WHEN I told friends I’d be spending a whole day in the airport, their responses were much the same: “Poor you” and “What a slog”.
But after ten minutes in a bath-warm swimming pool hovering above the terminal at Hamad International Airport, in Qatari capital Doha, their sympathies somewhat faded.
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This wasn’t a “slog”, at all. I was at the “best airport in the world”, according to aviation review site Skytrax. And a visit here is a holiday in itself.
Within a few hours I’d strolled through a tropical rainforest, tucked into traditional sweets in a souq and had a sumptuous massage in a tranquil spa where airport stresses melt into distant memories.
How is all this possible?
Well, the airport has pegged itself as the ultimate layover destination, and it’s so big it supposedly covers a third of the city of Doha.
Bedouin cushions
Around 30million people passed through the airport in 2018 – and that number is about to skyrocket thanks to a new expansion unveiled this month.
Two new concourses spread over 850,000 square metres will allow it to transport a 65 million passengers per year – almost 20 million more than London’s Gatwick.
And there is plenty to keep trippers entertained while they wait for flights.
The Orchard is the airport’s indoor tropical garden, constructed in 2022 – tall leafy palms and lush, green banana plants flourishing in the sunlight under a glass dome.
All of the shrubs are real. The birds hiding within them are not, although the chirping sounds floating from hidden speakers nearly had me fooled.
I wasn’t surprised to catch passengers reading a book on the artificial grass, or cosying down in one of the wooden tipis – with the noise of the nearby waterfall muffling out the chaos of a busy airport, this is surely the most peaceful spot in Hamad International.
At least that’s what I thought.
Unlike The Orchard, which is free to visit, a spa pass to the Vitality Spa costs around £40, unless you’re a guest of the airport hotel –more on that below.
When I visited, I had the entire space to myself, including the 25-metre pool.
A pass also gets you access to a changing room with lockers, slippers and a fluffy robe, hydrotherapy pools and a fully equipped gym.
Don’t worry about getting sweaty – there are showers with sumptuous toiletries, too.
There’s even a squash court, and a golf simulator. These cost extra, though.
The only downside to my heavenly hour-long massage (£95) was several blaring announcements of a gate change for the next Air Arabia flight.
There’s nothing like the noise of a Tannoy to welcome you back to reality with a thud.
Luckily, any woes could be cured by snacks. And where better to snack than a souq? I was in the Middle East, after all.
Yes, the airport is even home to Souq Al Matar, with woven rugs and bedouin-style cushions for lounging on, trolleys selling cinnamon sticks and other spices, and a shop dishing out traditional sweets.
Elsewhere, there’s a Harrods tea room, 100-room hotels . . . and don’t even get me started on the luxury shopping.
If your next flight is more than a few hours away, head to the Discover Qatar desk where you’ll be able to book a brief excursion, be that a city tour (£24) or trip to a beach club (£6 entry).
Never did I think I’d be praying for a long layover. But, at Hamad International, it’s a welcome holiday.
