Mamma mia what a sight the first class lounge in Doha, the Al Safwa is a masterpiece

I had the good fortune, or perhaps it would be better to say. cunning, to spend nearly 12 hours inside one of the world's best lounges, indeed one of the best first-class lounges in the world, Certainly the largest, The one where even guests can take a bedroom and wait for the flight in serenity, after eating and drinking like in a starry one and maybe even having a hot tub.

But let's go in order.

Location

This lounge is located in the "old" part of Doha Airport. Taking the giant orascape in the center of the terminal as a reference point, it remains to the right, that is, on the opposite side from where the Al Mourijan , Qatar Airways' business class lounge, is located.

Access

We are talking about a first-class lounge, and in the case of Qatar unlike for example Cathay or JAL, it is not enough to have Emerald or equivalent status, here you enter only if you are traveling in F with your home carrier or on a flight from one of the other oneworld carriers Taking off from Doha.

The only exception is for those with the Platinu level, the highest in Privilege Club, which is the company's loyalty program that is always in the top3 of the best in the world.

The lounge

At the foot of the endless escalator leading up to the entrance is the first "controller" who validates your ticket and allows you to begin the long climb.

The escalator is slow, or is it an impression, it's like when you watched Holly and Benji as a kid and saw the door getting closer and closer on the one donkey-backed soccer field. Here fortunately there were no commercial interruptions and eventually I got to the door where my ticket was scanned again. Better a double check than to let a commoner into this huge sanctuary.

As soon as you pass through the portal it is like being transported to another place. Forget the hustle and bustle of the airport, here everything flows slowly, like the fountain in the center of the lobby with the jet falling from the ceiling almost noiselessly.

You can tell right away that we are in a Completely different environment than all the other first-class lounges I have been in. If La Premiere's is a little treasure chest., here we are in Disneyland. Also incomparable British Airways' Concorde Room o Cathay's Pier, it is really a different category.

If lounges are normally crowded and every space is occupied by some kind of element or seating, here it is the exact opposite. The 10m social distance rule applies here, you don't want two passengers to brush up against each other with their LVs, or two Rimowa crashes that escaped the control of some frequent flyer.

Immediately in front of the entrance is the huge concierge counter, sure because this lounge also has concierges. They take care of all the tedious tasks like booking the spa, the bedroom, or to look after the items that travelers would like to put under lock and key.

Looking beyond the fountain, one glimpses the bar area, but the distances are dilated; one would need a scooter to get around this room without getting tired.

Past the bar is the restaurant that overlooks the runway and is operational h24. If service is already sky high in business class lounges., here Qatar raises the bar further and the proposal is really top, certainly not at the level of La Premiere, but it would be impossible to compare them, it's like traveling on an A380 or Gulfstream, are two different categories.

On the opposite side is the recreation area, not before passing under a giant Keith Haring painting, hung like this on the wall as if we were in a museum.

Everything is "different" in offerings and size; there is a playroom for children where adults can also safely relax and kill the flight wait. Along the corridor on one side, one encounters the play area, movie room, prayer room, and family room.

On the other are the spa and guest rooms. Finally, there is also a duty free shop that sells only the highest level of products. The only thing I didn't do was take a dip in the SPA's hot tub.

Food & Beverage

I had dinner and breakfast, in between I had a great night's sleep. For dinner I treated myself well. First an appetizer, then a filet and finally a spectacular Pavlova. A fine dining restaurant, even that does not compare to La Premiere, but that would be like comparing a 20-cover restaurant with a 200-cover restaurant.

For breakfast, a "bavouse" omelet and some crispy bacon and fresh squeezed orange juice.

The bedroom

If you have a long enough layover, and there are rooms available, you can use these rooms for free. Mine was a single, but there are also doubles.

Everything is in the room, let's just say a window is missing. overlooking the runway. Of course, there is also a full bathroom, and I took the opportunity to take a pre-flight shower.

In conclusion

Simply spectacular, dimesions matter and make a difference, but it must be said that it is undoubtedly the gem of Qatar's offering at what was for a couple of years the best airport in the world.

• privilege club

The verdict

I'll say it now, it would deserve 10, but the fact that it does not allow Emerald oneworld card holders access, as in other first-class lounges makes it lose a point in the final rating. Aesthetically it is, without a doubt, the milliest first-class lounge in the world, perhaps the size is exaggerated, but otherwise it truly offers everything

9

Rated Location

10

F&B

9

Services

9

Pro

• All

Against

• No entry with oneworld status