if you have time and are travelling for leisure, otherwise head to the Al Mourjan South Lounge if you have work to get on with or have a tight connection. But most importantly, head to both if you have time as they feel so different from one another. These are the best business-class-level lounges in the world so make the most of the opportunity.
Service
Service at all Qatar Airways lounges around the world (including Singapore, Bangkok and the Al Mourjan South Lounge) is always exceptional and consistent, with a high staff-to-passenger ratio at all times.
There is always a staff member on hand to take your drinks order, grab you a tea, coffee or glass of water, top up your glass of champagne or to check your flight status. Shower suites and bathrooms are cleaned between uses. Á la carte table service dining is exceptional at a business class lounge-level. The staff truly are exceptional and go above and beyond throughout your entire lounge visit.
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge Food
There is one main dining area in this lounge, to the right of the entrance. Additionally, there is also a paid Louis Vuitton Café located next to the entrance. It is a bit strange to have a paid-option within such a luxurious lounge with incredible food selection anyway, but it’s a dining option. Even if you choose to stop by just for a coffee.
The Al Moujan Business Lounge The Garden and the Business Lounge South share the same core main dining food menu, so there is no really advantage of one lounge over the other if you have a limited connection at Doha Hamad.
However, the Al Mourjan Lounge The Garden has a sushi bar and the Louis Vuitton Café, and the Business Lounge South has the global deli dining area with a lighter deli-style menu.
If you are travelling through Doha Hamad soon, and want to know what to expect on your visit, check out the main Al Mourjan dining menu here. Here was the menu that was available during my visit:
Main Dining Area
Buffet
- Selection of Salads, Dressings and Toppings
- Arabic Mezze – Avocado and Rocket Salad, Tabbouleh, Hummus, Guacamole, Muhummara, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Feta Cheese and Tomato, Mini Caesar Salads, Pita Bread
- Cheese Platter
- Fresh Fruit Platter
- Stir fried noodles with Shrimp
- Chicken Fricassee
- Pea and Cheese Ravioli with Herb Cream Sauce
- Vegetable Jalfrezi
- Rice Vermicelli
- Creamy Mashed Potato
- Kibbeh Bil Laban
- Braised Beef with Demi-glace
- Seafood Chowder Soup
- Harira Soup
A La Carte
Breakfast (5am to 10:30am)
- Scrambled Eggs with hash browns
- Plain or vegetable omelette with roasted cherry tomatoes
- Fried egg (sunny side up, over medium, well done) with grilled tomato and asparagus
- Eggs Royale
- Eggs Benedict
- Eggs Florentine
- French Toast
Lunch and Dinner (11am to 4am)
- Pumpkin Risotto (vegan)
- Nut and Cheese Mezzaluna (vegetarian)
- Beef Tenderloin Steak
- Mustard Dill Salmon Fillet
- Lamb Kebab with Bukhari Rice
- Paneer Tikki Masala
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Sushi (made to order)
- Rolls – Unagi, Smoked Salmon, Vegetarian, Vegetable teriyaki
- Nigiri – Prawn
- Tamagoyaki
- Made to order salad – selection of vegetables, grilled chicken and dressing options
- Selection of filled croissants, filled baps and tarts
- Desserts
- Selection of ice creams – vanilla bean, tiramisu, yoghurt
As I was also travelling during Ramadan, the Dining room had some additional á la Carte specials from 5pm to 4:30am:
- Qatari prawn Murabyan with Daqoos sauce
- Qatari lamb Jereesh
- Desserts
- Harissa (Semolina Cake)
- Znoud El Sit
- Walnut Katayef
Sushi Bar
- Unagi roll
- Smoked Salmon roll
- Vegetarian roll
- Vegetarian teriyaki roll
- Prawn nigiri
- Tamagoyaki
- Assorted sushi platters
A top-quality airport lounge food selection with a variety of options for all tastes and dietary requirements, with a seasonal selection spanning cuisines from all around the world. This reflects Qatar Airways’ global reach from their hub at Doha, stretching all corners of the globe. I especially like that á la carte options are available, and once again, the service in the dining room is unparalleled for a business class lounge.
In addition, the Louis Vuitton Café is also available. Here was the menu at the Louis Vuitton Café within the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge at Doha Hamad on my visit:
I’m not sure how popular the Louis Vuitton Cafe is, and it was empty at my time of visit, given the already-high-quality of food offering in this lounge.
Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge Doha Bar Selection
Reserved for revenue business class passengers only (no access for upgraded passengers), the Doha Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge has a top-shelf selection of wine, beer and spirits sourced from all around the world. It really is a step above the vast majority of airport lounges. Table service is offered throughout the lounge, with any of the staff, but there are also two bar areas located within the left-wing of the lounge. The current menu is available by QR code.
