Trip date: Oct 2023
Flights thru the Middle East usually have either some crazy long layover or your connecting flight will leave at a ridiculously early time in the morning when only ravers should still be up! Both of these were my situation on my way from Seattle to the Seychelles.
Also it's pronounced "cut-ter" :)
On my first Qatar Airways flight I had transferred both Amex and Citi points to book their business Qsuite product. These suites are found on all A350-1000 and some 777s; luckily my 777 had been retrofitted (on the booking page it will say if the plane has Qsuites). This is basically First Class for business class pricing! You have your own suite with privacy door, pajamas & slippers, amenity kit with Diptyque product (!), big storage bin, adjustable armrest, lie-flat bed with turndown service, mattress, pillows & duvet. Each door also has a do-not-disturb sign you can activate.
At SEA I spent some time in the Centurion Lounge before I made my way to the British Air Lounge, which is who Qatar is partnered with. This is a super basic lounge for business class but it was in the S satellite so it was much closer to my gate.
The solo window suites had all been chosen when I booked so I had one of the aisle suites. If I would have been traveling with others these suites in the 1-2-1 config can convert to a double bed or even a quad suite!
I had 14 ½ hours of flight time to Doha and every minute of it was lovely! The service on QA is top notch, the food and beverage selections were much better than most, and the bed was very comfy.
After champagne (of course) I had a martini, which was probably the only bump in the road as it was not cold enough. First world...But my amuse bouche, duck & citrus salad, roast salmon with caviar, and ice cream sundae were all excellent! And cognac (of course)!
We had left Seattle at 5pm on Monday and landed in Doha at 5:30pm on Tues! After a delicious espresso before deplaning, I went thru a very quick security and then found myself in the center of Hamad Airport.
I will admit that the title of this post is a bit misleading as I actually had two 9+ hour layovers, apologies! I'll break them up for you here.
Hamad Airport (DOH) has been voted Best Airport in the World (yes, there is such an award!) for the last 3-years, and after spending A LOT of time there, I would have to agree!
On this ground level there are many, many, many choices for shopping, dining, and even art. "Lamp Bear" by the Swiss artist Urs Fischer, sits in the middle of the airport's grand foyer and is just 1 of 20 permanent art pieces you can peruse.
But I was headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge which is open to First and Business class passengers. As I made my way up the escalators I noticed how quiet the airport was. And not because it wasn't busy, as it was! Come to find out they have a policy of silence; no announcements are made except the Call to Prayer. It was very calming!
Al Mourjan in the south terminal is the largest lounge I've ever been in! It's over 2 ½ acres! I only had time for a short stroll around, while sipping on Champagne, and checking my carry on into a locker, but I'd be coming back later that night and planned to have a late dinner at their amazing restaurant! For now I was off to the meeting point for my 3-hour Doha city tour.
7 hours left...
After checking in to the Discover Qatar desk at the airport, we were escorted thru security, boarded a bus, and away we went to tour Doha by night. It's $31 and you need to have a 6 hour or more layover and book at least 48 hours before arriving. You also need to make sure you have your passport and the boarding pass from your arrival flight.
Our first stop was at the Corniche where we got a chance to get out and take in the gorgeous views of the city's skyline. I.M. Pei's beautiful Museum of Islamic Art is also here.
Back on the bus we headed to the Katara Cultural Village, a super interesting complex with theaters, exhibit halls, two mosques, and an amphitheater which was stunning!
As we continued our walk around we came to a gorgeous outdoor shopping center with an outpost of Paris' Galeries Lafayette!
This outdoor mall is beautiful, but more than that it is air-conditioned! The outside is air-conditioned! I have never heard of that! Crazy! And cool!
Driving to the Souq Waqif we passed by an amazing assortment of skyscrapers and sculpture all lit up throughout the city. It's quite beautiful and our guide did a great job of pointing out interesting sites, telling us more about the culture, and warning us about the temperatures in the summer (108F!) when they change the tour to reduce time spent outside.
People have inhabited the land of Qatar for over 50,000 years; it would have been Mesopotamia at that time. For centuries many, many tribes have controlled the land here. In 1916 Qatar came under protection of the British and in 1940 oil was discovered for the first time. In 1968 Britain ended its protection with eight Arab countries, Qatar being one of them, and those countries created the United Arab Emirates. Qatar then declared independence in 1971.
Doha was just a settlement in the 1820's and was destroyed in a war in 1867. It was rebuilt and named the capital when Qatar declared their independence. During the 70's the city razed all the old neighborhoods, rebuilding to attract international business.
Although Souq Waqif was originally build over a century ago it was completely renovated in 2006 after being destroyed by fire in 2003. It's still a fun market to stroll through, but it's more of a tourist destination now vs. a working market. There are lots of souvenirs (that can be purchased with a card or tap) and lots of food (much which you might want a bit of cash for).
