From personal attendants to reflecting pools, these regional airport lounges might just make you miss your flight.
Spending countless hours at an airport (no matter how lavish and botanical-garden-inclusive it is) might not be the most pleasant part of anyone’s travel experience. We’d all much rather get some shuteye, stretch our aching muscles, or fuel up with some sushi/kebab/pastries.
Luckily for those of us with upcoming tediously long layovers, these five regional airport lounges are offering everything from sleep stations, reflective pools and complimentary massages to personal attendants, chef-manned cooking stations and escorts to your gate.
Qatar Airways ‘Al Mourjan’ Business Lounge
📍Hamad International Airport, Doha
Inside Qatar Airways’ flagship business-class lounge, which—at around 10,000 square metres—is massive, you’ll find a black-tiled reflecting pool, dedicated sleep stations, countless dining areas, and a kids' play area with an integrated nursery.
Emirates First Class Lounge
📍Dubai International Airport, Dubai
Stretching across almost the entire international concourse, this lounge has everything from a wine cellar (with tastings!), a cigar lounge, a spa, a coffee bar, in-lounge duty-free shops, quiet rooms, and, of course, dining options aplenty.
Turkish Airlines Business Lounge & ‘Miles&Smiles’ Lounge
📍Istanbul Airport, Istanbul
In response to the airport’s incurable crowdedness, Turkish Airlines decided to build not one, but two nearly identical lounges—the Business Lounge and the ‘Miles&Smiles’ Lounge, each spanning 5,600 square metres.
In addition to their expansive kids’ areas, toy racing tracks, touch-screen globes that track the airline’s flights, golf simulators, and massage services, these lounges are known for their culinary offerings, which include lavish buffet spreads and a dozen live cooking stations crafting delicacies.
Etihad First Class Lounge
📍Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi
Here, there’s something for the somaliers (namely, delicious wine), something for the athletes (a state-of-the-art gym) and even something for those that need a good pampering – a spa with mineral soaks, cucumber facials and 15-minute complimentary massages.
Oman Air First Class Lounge
📍Muscat International Airport, Muscat
With striking black walls and intricate golden details all around, this palace in lounge form doesn’t just offer a look into Omani culture, it offers some of the world’s finest wines, afternoon tea, a personal attendant and an escort to your gate.
