Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
Remember that everyone travels differently. I much prefer AS to a hotel.
1. Don't have to waste time walking to immigration. IME AS is closer to my arrival gate regardless of which gate it is.
2. Don't have to waste time standing in line at immigration.
3. Don't have to waste time while immigration officer checks my passport.
4. Dont' have to waste time taxiing to a hotel, even it it's close.
5. Don't have to waste time checking in to the hotel, hand over credit card, passport, wait while FDC does his/her thing.
6. Don't have to waste time taxiing back from the hotel to the airport.
7. Don't have to waste time going through security on arrival back at the airport.
I never needed more than 40 minutes from the airport to the hotel, even if i use the metro.
I use the immigration at the arrival lounge. Normally it takes only 1 minute to pass immigration there because no line.
Same time (1 minute) at check in at Crown Plaza Hotel that i use. Never needed to show my credit card there because everything is booked already with Qatar Stopover. Just wait for them to copy my passport.
Back to the airport with Uber takes only 15 minutes and i use also the business/first class counter. Security+automatic immigration finish in 1 minute there too because no line (at least i never had a queue) . If you use the first class counter you will be directly in AS.
I am QR Platin so i have access to AS on every flight and would never ever choose the lounge over a hotel stay for more than 12h. For such a long period of time there is no lounge that can replace a stay in a good+cheap 5 star hotel. You just cant eat+drink 10h and the lounge cannot replace the relaxation of a nice hotel room.
But ok, each to his own taste.