Nov 5, 2015, 11:11 am
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
READ BEFORE COMMENTING IF YOU ARE NEW,
Hamad International Airport (HIA) offers passengers a number of different lounges.
This thread, is specifically for the Al Safwa First Class Lounge. Information on the other Lounge options at HIA, can be found here.
Does Al Safwa have a web page?
Yes: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/e...-al-safwa.page
Dining Menu
https://www.qatarairways.com/content...-dining-en.pdf
Where can I find Al Safwa Lounge?
The Lounge is located on Level 3 of the airport.
Can I use the Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge?
Access is based on your underlying fare bucket. This means that upgraded tickets, maybe except upgrades with QPoints (see post 2735), are not granted access.
Access is thus restricted to Qatar Airways First Class, and OneWorld First Class passengers :
- either holding a First Class boarding pass* for their next flight
- or holding a First Class boarding pass from their previous flight.
Additionally, Privilege Club platinum club travelling on any business-class fare are welcomed into the lounge. This is a facility introduced recently and one that could just as easily disappear.
- Guests are not permitted.
* Operational Upgrades to First do not give access. Upgrades with Qpoints may do give acces (see post 2735 - Sept 2022)
Arrival access on mid and long haul? (eg. coming from LHR in F)
YES
Ex. CAI-DOH-HEL
Arrival access regional F? (eg. coming from CAI in F)
Yes.
Caveat, if your underlying J fare is P, then the no lounge access for business light kicks in. And there is no access.
Privilege Club Platinum members are currently allowed in the lounge when travelling on any QR business-class fare: that could change. Other Oneworld Emerald members are directed to the Platinum lounge(s) when travelling in any class, and the Al Mourjan lounge when travelling on relevant business-class fares. Yup, it gets complicated.
What does the lounge look like?
Reports on the Lounge, can be found here and here. Photographs of the lounge, can be found here.
Is there a Spa?
Yes, there is a full Spa, but you will have to pay for treatments. A full list of treatments available can be found here
What about the sleeping rooms?
Stargold in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28199729-post1177.html suggests that access to sleeping rooms is as follows:
'* No reservations allowed - always first-come first-served
* Only available if the remaining time until the flight departure is more than 4 hours
* Passengers are allowed maximum six hours' usage - for any further usage, a fee of QAR 450 is payable for a second block of six hours.
* No F&B of any kind except bottled water in the sleeping rooms.'
What changes can I expect during Ramadan?
Ramadan affects QR and you in many ways so please look at ramadan to see how you are affected.
Updated: 19/11/2023
Hamad International Airport (HIA) offers passengers a number of different lounges.
This thread, is specifically for the Al Safwa First Class Lounge. Information on the other Lounge options at HIA, can be found here.
Does Al Safwa have a web page?
Yes: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/e...-al-safwa.page
Dining Menu
https://www.qatarairways.com/content...-dining-en.pdf
Where can I find Al Safwa Lounge?
The Lounge is located on Level 3 of the airport.
Can I use the Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge?
Access is based on your underlying fare bucket. This means that upgraded tickets, maybe except upgrades with QPoints (see post 2735), are not granted access.
Access is thus restricted to Qatar Airways First Class, and OneWorld First Class passengers :
- either holding a First Class boarding pass* for their next flight
- or holding a First Class boarding pass from their previous flight.
Additionally, Privilege Club platinum club travelling on any business-class fare are welcomed into the lounge. This is a facility introduced recently and one that could just as easily disappear.
- Guests are not permitted.
* Operational Upgrades to First do not give access. Upgrades with Qpoints may do give acces (see post 2735 - Sept 2022)
Arrival access on mid and long haul? (eg. coming from LHR in F)
YES
Ex. CAI-DOH-HEL
Arrival access regional F? (eg. coming from CAI in F)
Yes.
Caveat, if your underlying J fare is P, then the no lounge access for business light kicks in. And there is no access.
Privilege Club Platinum members are currently allowed in the lounge when travelling on any QR business-class fare: that could change. Other Oneworld Emerald members are directed to the Platinum lounge(s) when travelling in any class, and the Al Mourjan lounge when travelling on relevant business-class fares. Yup, it gets complicated.
What does the lounge look like?
Reports on the Lounge, can be found here and here. Photographs of the lounge, can be found here.
Is there a Spa?
Yes, there is a full Spa, but you will have to pay for treatments. A full list of treatments available can be found here
What about the sleeping rooms?
