Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge @ Doha International Airport

We arrived in Doha for a 3 hour layover before continuing on to Madrid. I liked this break to give us time to stretch our legs and take a break from airplane seats not that we had anything to complain about Qatar Airways’ roomy seat.

I thought 3 hours was a lot of time but deplaning, riding the bus, dropping off passengers at the arrival terminal before we went to the transfer terminal took almost an hour. The distance from where our plane was parked to the transfer terminal seemed farther than the distance of Greenhills to Naia airport (without traffic). I can’t imagine how big the entire Doha International Airport property was.

The building of the transfer terminal was huge too.

We didn’t get to walk around the duty free area but it didn’t look like there was a lot of merchandise.

I think that’s Senator Angara behind Rochelle.

They had facilities catering for all ages even a clinic.

This was the entrance to the business class lounge.  The first class lounge was on the other side.

I think this was the biggest lounge I’ve ever been to. There was an entire side that I didn’t even go to.

There were several seating areas but naturally we went to the area nearest the buffet spread.

The washroom was relatively small for such a big lounge. There was usually a line to use the toilet.

But there was a nice shower facility inside.

We liked the tea area a lot and it helped that it was manned by a friendly and very beautiful Filipina who could join a beauty contest and win.

buffet

There was only one Middle Eastern entree and that’s the only one I got.

hot entrees

I asked a waiter if they had more Middle Eastern bread but there was only one kind.

We sat right next to the dessert table. Strategic huh?

baklava and kanafeh pastries

We took some dried apricots and dates. They were so good!!!

Rochelle and I went tea crazy and tried almost all the varieties they had – Italian almond tea, Moroccan mint green tea, rose hip hibiscus tea and  ginger tea. Our favorite was the Italian almond tea which was so fragrant.

These were my plates of food. The lamb korma was absolutely fantastic. The lamb pieces were very tender and the yogurt sauce was so tasty I mopped all traces of it with my bread.

Rochelle clued me in on the seafood thermidor which came out after I took pictures. It’s not much to look at but it was also yummy.

The brownie and cheesecake were just average. I didn’t even finish it.

The Arabic desserts on the other hand were spectacular. On the left is baklava – phyllo dough filled with pistachios in syrup. On the right is a similar pastry but with pistachios & date paste in the filling. Both were very crispy and not too sweet unlike other baklavas I’ve tried in Manila. I wanted to get some more but they never refilled it. If you happen to go to this lounge don’t forget to eat these two pastries and take some home for me!

baklava and kanafeh pastries

Two hours went by so fast. I wouldn’t mind getting stuck in this lounge a little longer.