Review LOT Polonez Lounge in Warsaw, what a nice surprise it is really TOP!
For the series when you have no expectations and out of the hat pops a lounge that, I believe without a doubt, will enter the [...]
LOT Polish Airlines
Star Alliance
WAW
For the series when you have no expectations and a lounge pops out of the hat that, I believe without a doubt, will enter the TFCbest of 2024.
In this article:
We are in Warsaw, the airport dedicated to Chopin is the home of LOT Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance carrier, which connects Poland with Europe and a fair number of destinations around the world.
Location
The lounge is located on the floor above the gates and stores, we are more or less in the middle of the terminal.
This is one of two lounges that the home company has at this airport, the other is Mazurek in the area dedicated to non-Schengen flights.
Access
The lounge is accessible to all business class passengers and passengers with status equivalent to Gold Star Alliance, the strange thing then is that in the short-haul flight area there are also two other independent lounges where Turkish and SAS passengers are also invited, but there is just no comparison.
The first thing to know is, As per Star Alliance practice, there are two lounges: that for business passengers and that for those with status, and in keeping with Miles&More tradition, passengers with status are treated better than those who travel "only" in business.
To access the Elite Club Lounge it is necessary to be Gold Star Alliance or HON Circle regardless of the ticket held. There is one exception for LOT's long-haul business class passengers to use this lounge as opposed to the lounge in the non-Schengen area,
The lounge
The exterior is sad, in fact very sad, it looks like an abandoned hallway with a couple of signs. It gives no hint of what it hides inside.
The business area is open to the terminal, the only real flaw in this room is that it has no view of the runway. It runs from one side of the building to the other and I must say that the decor, the finishes are really tasteful and perfect for a lounge.
The first area is set up with small tables, the second with sofas and armchairs. The decor reminds me of Thai's lounge in Bangkok with flowered walls.
The lounge, inside the lounge
This solution is not new in the Star Alliance world; for example, SAS has a similar thing in both Copenhagen Than in Oslo.
The Elite Club is smaller, and is divided into three small lounges. When I arrived at 6 a.m. from Tokyo it was practically deserted, by 7 a.m. instead the business was at capacity and in the Elite it was hard to find a seat, but then as is always the case both became empty with early morning flight departures.
The free spa
What I did not expect was the Free spa for lounge guests.
Service open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., admittedly the hours are perfect to avoid peak times: early mornings and late afternoons and weekends, i.e., when people are not traveling for work, but it matters little since this service has disappeared from almost all European lounges.
Only Air France still offers something like this to its passengers, but there are no other carriers that have free SPA in Schengen lounges in the EU.
Food & Beverage
Great offer is putting it mildly, when I think of more emblazoned companies that give nothing or almost nothing hot in their lounges, here instead there are two islands with hot and cold offerings.
Classic breakfast menu with eggs, bacon and more. In addition to this there is a cold buffet offering with cold cuts, cheeses and more.
In the elite hall, the offer is even richer.a. In addition to what is in the business part in fact there are desserts, salads and other small plates available to guests.
LOT drinking is no joke either, and For passengers with status is there really is everything, I have seen bar counters less stocked than this lounge.
Dulcis in fundo, there is a real bar operating from late morning until evening where they drink cocktails and spirits prepared by professional bartenders. Really a unique thing in the EU, something instead very popular in the U.S. where the bar is more important than the food.
In conclusion
Low expectations and high grade, I was starting from the half disappointment of the Non Schengen lounge, usually the best of the lot, and instead excellent choice of LOT to offer this quality to all top passengers, regardless of the destination, and then a simple "foothold" in the area from where long-haul flights depart.
Pro
- The Spa
- The elite lounge
Against
- Lack of vision
- Spa makes office hours