Stargold in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28199729-post1177.html suggests that access to sleeping rooms is as follows:
'* No reservations allowed - always first-come first-served
* Only available if the remaining time until the flight departure is more than 4 hours
* Passengers are allowed maximum six hours' usage - for any further usage, a fee of QAR 450 is payable for a second block of six hours.
* No F&B of any kind except bottled water in the sleeping rooms.'
What changes can I expect during Ramadan?
Ramadan affects QR and you in many ways so please look at ramadan to see how you are affected.
Updated: 19/11/2023
QR Al Safwa First Class Lounge
Mar 2, 2018, 11:01 am
#1381
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: AUH
Programs: EY Guest Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Le Club Accor Silver, AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 552
QR will not let you use the AS lounge when flying paid J even if you are willing to pay $$$$ amount.
AM is a pretty bad lounge - so I would recommend that you use STPC or Qatar+ for your layover.
Mar 2, 2018, 11:12 am
#1382
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
thanks....what makes the AM lounge bad? I've heard mostly positive things about it? With our flights, it' a 4:50p arrival from ord and a 2:00a departure for JNB....ideally I'd rather not sleep during the layover so that i can be naturally tired for the flight to jnb. Not sure if the STPC would be of benefit other than having a bit of privacy and hotel room. Thanks for the ideas.
Last edited by LufthansaFlyer; Mar 2, 2018 at 11:22 am
Mar 2, 2018, 11:25 am
#1383
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 732
- It's open air so not as quiet as it could be
- The chairs look great but many are quite uncomfortable
- Power socket placement in the main area is less than ideal
- At busy times, you can wait 30 mins+ for a shower
- The food is really very so-so
- The champagne is Lanson
- The sandwich / deli is a nice idea but every time I've been in they have messed up the sandwich somehow (mozerella cold in a toasted sandwich)
Don't get me wrong, it's still far better than your average lounge. It also looks great and the staff are generally very helpful. It's just not a place I'd plan on spending more than 1-2 hours if I could help it.
Mar 2, 2018, 11:40 am
#1384
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
It's nice enough, certainly not a bad lounge. But the initial Wow factor is somewhat let down by the details. If it's your first time there and you just have a 2 hour stopover, it's awesome. But to spend a longer period may get a bit dull:
- It's open air so not as quiet as it could be
- The chairs look great but many are quite uncomfortable
- Power socket placement in the main area is less than ideal
- At busy times, you can wait 30 mins+ for a shower
- The food is really very so-so
- The champagne is Lanson
- The sandwich / deli is a nice idea but every time I've been in they have messed up the sandwich somehow (mozerella cold in a toasted sandwich)
Don't get me wrong, it's still far better than your average lounge. It also looks great and the staff are generally very helpful. It's just not a place I'd plan on spending more than 1-2 hours if I could help it.
- It's open air so not as quiet as it could be
- The chairs look great but many are quite uncomfortable
- Power socket placement in the main area is less than ideal
- At busy times, you can wait 30 mins+ for a shower
- The food is really very so-so
- The champagne is Lanson
- The sandwich / deli is a nice idea but every time I've been in they have messed up the sandwich somehow (mozerella cold in a toasted sandwich)
Don't get me wrong, it's still far better than your average lounge. It also looks great and the staff are generally very helpful. It's just not a place I'd plan on spending more than 1-2 hours if I could help it.
Mar 2, 2018, 1:49 pm
#1385
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,948
The AM is worth a visit, but it's an airport lounge at the end of the day, and simply somewhere comfortable to sit and have a drink.
Safe travels,
M
Mar 3, 2018, 12:19 am
#1387
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
thanks....what makes the AM lounge bad? I've heard mostly positive things about it? With our flights, it' a 4:50p arrival from ord and a 2:00a departure for JNB....ideally I'd rather not sleep during the layover so that i can be naturally tired for the flight to jnb. Not sure if the STPC would be of benefit other than having a bit of privacy and hotel room. Thanks for the ideas.
But at the end of the day it's just an airport lounge. Not sure what you expect, but you'll be able to get a shower, have something to eat and drink, relax, maybe even lie down.
An alternative is the airport hotel if you want to sleep (or swim!), but it's very expensive.
Otherwise it's easy to get out of the airport, into an Uber and get to Souq Waqif. The Souq will give you a comfortably sanitised taste of "arabia" with shops, cafes, restaurants and .... a falcon hospital. Uber/taxi should be less than $20 round-trip.
