The Al Dhabi lounge is one of two Plaza Premium contract lounges located at Abu Dhabi’s International Airport Terminal 1. This review will cover the lounge’s space, service, as well as food and beverage offerings.
Getting to the lounge
The lounge is located at Abu Dhabi’s Terminal 1 - roughly 100 meters from the other Plaza Premium lounge - Al Reem. Travelers with flights departing both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are able to visit this lounge as the terminals are connected by one long corridor.
Terminal 3 passengers will need to walk for at least 10 minutes to get over to Terminal 1. Open 24 hours a day, the Al Dhabi lounge is located a level above departures and can be accessed by elevator or stairs.
As a Priority Pass member, entry is granted with a scan of the member card and boarding pass. For guests who wish to pay for entry, the cost of a three-hour stay is currently $57USD.
Space and seating
After already visiting the Al Reem lounge, I realized that this lounge is just so much bigger. There are so many different sections to this lounge and clearly there are plenty of places to stretch out and get some rest or finish some work.
Guests can choose between high-top bar tables, a restaurant-style dining area, or a more relaxed area with comfortable chairs. There are also plenty of closed-off workstations around for business travelers. When I had arrived to review the various spaces, there were several travelers sleeping peacefully in remote corners of the lounge; see the photos below.
Food
The breakfast-time service of this lounge offers food similar to the Al Reem lounge - which isn’t much of a surprise as they are both Plaza Premium lounges. However, this lounge had the one added benefit of a station with a cook present to freshly prepare eggs/omelets to your liking.
For self-serve food options there were the following items:
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Chicken sausages
- Baked beans in tomato sauce
- Roast Potatoes
- Dhal Curry
As for cold salad-bar items, guests had access to:
- Fruit salad
- Yogurt
- Sliced meats and cheeses
- Fresh-cut vegetables
- Hummus
- Labneh
- and salad greens
There was also a fairly wide selection of pastries and bread, including sugar-coated donuts and croissants.
Beverages
Drinks are fairly standard at this lounge and include a coffee machine, a selection of teas, and a fridge full of various carbonated drinks. A staffed-bar is located in the far back area of the lounge where a bartender can assist you with any alcoholic (or caffeinated) beverages you would like.
Conclusion
Having visited both Plaza Premium lounges at Abu Dhabi, I would recommend going to the Al Dhabi lounge instead of the Al Reem lounge. While there is nothing particularly bad about Al Reem, the Al Dhabi lounge is so much more spacious and, in my opinion, more comfortable.
If you have visited this lounge let us know if this review is accurate by leaving a comment!