After spending five hours touring the duty free shops, restaurants and lounges at Hamad International Airport, I’m tempted to think I’ve ticked off Doha’s new hub. But then I remember I haven’t been anywhere near departures, nor seen two of the wings (A, B, C now open, D and E yet to fully open). The scale of this 22sq km airport is hard to grasp, although it’s not just the size that’s left a lasting impression on me today, rather the ubiquitous detail at every turn.
After starting with a 20-minute group tour at Al Mourjan business lounge, I felt the need to pop back after lunch to try and take it all in. I can’t recall a more comprehensive lounge, although one suspects the first class lounge – yet to open for paying passengers, it’s currently allocated to VIPs – will raise the bar even higher.
It’s clearly branded Al Mourjan at the base of the escalator and ‘business class’ (with Oryx logo) at the top over the silver desk, where clocks behind display the time in Doha, New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney.
Around the corner, a sweeping staircase leads up to the main dining area and family seating, while baggage areas are located to the right with more seating snaking around the side. A large water feature has soothing drops, although on closer inspection they aren’t dropping down but rising up.
The main dining area has a sizeable bar and buffet counters (open 24 hours) and, in keeping with the overall theme, plenty of seating. Singles, couples and families all have acres of room and it must be virtually impossible to miss your flight with individual seat-side touchscreen monitors complemented by conventional flight information screens, which also display the tailfins – another novel touch. I preferred the monitors to the main boards.
Every section has a coffee counter and, as one forum poster rightly stated, charging points at each seat “are a plus”.
On this lower level, I should think most business travellers will be happy to sit on the smart blue front and back facing seats on the left (Vittel water and small Arabic sweets are alongside the monitors). This area also has a table displaying daily papers. The wirey, branch-like seats on the other side have cushions but I didn’t find them especially comfortable on the back. Possibly the plants beyond could have been extended at the expense of these seats, to boost the relaxing aura, although full marks for the final deli section, dedicated to fresh baguettes, sandwiches and salads, which is airy, features more greenery and range of seating options – in itself, probably larger than some lounges.
At the far end, TV-equipped cubicles are also available for passengers looking to rest or unwind. The toilets, with an automatically sliding door, wouldn’t look out of place in a five-star hotel and had refreshing organic mandarin and mint handwash. Walking back, you’ll find an enclosed business centre (which has a games room, with a beautifully crafted wooden table football) and corporates will warm to the free, easily connected wifi throughout. If time is tight, downstairs in the main concourse are two desks of Apple computers which anyone can use.
One hundred hotel rooms are available, which can be hired out for a minimum four hours, and a further 100 will be available once the north node is developed. Squash courts and the pool are open in the south node, as is the hotel spa. All of these facilities are available to use even if you are not staying at the hotel, for a fee of QR120 (US$33).
Lounge access
Entry into Al Mourjan lounge has attracted a fair amount of discussion on the Business Traveller forum (businesstraveller.asia/discussion) although officially, it sounds straightforward: it’s open to Qatar Airways’ business class passengers (and first for the time being) and Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members.
However, a Qatar Airways spokesman acknowledged that the airline does have five categories of premium traveller access – premium Qatar Airways; Privilege Club Qatar Airways; Oneworld membership; codeshare membership; and joint business agreements. At time of writing nine lounges are open, but ultimately there will be 16 (more are coming in the D & E north node).
While Al Mourjan is the star lounge attraction, the airport has four Al Maha lounges (meet and assist), the Oryx lounge (available for non-One World passengers on the second level, non members can enter for US$40) and one unaccompanied minors lounge.
Polished F&B
Qatar Duty Free has given plenty of thought towards its food, beverage and retail offering which spans 25,000sqm.
Inevitably there’s large areas devoted to high-moving confectionery and drinks but the design evokes a more discreet and personalised shopping experience – particularly on the far side where high-end perfume, cosmetic and skincare brands are displayed in chic, stand-alone boutiques (interestingly Coach chose to be near the food area as it wanted to be near the high footfall). The presentation is sharp, exemplified by Au (chemical symbol for gold) which positively glistens.
As I walk around the food venues, it feels a world away from my previous trip to London Gatwick the week before, where they were all lined up in a congested corridor and it took 15 minutes to find a seat.
Nicholas J Goddard-Palmer, Vice President F&B, said: “We decided to make the food court more like a market walk-through – we’ve tried to put a different spin on the offering.” With the exception of Burger King, which is a stand-alone unit, passengers can order from any venue and pay centrally which will be convenient for families and groups.
Venues include Azka (Arabic-Asian), Soho, Camden Food Company (organic), Yum Cha (Asian) and popular Negroni (Italian), where I spot some crocodile-shaped bread.
“We’ve tried to benchmark against regional airports,” added Goddard-Palmer. “If we overcharge people in F&B they’re not going to go shopping, and if they’re too expensive in retail they’re not going to eat, so we have to make sure there’s always value.”
