BobBHX

I arrived at midnight with an 8 hour layover and managed to get a room without any problem. The room was nice but very stuffy - aircon definitely needs looking at.

Phaze

Well that's not what I just witnessed. Unlucky guy then

Sky Fly

I was traveling in F yesterday, got a chance to go into Al Safwa for about 10 mins for a very quick bite + mini tour. This lounge is amazing, blew my mind away. I look forward to spending more time in the future.

Nizar

If I am flying on a paid ticket TUN-DOH-AUH with the first leg in J and the second leg in F and I DID NOT choose to take the first available connection, am I eligible for a sleeper room at the lounge ?

How about from an availability perspective, do I have any chance of securing one given that I arrive at about midnight and my connecting flight is at 8am ? Maybe I have more chance at say around 3-4am after most of the flights have departed/boarded ?

Thanks

remdk

Nizar since you are departing in F you will have access to Al Safwa and all its facilities. This includes the sleeper rooms.
The sleeper rooms are on a first come first served basis and are usually quite busy until 1.00-1.30am. After that there are usually plenty of rooms available.

Abyssin

Mayday.... last time i spent a lot of time in the lounge searching for my way.
Is there a map of the lounge somewhere?
Thanks a lot

JohnRain

The staff-to-guest ratio is at least 3-1 so just ask someone on your next visit, they'll be happy to show you around or to indicate directions.

msm2000uk

There is a map printed onto a metal tablet as you walk into the Lounge - or at least there was last time I was there

Abyssin

Thanks,
Didn't see it the last time (end of November) - no doubt will be still there

railways

Well ... I was in Al Safwa at the weekend, and I asked the lounge supervisor how often they had to turn people (who wanted a sleeper room) away. He was quite coy about this, but he did say you had the highest chance of being turned away if you arrived in the period just after midnight. This seems much more logical to me.

Data points:
- You hand in your boarding card at the "hotel" reception as guarantee for the room key card. If you want to leave the lounge at any time during your layover, you need to return the key for your boarding card. Just make sure to say you are coming back (they should ask you).
- I had a layover from 6pm to 8am and had no problem getting a room. (I think they were almost all available when I arrived in the lounge). I left just before 7am and there were 5 or 6 boarding cards (indicating rooms occupied) at reception. I nipped back a few times during the evening and never saw a soul.
- Just to confirm, there are 12 rooms: 8 singles and 4 with two beds.
- The lounge was fairly busy while I arrived, but emptied rapidly from about 8pm (presumably with the departure of most of the evening regional flights). Then there were no more than 10 people around until the pre-midnight peak.
- The service is good, but as others have noted, the food is mediocre, and they still have the photocopied menus! Breakfast was OK, though.
- No Krug in evidence, although it may have been available on request. Never saw it being offered.
- The two white wines they had were the business class wines! The awful South African sauvignon blanc (which they have now replaced on board, it seems) and a mediocre French chardonnay.

To those who haven't visited the lounge yet, and are underwhelmed by the pictures - don't be. The huge proportions of the lounge and the minimalist architecture don't come across well in photos. It is visually stunning, and needs to be seen to be believed.

msm2000uk

I'm in the Al Safwa at the moment (just passed midnight local time).

The Lounge isn't busy, but there are certainly more people than I have seen before. Most are perched in the Dining Area, ensuring the seating area by the fountain is empty and quiet (actually, real First World Problem...the fountain noise is really irritating).

Anyhoo, I've asked the Receptionist about a Sleeping Room, and he has said there are a few still available. I'm only here for a couple of hours, so don't need one, but I thought as appreciate data point it might help.

remdk

railways thank you for your comments about the lounge.
I have formed the following opinion :
"Based upon this thread, especially the photos, it is my opinion that Al Safwa consists of a maze of corridors and a number of smaller, but by no means small, rooms.
Al Safwa gives the impression of a number of rooms each trying to look big and important whilst Al Mourjan is huge space trying to look smaller and intimate by the judicious use of furnishings and fittings.
I have not used, nor do I expect to use, Al Safwa so my opinions are based entirely upon what has been published in this thread."
How far off the reality of the lounge am I?

msm2000uk

I wont comment directly on your views, but I will say that there are 2 kids in the lounge right now playing 'Hide and Seek'.

The best way to describe the Al Safwa, is perhaps as 'The Best Hide & Seek Playground in the World'.

crombiestone

My feelings were that everything can be accessed from two central avenues (though other parts were linked through rooms , the Duty Free and "terrace" for example) . To say its the same size as Al Mourjan it doesnt feel as big (there is no upper floor and the high walled "Avenues" help to explain this ) but that didnt matter as in my visit it was eerily quiet . I found it very impressive yet unwelcoming if that makes any sense( think echoed footsteps down empty but impressive corridors and lots of wasted space ). I can understand why the bar area is popular as its less stark . The nap rooms are what made it for me . Just as nice as the airport hotel as long as you don't mind having no windows. I agree with others that the restaurant offerings are underwhelming and overcooked. I actually missed having the buffet options of Al Mourjan. I will try the Deli next time in April . If you have a long connection the lounge is perfect because of the bedrooms otherwise, unless a premium spa is your thing , Al Mourjan is just fine for me .

stargold

A few notes from my recent visit:

- I can confirm that no guests are permitted, even if the guest is travelling in QR J. Therefore I had to stick to Mourjan until my mother's flight (to Seoul, hence no F) left. However, they did allow her to have a brief tour of the lounge.

- Architecturally one of the most stunning lounges that I have ever seen. The sense of scale and the extremely high quality materials really comes through. The spaces are particularly beautiful in the evening when it is lit solely by the lighting, rather than mixed with sunlight. The museum pieces (on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art) and the huge Keith Haring piece were nice touches.

- That, however, does not mean it is a space where you feel comfortable/homely. I was told during the tour that the interior architecture/design takes its cues from the Museum of Islamic Art, and I can definitely see a degree of "museum-ness" about the decor. In many ways it is the antithesis to the Pier F at HKG, which feels like your very wealthy uncle's apartment.

- There were no sleeping rooms available at first (late evening) but one became available at 1am - I would recommend putting your name down on the list as soon as you arrive, if you plan to use it.

- Speaking of which, it was a perfectly adequate space to rest and looks nice in the flesh. Criticisms of "looking like a cheap motel" are unjustified, unless there is a whole world of cheap motels I have yet to come across.

- Food did not impress, unfortunately. The spaghetti bolognaise was decent, but the lamb chops were overcooked as warned in this thread. During a chat with the F&B manager, I was surprised to discover that the airport rules does not allow any open fire cooking in the kitchen, and therefore the food arrives half pre-cooked from the catering facility much like the meals onboard. In essence, think of the very impressive-looking kitchen as being little more than an aircraft galley, and the complaints regarding the food makes much more sense...

- They will not serve the deli section items (i.e. sandwiches/sushi) in the main restaurant - you must physically go there and get it yourself, which I thought was an unnecessary layer of inconvenience. It should be easy enough to include the Deli items in the printed menu.

- Curiously, the service in the restaurant area was pretty slow and spotty, considering the nearly 1:1 ratio of diners to servers.

- Truly awful wi-fi which relies on the general airport free wi-fi service. Absolutely infuriating to essentially go back in time to the sub-1Mbps ADSL days - both this and the Mourjan lounges really, really need their own dedicated wi-fi.