The Museum of Islamic Art would be an alternative, but i think last admissions (free!) are 18:30 and it closes at 19:00. It's more or less across the Corniche from the Souq - that "more or less" contains a measure of confusion, but people are extraordinarily helpful, so just keep asking for directions.
If your trip is soon, the weather is an absolute delight at the moment, perfect for evening walks on the Corniche or around the MIA park. We even had rain yesterday
Mar 3, 2018, 10:01 pm
#1388
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
Just discount the comment about AM being a bad lounge: in many respects it's not so good as it was, but it still offers levels of comfort and sustenance you don't find in many other lounges. Indeed, there are far, far worse lounges at DOH itself.
But at the end of the day it's just an airport lounge. Not sure what you expect, but you'll be able to get a shower, have something to eat and drink, relax, maybe even lie down.
An alternative is the airport hotel if you want to sleep (or swim!), but it's very expensive.
Otherwise it's easy to get out of the airport, into an Uber and get to Souq Waqif. The Souq will give you a comfortably sanitised taste of "arabia" with shops, cafes, restaurants and .... a falcon hospital. Uber/taxi should be less than $20 round-trip.
The Museum of Islamic Art would be an alternative, but i think last admissions (free!) are 18:30 and it closes at 19:00. It's more or less across the Corniche from the Souq - that "more or less" contains a measure of confusion, but people are extraordinarily helpful, so just keep asking for directions.
If your trip is soon, the weather is an absolute delight at the moment, perfect for evening walks on the Corniche or around the MIA park. We even had rain yesterday
But at the end of the day it's just an airport lounge. Not sure what you expect, but you'll be able to get a shower, have something to eat and drink, relax, maybe even lie down.
An alternative is the airport hotel if you want to sleep (or swim!), but it's very expensive.
Otherwise it's easy to get out of the airport, into an Uber and get to Souq Waqif. The Souq will give you a comfortably sanitised taste of "arabia" with shops, cafes, restaurants and .... a falcon hospital. Uber/taxi should be less than $20 round-trip.
The Museum of Islamic Art would be an alternative, but i think last admissions (free!) are 18:30 and it closes at 19:00. It's more or less across the Corniche from the Souq - that "more or less" contains a measure of confusion, but people are extraordinarily helpful, so just keep asking for directions.
If your trip is soon, the weather is an absolute delight at the moment, perfect for evening walks on the Corniche or around the MIA park. We even had rain yesterday
Apr 3, 2018, 11:45 am
#1389
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
Having eaten my way through most of the Al Safwa menu in the last few months, thought it might be helpful to provide a little bit of a food recommendation list for those visiting for the first time and wondering what to try from the current set of menus!
I think the general consensus is that most of the food in Al Safwa is not quite up to the standard of the rest of the lounge, but there are two dishes I really like and which I now will always try to order going forward:
1. The Eggs Royale - as a breakfast option, this is really very good; two perfect poached eggs (and they have come out that way every time) with thick cut balik-style salmon underneath; just wish they would toast the muffin a little bit more!
2. The Umm Ali - if you like puddings, order this one. No question.
In terms of main courses at the moment, I quite like the hammour (but don't think any are really *that* great). Hope this helps someone trying to choose!
I think the general consensus is that most of the food in Al Safwa is not quite up to the standard of the rest of the lounge, but there are two dishes I really like and which I now will always try to order going forward:
1. The Eggs Royale - as a breakfast option, this is really very good; two perfect poached eggs (and they have come out that way every time) with thick cut balik-style salmon underneath; just wish they would toast the muffin a little bit more!
2. The Umm Ali - if you like puddings, order this one. No question.
In terms of main courses at the moment, I quite like the hammour (but don't think any are really *that* great). Hope this helps someone trying to choose!
Apr 4, 2018, 10:45 am
#1390
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 10
I had the eggs Royal yesterday in the Al Safwa lounge but that was all that I had time for.
Back in a week’s time for a longer stopover so will try a few things and post about any nice surprises.
Back in a week’s time for a longer stopover so will try a few things and post about any nice surprises.
Last edited by msm2000uk; Apr 4, 2018 at 1:46 pm
Apr 7, 2018, 11:40 pm
#1394
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: QR Platinum, Star Alliance Gold (LH Sen)
Posts: 764
Apr 7, 2018, 11:43 pm
#1395
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sapporo, Japan
Programs: Junior Jet Club, Nando's Card 1 Red Chilli, Tesco Clubcard, BAEC Gold, TK M&S Elite
Posts: 520
