When I think of a Priority Pass lounge, I think of a small, overcrowded room, with some form of bottom-shelf booze and Wetherspoons-style catering, with chargeable showers (if any) and half of the seating being “reserved” for invisible people. The No1 lounge at Heathrow Airport springs to mind.
That’s why I’m always impressed when I go to a Priority Pass lounge, and find that it’s actually half-decent. That’s what happened today when I visited the Vienna Lounge at (yeah, you guessed it) Vienna Airport. Actually, I found it more than half-decent – I thought that the Vienna Lounge was very good, and could compete with many hub lounges in Europe.
I’ll have a full review soon, though for now wanted to share a couple of “first impressions” thoughts.
Vienna Lounge: the biggest Priority Pass I’ve been to
In terms of access requirements, the Vienna Lounge doesn’t scream “intimate” – the access list is quite long. The lounge is located in the Schengen region of Terminal 1 (though Vienna Airport is just one big terminal with a central immigration area), and many airlines send their premium passengers there, including British Airways. On top of that, the airline welcomes Priority Pass passengers, as well as passengers with other loyalty schemes.
However, the lounge makes up for it, with 2,500 sq. m of space. In comparison, Cathay Pacific’s colossal The Pier business class lounge is 3,298 sq. m., so this lounge is 75% as large. That’s very respectable for a Priority Pass lounge.
Vienna Lounge, Vienna Airport
Vienna Lounge’s varied, comfortable seating and facilities
Okay, size matters, especially for a lounge. But there are plenty of lounges that are plenty big too, so what set this one apart?
One thing that impressed me particularly was the sense of place that the lounge offered. For example, here’s a dining area, close to a food spread that serves Viennese coffee house-like options such as apple strudel and topfenstrudel (curd cheese strudel), as well as other delights. This was decorated like a coffeehouse, which I really enjoyed.
Vienna Lounge seating
I also really enjoyed the huge variety of other seating that was available throughout the lounge. Typically you’ll just find armchairs and maybe some type of bar seating, though in this case there were workstations of multiple sorts (including compact work pods and “true” desk chairs), high-backed seating, and more.
Vienna Lounge seating
There was even a separate partitioned-off section with daybeds. I didn’t spend too long in this lounge, though if I had a bit more time to spare, I’m sure I would’ve appreciated this.
Vienna Lounge daybeds
There was even an outdoor space. You all know I love outdoor spaces, and I really wasn’t expecting there to be one at this Priority Pass lounge. So why am I not raving about this space and immediately crowning this Priority Pass lounge my favourite lounge in the world? That’s because it was designated as a smoking area, and just happened to face a couple of planes on the tarmac, with fairly obstructed views – I would’ve much rather a separate smoking area been designated.
Vienna Lounge outdoor space
Despite this, I was so impressed by the variety of seating that the lounge featured, on top of its size. Whether I wanted to work, eat, or rest, I felt like there was a nice purpose-built area for me to do so.
Vienna Lounge’s great, location-relevant catering
The Vienna Lounge doesn’t feature any a-la-carte dining, and the food spread isn’t actually that extensive. However, I still found that it stood out to me for a couple of reasons.
For one, the lounge does seem to tap in to Vienna’s awesome food scene, as well as regional favourites, without being too try-hard with their execution. They served kalbsbutterschnitzel in place of Wiener schnitzel (a minced version that presumably would reheat better), but kept all the bells and whistles, such as gravy and mashed potatoes. In addition, there was also a very well-executed Greek moussaka.
Vienna Lounge food spread
In addition, there was a separate area with lots of Viennese delights, such as apple strudel, topfenstrudel, and other cakes and pastries.
Vienna Lounge Viennese dessert specialties
I also thought that the lounge had a very thoughtful alcohol selection. The wines and beers were all introduced using leaflets and brochures, and you could tell that these weren’t “random” Austrian selections, but were recommendations from the region.
Vienna Lounge alcohol selection
Vienna Lounge’s readily available showers
While Vienna Lounge’s showers aren’t anything special, I do really appreciate the fact that you can get one of the lounge’s four shower suites quite easily. Ventilation is okay and water pressure isn’t great (there isn’t a rainforest shower), and I wish there’d be a toilet within the shower suite – however, it’s still a very respectable offering, especially for a Priority Pass lounge. There’s no extra charge to use the shower room.
Vienna Lounge showers
Conclusion: Vienna Lounge
While the Vienna Lounge is nothing over-the-top, I found it to be remarkably executed. Apart from its large size, I particularly enjoyed the variety of seating and decor, a thoughtful food selection with local flair, and complimentary, clean, readily available showers. This is a stark contrast to many Priority Pass lounges that I’ve been to in the past, and I’d say it’s up there with the best Priority Pass lounges I’ve visited.
I’m not sure I’d pay full price to visit this lounge, though it’s definitely worth the £24 surplus if you’re visiting the lounge on an AmEx Gold Card (and have the time to swing by).
Do you have a favourite lounge within the Priority Pass network?
