The Al Maha Lounge at Doha Hamad International Airport is located in the transit area of the international terminal. There are two sides to the airport (north and south) and the lounge is located in the south side, adjacent to the famous Bear Lamp. From the Bear Lamp, take the escalators on the left-hand side to the second floor and the lounge entrance will be located directly in front of you.
The Al Maha Lounge Doha is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For Priority Pass cardholders, there are no restrictions on entry times but you are technically only allowed a three-hour stay. However, I don’t think they enforce this rule too strictly as I was able to get in during a 5-hour layover. That being said, the lounge does get busy during peak times so you may have to wait a little bit to get in.
The lounge is divided into two sides (left and right of the front desk) and both sides are very similar. The left side is the main lounge and it’s slightly bigger than the right side but they both offer the same amenities, seating, and food options. The Al Maha Lounge is an interior lounge so there are windows or views of the outside world but the great use of greenery and “open windows” make the space feel spacious and connected to the larger pavilion outside.
For the most part, seating variety is limited to leather lounge chairs and dining tables. There is no business center and there are no dedicated places to work so if you need to work away on a laptop, the best place for you will be in the dining area. Electrical outlets are scattered throughout the lounge but there is no dedicated WiFi network for the lounge. Instead, you need to use the general airport WiFi, which is not password-protected.
During my visit, 8:00 pm on a Tuesday night, there was a limited selection of hot and cold dishes for food. There were two hot soup options (Laksa and Moroccan vegetable), one hot option (spaghetti) and several cold options (sandwiches, hummus, potato salad, and tabbouleh). The selection wasn’t amazing by any means but still appreciated.
For dessert, there was a small selection of pastries and some cold desserts such as passion fruit cheesecake and chocolate mousse.
For drinks, there were several espresso machines and drink stations scattered throughout the lounge. Non-alcoholic beverages included sodas, teas and juices and alcoholic beverages included a small selection of beer and wine.
Other lounge amenities include storage lockers, showers, family rooms, sleep rooms and a smoking room. The sleep rooms are not private and no amenities such as blankets, pillows, etc. are provided. The shower rooms are private but the amenities are limited to towels and wall-mounted bath and body products.
Al Maha Lounge Doha Bottom Line
Overall, the Al Maha Lounge at Doha Hamad International Airport is a decent place to spend a couple of hours during your layover. This is not a lounge that you need to arrive early to the airport for but if you have some time to kill in between flights, it’s not a bad place to freshen up and refuel before your next flight. The lounge is beautifully decorated and the food options are decent but it does get crowded and loud during peak times. Bring some noise-canceling headphones if you need to get any work done.
What are your thoughts? Have you visited the Al Maha Lounge Doha Airport recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
The other posts in this series include:
- American Express Centurion Lounge LAX
- Qatar Airways A350-1000 Economy Class, Los Angeles to Doha
- Al Maha Lounge Doha, a Priority Pass Lounge
- Sleep N’ Fly Sleep Lounge Doha, a Priority Pass Lounge
- Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER Economy Class, Doha to Male
- Fairmont Maldives Overwater Villa
- Fairmont Maldives Grounds, Amenities and Dining
- Leeli Lounge Male
- Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER Business Class, Male to Doha
- Qatar Airways Arrivals Lounge Doha
- Qatar Airways A350-1000 Business Class, Doha to Los Angeles