The level of detail is summed up by Marché, which is designed as a ‘distress’ venue that can host up to 600 passengers in the event of major disruptions, although it’s also open on a day-to-day basis.
Soprafino, Qatar Café and Le Grand Comptoir are the three main venues a short walk away on the other side; we sampled a selection of dishes at the Al fresco Italian Soprafino, where all ingredients are made freshly on site. The menu was affordable with pizzas in the QR39-48 range (US$10-13), pastas costing between QR55-68 (US$15-19) and I would heartily recommend the Panacotta finale (QR25/US$7). Wine by the glass also seemed reasonable, in the QR24-29 range (US$7-8), although most executives will be well served in the lounges.
We were joined for lunch by Massimo Capra who is overseeing the restaurant. He’s a well-known face in Toronto (Archers/Prego della Piazza restaurants and City TV Cityline show), having licenced his name to the Rainbow Room in the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls, but this marks his first venture in the Middle East.
Qataf Café resembles a Majlis with comfy seats and intricate Moroccan lamps. The modern stainless steel counter was handmade in Ireland. Le Grand Comptoir is a brasserie serving international breakfast and bistro-style dishes.
Other venues designed for passengers to enjoy includes Marmalade Market, a gourmet food market, and Bumble Tree for kids, which has a roaring dinasour. Picking up reading matter isn’t a problem either with nine WH Smiths and a compact Virgin store.
Bearish outlook
There can be no denying the main talking point at Hamad International Airport: the giant, 23 foot-tall teddy bear which dominates the concourse and features a lamp attached to its forehead. Created by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, the bear was auctioned for US$6.8m, according to Christie’s website.
“Lamp Bear is welcoming the guests at Doha’s airport and celebrating the idea of travel, just as the artist celebrates travelling back in time to the symbols of childhood – a place we have all been to and where once in a while we like to go back,” reads a Qatar Museum Authority statement. “The yellow bear and its lamp are both playful and impressive: The coming of age of a simple toy into a full grown art work.” Flanked either side are similarly vast electronic billboards although standing close underneath one of them, I struggled to interpret the images.
For all the airport’s size, navigation is clear with unmissable letters for each section (A, B, C, D and E) – and I don’t know whether it was the rapid travellators or the signage, but it didn’t feel large, taking barely minutes to walk from the centre to the end of the B wing (B10) to catch my return flight. The first three are fully open and part of D is now open – all of D and E should be operational by the first quarter of 2015. The attractively lit marble desks by the gates are also among the most striking I’ve seen.
It’s clear that Hamad International Airport is an impressive hub and the quality of the finished product goes some way to explaining the lengthy delays. It will help serve Qatar Airways’ ongoing expansion – not just in terms of hardware, but increased passenger loads in light of its Oneworld alliance membership – raises Qatar’s profile on the global aviation map and will spur competition for transfer traffic with nearby Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Around the corner, a sweeping staircase leads up to the main dining area and family seating, while baggage areas are located to the right with more seating snaking around the side. A large water feature has soothing drops, although on closer inspection they aren’t dropping down but rising up.
The main dining area has a sizeable bar and buffet counters (open 24 hours) and, in keeping with the overall theme, plenty of seating. Singles, couples and families all have acres of room and it must be virtually impossible to miss your flight with individual seat-side touchscreen monitors complemented by conventional flight information screens, which also display the tailfins – another novel touch. I preferred the monitors to the main boards.
Every section has a coffee counter and, as one forum poster rightly stated, charging points at each seat “are a plus”.
On this lower level, I should think most business travellers will be happy to sit on the smart blue front and back facing seats on the left (Vittel water and small Arabic sweets are alongside the monitors). This area also has a table displaying daily papers. The wirey, branch-like seats on the other side have cushions but I didn’t find them especially comfortable on the back. Possibly the plants beyond could have been extended at the expense of these seats, to boost the relaxing aura, although full marks for the final deli section, dedicated to fresh baguettes, sandwiches and salads, which is airy, features more greenery and range of seating options – in itself, probably larger than some lounges.
At the far end, TV-equipped cubicles are also available for passengers looking to rest or unwind. The toilets, with an automatically sliding door, wouldn’t look out of place in a five-star hotel and had refreshing organic mandarin and mint handwash. Walking back, you’ll find an enclosed business centre (which has a games room, with a beautifully crafted wooden table football) and corporates will warm to the free, easily connected wifi throughout. If time is tight, downstairs in the main concourse are two desks of Apple computers which anyone can use.
One hundred hotel rooms are available, which can be hired out for a minimum four hours, and a further 100 will be available once the north node is developed. Squash courts and the pool are open in the south node, as is the hotel spa. All of these facilities are available to use even if you are not staying at the hotel, for a fee of QR120 (US$33).