Here were the Beer, Wine and Spirits on offer at the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge on my visit:
Wine
- Lanson Le Black Label Brut Champagne
- Gosset Grand Rosé Brut Champagne
- Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé
- Saint Clair Family Estate Omaka Reserve Chardonnay 2023, New Zealand
- Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2022, New Zealand
- Gebrüder Nittnaus Riesling Selection 2022, Austria
- Chateau Croizet-Bages, Pauillac AOC, 5eme Cru Classé 2015, France
- Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2021, Adelaide Hills, Australia
- Sensi Vin Santo del Chianti 2014, Italy
Spirits
- Aperol
- Campari
- Martini Bianco
- Martini Extra Dry
- Martini Vermouth Rosso
- Skyy Vodka
- Bombay Sapphire Gin
- Edinburgh Classic Gin
- Havana Club 3YO Rum
- Havana Club 7YO Rum
- Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum
- Captain Morgan Spiced Gold Rum
- Malibu Caribbean Rum
- Glenlivet
- Chivas Regal 12YO Whisky
- Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whisky
- Johnnie Walker Black Label 12YO
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
- Jim Beam
- Martell VS Cognac
- Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila
- Joes Cuervo Silver Tequila
- Kahlua
- Amarula
- Cointreau
- Drambuie
- Jagermister
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Dow’s 20YO Tawny Port
Cocktails
- Buck’s Fizz
- Shandy
- Cuba Libre
- Vodka Martini
- Dry Gin Martini
- Old Fashioned
Beer
- Heineken
- Tiger
Such a good bar selection, with a wide range of beer, wine, spirits and cocktails for global tastes. I thought the wine list was great, with a wide selection of top wines from all around the world.
However, the Qsuite bar selection onboard is even better, so best to pace yourself.
Non-alcoholic Beverage Selection
As Qatar is a dry country, Qatar Airways offers an extensive non-alcoholic selection within the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge. If you don’t drink, you will have plenty of unique options to try during your visit.
The list includes non-alcoholic bubbly, TWG teas, coffee, Arabic coffee, chai, soft drinks, juices, smoothies and mocktails.
This was the non-alcoholic beverage list on my visit:
- French Bloom (non-alcoholic)
- Lychee Cranberry Fizz mocktail
- Kiwi in Charge mocktail
- Watermelon Cooler mocktail
- Pineapple Basil Smash mocktail
- AlkaLive still water
- San Pellegrino sparkling water
- Lemon and Mint juice
- Orange juice
- Pineapple juice
- Watermelon juice
- Beetroot, green apple and ginger juice
- Smoothie of the day
- Coca Cola (regular and light)
- Sprite (regular and light)
- Fanta
- Ginger Ale
- Tonic water
- Club Soda
- TWG Teas – English Breakfast, Grand Jasmine, Lung Ching, Chamomile, Midnight Hour tea
- Coffee – Cappuccino, Americano, Caffé Latte, Espresso, Double Espresso, Espresso Macchiato, Flat White, Caffé Mocha (regular and decaf)
- Arabic coffee
- Hot Chocolate
- Full-fat cream, skimmed, lactose-free, soya, almond out and coconut milks are available.
A huge non-alcoholic selection at the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge. It’s also really nice to see a selection of mocktails and juices available too, including Qatar Airways’ signature lemon and mint juice. French Bloom is also worth trying, elevating an extra special travel journey.
Access Requirements
As quite possibly the best business class airport lounges in the world, the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge and Al Mourjan South Lounge at Doha Hamad International Airport have very exclusive access criteria, excluding even oneworld Sapphire status holders who instead can access the Platinum and Gold lounges.
The following passengers can access the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge:
- Qatar Airways Paid Business Class Passengers (not Business Lite)
- Oneworld Paid Business Class Passengers
- Qatar Airways Avios Redemption Business Class Passengers
- Oneworld Flight Redemption Business Class Passengers (full, not upgraded)
Important to highlight here is fares upgraded with Avios or cash are ineligible for Qatar Lounge access, but paid options are available. For Qatar Economy passengers, passengers upgrading from Economy to Business, and Business Lite passengers, you can purchase access to the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge for just 350 QAR (£70), or alternatively, access to the Al Maha Lounge is available for just 200 QAR (£55). I would say, for the sake of 150 QAR/£15 extra, book the Al Mourjan The Garden Lounge option.
The exclusivity of this access list means that Qatar can offer the very best service and airport lounge experience to their most important flyers.
Conclusion
The Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge The Garden is my favourite business class airport lounge in the world. Whilst the Al Mourjan South Lounge is comparable, I love the openness, amenities and outlook over the ORCHARD.
I was very lucky that on my mid-afternoon visit it was quiet, so service was exceptionally attentive.
This was an absolute bucket list lounge for me, and has been on my list to visit for years. I’m glad I stopped over in Doha, had time to relax and recover, then got to the airport early to explore both the Al Mourjan Business Lounge South and Al Mourjan Lounge The Garden.
If you are flying from or through Doha and can fly Qsuite, you are in for an absolute treat. Exploring the World’s Best Airport Lounge, then flying the World’s Best Business Class on the World’s Best Airline. An absolute treat for any aviation geek.