Louis Vuitton's First Airport Vip Lounge Opens

A few days ago, French luxury brand Louis Vuitton opened a new VIP lounge and restaurant, Louis Vuitton Lounge, at Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha, Qatar. This is also the first time Louis Vuitton has set up a brand-name airport lounge anywhere in the world.

The VIP lounge is located on the top floor of the Louis Vuitton duty-free store at Qatar Airport, which opened in October last year. It is open to Qatar Airways Gold members, Platinum Privilege Club members, and VIPs of the Louis Vuitton brand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The lounge features designer furniture, including India Mahdavi low tables and Costela armchairs by Martin Eisler, while the adjoining restaurant, helmed by three-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, serves dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients. At the same time, a bar is also set up in this lounge, offering high-end spirits, champagne, and a variety of well-crafted cocktails.

Like other big luxury brands, Louis Vuitton has expanded into hospitality and dining in recent years, offering consumers a rich experience beyond shopping in brick-and-mortar stores.

The airport VIP room set up this time is the ninth food-related project created by Louis Vuitton since 2020. Other projects include pop-up stores, permanent restaurants, and chocolate shops in Tokyo. In addition, the brand plans to transform its corporate headquarters in Paris into a hotel.

On the opening day, Thabet Musleh, the new senior vice president of Qatar Duty Free, said in an interview with the global travel retail media "The Moodie Davitt Report", "This is very special. Michelin chefs like Alléno and world number one luxury brands like Louis Vuitton trust you and achieve such great things; it speaks volumes about our team, what we do, and how we operate."

Chef Yannick Alléno says: "Our positioning is very specific. When customers are at an airport, I think they need more than a simple café or bistro. You can get what you need here. And, you know, Qatar has become the center of the world."

He added that Thabet Musleh and Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker always want to "have the best", so "I'm excited to be a part of it and create something different".

Yannick Alléno also emphasized the environment of the restaurant and the quality of the dishes: "We have delicious, sustainable food. I know Arabic food very well. I have worked for the King of Morocco for 15 years. I try my best to do what I can. We do what we can to entertain our guests. Quite simply, our goal is to make our customers happy."

In addition to Louis Vuitton, Hamad International Airport also has many luxury stores and high-end dining spaces opened by a number of luxury brands and retailers, including Emporio Armani Caffee, Fendi Caffee, Ralph Lauren's Ralph's Coffee, Harrod's Tea Room, and Dior, which recently opened a spa here.

Hamad International Airport was voted "Best Airport in the World" for 2021 by Skytrax.