We were given time on our own to explore the market and then invited to meet back up if we wanted to go see the Royal Camels. Everyday at 8am and 4pm the Palace guards and the camels parade on the grounds of the governmental palace. As it was almost 10pm we just saw them hanging out in their stables.
On the way back to the bus we walked through the Falcon Souk. It was closed for the evening but our guide explained the importance of falcons to the Qatari. Originally, 5000 years ago, falcons were kept and trained to hunt by Bedouin tribes. These birds are also the national bird of Qatar. Over time they became a symbol for courage and the sport of falconry is still an important cultural practice.
We were shown a falcon-sitting shop, where locals can leave their falcons when they are on vacation, and also the falcon hospital, one of the largest in the Middle East, and funded by the government.
We were dropped back off at the airport around 11pm and were escorted through security; quick and easy! I thought this was a very enjoyable tour and would probably be even better in the daytime when you can see more. But at least it was cooler in the evening!
4 hours left...
Back in the Al Mourjan Lounge South, this time I took a seat upstairs in the restaurant. It's a buffet but oh what a buffet it is! There was the traditional carving station, made-to-order sushi and salad bars, a huge assortment of traditional dishes from around the world in miniature making it easier to sample multiple! There were wine and cocktail menus as well as a lot of N/A options.
I ordered a martini, had a few mini dishes off the buffet, and then hit the pastry buffet to try some interesting and unfamiliar desserts.
The restaurant & the food options were very nice! I left down the grand glass staircase and checked out a few of the other areas like the nap spaces and the café that serves more casual food (I didn't try it except to get a glass of champagne).
2.5 hours left...
Time to leave this lounge and go in search of Qatar's brand new lounge, the Al Mourjan Garden Lounge. To get here you can walk or take the tram to the airport's northern expansion area. I chose to walk since I had the time and wanted to check out the amazing selection of retailers that are in the airport such as Harrod's, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Tiffany's, etc. There are also gold markets, caviar shops, pharmacies, and duty free. From Lamp Bear you walk in the direction of the C, D, and E gates.
Once I got to the expansion terminat I decided to walk thru The Orchard, DOH's indoor tropical garden which is open to everyone. Ok, I actually went too far and ended up here but it's stunning! There are lots of paths winding through, a whole other section of retailers, a Dior Spa, areas where you can relax on a bench or even in the grass! All under a curvy glass roof; the entire (huge) space is beautiful.
Behind the Louis Vuitton store is where I found the lounge entrance. I was very surprised at how bare bones the check in area was; just a set of elevators with hostess desks in front of them. I really wasn't sure if I was in the right place!
Up on the 2nd floor I exited to the massive lounge; very minimal design with tons of space and high ceilings. And of course it's all open to the Orchard below! I went to the right where there were a few bars, self-service buffets, sit-down restaurants, etc. The lounge is open 24/7 (as are all the shops in the airport!) which is great for these late night/early morning departures.
This lounge just opened in April in 2023 so when I was there everything was still in amazing shape. There are lockers for storage, private nap rooms with 1 or 2 lounge chairs, shower rooms stocked with a Diptyque products, and lots and lots and lots of seating!
There's also a Louis Vuitton Lounge inside The Garden Lounge! That's a bit uber I'd say but it looked lovely. From what I was told, anyone who has access to The Garden can enter the LV lounge (Business and First Class passengers) but you pay for drinks and food here.
I really enjoyed The Garden. I had a couple of drinks and some bougie potato chips, took in the great views of the tropical gardens below, never felt crowded, and had excellent service.
15 minutes left...
It was about a 15 minute walk to my gate for my flight to Seychelles and when I arrived they were asking business class passengers to board a bus to the plane. But this wasn't just any bus! It was a business class bus with posh red leather seats; just 12 of them!
It was 2am when I got onboard and I was settled into my very comfy lie-flat seat (no suite), waiting for take off with a glass of champagne and ready for a nap. But I felt that I did a lot in my 9+ hours in Doha.
A week later, returning from Seychelles, I was back in Doha Hamad Airport landing at 11pm with another 9+ hour layover.
This time I decided to sleep! I didn't have to collect my luggage so it was really quick for me to get to the Uber stand where had a car take me to the Holiday Inn.
6 hours left...
I used points for a free room, was there in about 20 minutes for 40 QAD, and was asleep in a big king bed by midnight.
2 hours left...
In the morning the front desk got me a taxi which only cost 28 QAD (& still took just 20 mins). My flight was at 8am so I got there about 6am and it was very quick going thru TSA. I was back in The Garden Lounge having breakfast watching the glass roof light up with the morning sun.
15 minutes left...
Again, it was about a 15 minute walk to my gate where I boarded my (just under 15 hour!) flight for Seattle. Perfect timing!
I really think this is the most impressive airport I have been too! There is also a hotel right inside (but I love using my points) and if you wanted to spend some time shopping then that is going to eat up a lot of your time! I love that everything is open 24 hours!
What have you done during your long layover in Hamad Airport?
All photos from Doha here.
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