Lounge access
Entry into Al Mourjan lounge has attracted a fair amount of discussion on the Business Traveller forum (businesstraveller.asia/discussion) although officially, it sounds straightforward: it’s open to Qatar Airways’ business class passengers (and first for the time being) and Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members.
However, a Qatar Airways spokesman acknowledged that the airline does have five categories of premium traveller access – premium Qatar Airways; Privilege Club Qatar Airways; Oneworld membership; codeshare membership; and joint business agreements. At time of writing nine lounges are open, but ultimately there will be 16 (more are coming in the D & E north node).
While Al Mourjan is the star lounge attraction, the airport has four Al Maha lounges (meet and assist), the Oryx lounge (available for non-One World passengers on the second level, non members can enter for US$40) and one unaccompanied minors lounge.
Polished F&B
Qatar Duty Free has given plenty of thought towards its food, beverage and retail offering which spans 25,000sqm.
Inevitably there’s large areas devoted to high-moving confectionery and drinks but the design evokes a more discreet and personalised shopping experience – particularly on the far side where high-end perfume, cosmetic and skincare brands are displayed in chic, stand-alone boutiques (interestingly Coach chose to be near the food area as it wanted to be near the high footfall). The presentation is sharp, exemplified by Au (chemical symbol for gold) which positively glistens.
As I walk around the food venues, it feels a world away from my previous trip to London Gatwick the week before, where they were all lined up in a congested corridor and it took 15 minutes to find a seat.
Nicholas J Goddard-Palmer, Vice President F&B, said: “We decided to make the food court more like a market walk-through – we’ve tried to put a different spin on the offering.” With the exception of Burger King, which is a stand-alone unit, passengers can order from any venue and pay centrally which will be convenient for families and groups.
Venues include Azka (Arabic-Asian), Soho, Camden Food Company (organic), Yum Cha (Asian) and popular Negroni (Italian), where I spot some crocodile-shaped bread.
“We’ve tried to benchmark against regional airports,” added Goddard-Palmer. “If we overcharge people in F&B they’re not going to go shopping, and if they’re too expensive in retail they’re not going to eat, so we have to make sure there’s always value.”
The level of detail is summed up by Marché, which is designed as a ‘distress’ venue that can host up to 600 passengers in the event of major disruptions, although it’s also open on a day-to-day basis.
Soprafino, Qatar Café and Le Grand Comptoir are the three main venues a short walk away on the other side; we sampled a selection of dishes at the Al fresco Italian Soprafino, where all ingredients are made freshly on site. The menu was affordable with pizzas in the QR39-48 range (US$10-13), pastas costing between QR55-68 (US$15-19) and I would heartily recommend the Panacotta finale (QR25/US$7). Wine by the glass also seemed reasonable, in the QR24-29 range (US$7-8), although most executives will be well served in the lounges.
We were joined for lunch by Massimo Capra who is overseeing the restaurant. He’s a well-known face in Toronto (Archers/Prego della Piazza restaurants and City TV Cityline show), having licenced his name to the Rainbow Room in the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls, but this marks his first venture in the Middle East.
Qataf Café resembles a Majlis with comfy seats and intricate Moroccan lamps. The modern stainless steel counter was handmade in Ireland. Le Grand Comptoir is a brasserie serving international breakfast and bistro-style dishes.
Other venues designed for passengers to enjoy includes Marmalade Market, a gourmet food market, and Bumble Tree for kids, which has a roaring dinasour. Picking up reading matter isn’t a problem either with nine WH Smiths and a compact Virgin store.
Bearish outlook
There can be no denying the main talking point at Hamad International Airport: the giant, 23 foot-tall teddy bear which dominates the concourse and features a lamp attached to its forehead. Created by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, the bear was auctioned for US$6.8m, according to Christie’s website.
“Lamp Bear is welcoming the guests at Doha’s airport and celebrating the idea of travel, just as the artist celebrates travelling back in time to the symbols of childhood – a place we have all been to and where once in a while we like to go back,” reads a Qatar Museum Authority statement. “The yellow bear and its lamp are both playful and impressive: The coming of age of a simple toy into a full grown art work.” Flanked either side are similarly vast electronic billboards although standing close underneath one of them, I struggled to interpret the images.
For all the airport’s size, navigation is clear with unmissable letters for each section (A, B, C, D and E) – and I don’t know whether it was the rapid travellators or the signage, but it didn’t feel large, taking barely minutes to walk from the centre to the end of the B wing (B10) to catch my return flight. The first three are fully open and part of D is now open – all of D and E should be operational by the first quarter of 2015. The attractively lit marble desks by the gates are also among the most striking I’ve seen.
It’s clear that Hamad International Airport is an impressive hub and the quality of the finished product goes some way to explaining the lengthy delays. It will help serve Qatar Airways’ ongoing expansion – not just in terms of hardware, but increased passenger loads in light of its Oneworld alliance membership – raises Qatar’s profile on the global aviation map and will spur competition for transfer traffic with nearby Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 
