The First-Class Airline Lounge That's So Over-The-Top It Feels Like A 5-Star Hotel

One of the best perks of traveling in style, whether it's through a credit card partner or a business or first-class ticket, is getting access to the best airport lounges. No more tracking down a quiet corner of an airport to call home for your hours-long layovers. You can hunker down and relax in a private space away from the crowds and enjoy a few extra luxurious perks that aren't available to everyone else.

One of the best airport lounges you can spend your layover in is the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge, located in the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. It feels more like a luxury resort than an airport lounge. The larger than life space is located on the third floor of the airport's main terminal. As soon as you arrive, an employee is usually there to greet you and to check your boarding pass and passport. Once you're in the clear, you'll step through the automatic doors and feel as if you've been transported into another dimension. The interior, inspired by Doha's Museum of Islamic Art, sucks you right into the local culture. The hallways are lined with artwork and artifacts that have been loaned to the lounge from the Museum of Islamic Art. One of the first things you'll notice is how calm and quiet the space is, and then you'll realize that you are truly in for one of the most luxurious experiences of your life.

This exclusive lounge is not one you can access with a priority pass membership or any of the other airport lounge passes. It's only free to passengers who bought a first-class ticket — and does not include passengers who were upgraded to first class. Passengers who arrived at the airport in first class and depart in a different class are only eligible if their inbound flight time was five hours or more. For passengers traveling in business class or who had their tickets upgraded to first, paid access is available for 250 QAR (about $69) and time in the lounge is limited to six hours. Once you're inside, you'll understand why it's so exclusive.

For one thing, Al Safwa First Lounge features a full service restaurant that can seat up to 250 guests. If you get hungry, there is an extensive menu of gourmet food and drinks — including alcoholic beverages — that are waiting to be served to you. And this isn't your typical airport cuisine of cold, pre-wrapped sandwiches. You'll get to experience premium table-service dining, featuring fresh international and traditional Arab cuisine at no extra cost. There is also a bar maintained by staff who know their stuff.

The lounge also features sleeping rooms that put most hotels to shame. These rooms are available on a first come, first served basis, and are free to use during your stay. Other complimentary amenities that come with lounge access include an art museum, business center, game room, sushi bar, sandwich bar, prayer room, sleeping pods, family area, and nursing station. For an extra cost, you can book a treatment in one of the nine spa treatment rooms. Once you're in this lounge, you won't want to leave.