AMS: Amsterdam KLM Crown Lounge 25 Schengen - Business Class Lounge
The Schengen KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam (Lounge 25) is a smaller copy of its non-Schengen cousin by gate 52, and is used just for inter-Europe flights. Oddly, there are more of these shorter flights, and so this lounge can get much busier than the non-Schengen lounge, and with a much higher turnover of passengers who stay for less time.
Being the main Skyteam lounge for flights to Europe within the Schengen zone it also handles and doubles up as the Alitalia Amsterdam lounge and the Amsterdam Air France Business Class lounge. It is also used as the Aer Lingus Amsterdam lounge.
The KLM Crown Lounge 25 takes its name from the nearby gates, located just up and off the main drag of the inter-Europe terminal, by gate 25 (hence the name Lounge 25). Take the stairs by the Grand Cafáé, or the lift. It's very close to all the shopping, and indeed it may be best to nip out of the lounge for a few minutes to shop, rather than plan to shop before lounging.
The Amsterdam Schengen KLM Lounge is large, and has two main sections; most people stay at the front section, to the left of the main entrance, but if you go straight on and then right through the glass doors there is another area which is normally much quieter than the main lounge, and indeed at busy times in the only place where you can sit. There is a small business area here - with just a couple of computers. If you want the main business area, that's in the centre of the main lounge, arranged in a circle. In the centre of the circle is a small TV area, with very comfy benches in a darkened room, and almost inevitably this area is used for naps.
The Amsterdam KLM Business Class lounge is has plenty of the signature red chairs and vast angle-poise lamps which typify KLM lounges. At the front of the lounge there is some light but the view from the windows is pretty poor; here there are the usual relaxing armchair type seats, with power sockets between them, and so this is where most people come to rest.
There is just one small food area, and one main bar, with a couple of smaller refreshment stations dotted around the lounge. The small bar and food area is at the junction between the lounges, and around this area it gets very busy, particularly early in the evening when everyone comes in for a bite to eat.
At the far end of the main lounge there is a small glass walled smoking room.
Food
The Amsterdam KLM Crown Lounge Schengen has some decent food, but not much variety, and somewhat less hot food than in the main non-Schengen flagship lounge.
For breakfast there are several cereals, fresh fruit salad, yoghurt, croissants with jam, cheese with "krackertjes" and some juices. At lunch and dinner there is a hot soup, cold cuts, pasta salad
During the day the menu is restricted to just trays of ham and cold meat, plus a bowl of salad leaves, and a few bowls of nuts and nibbles.
In the evening there is occasionally hot food, with sausages and some Dutch specialities.
Bar
The bar is OK, but not that special in the inter-Europe KLM Amsterdam business class lounge.There is Heineken on draft, as you would expect, and another beer in bottles in the fridge.
Wine is in the little trough on the curved bar: there is a sparkling wine, along with two types of red, and two of white.
There are six bottles of spirits on optics above the bar - and indeed at the little mini bar in the inner room. Gin is Bombay Sapphire, Vodka Smirnoff, and Bacacdi, VSOP, and Dewards make up the rest of the mix.
Down below these are five bottles of Dutch spirits - locally made BOLS liquor is very good indeed.
Bathrooms
In the KLM Amsterdam Lounge. 4 shower rooms are available.Business Facilities
There are OK business facilities in the KLM Lounge Amsterdam Schengen, around the curved central TV area. This area has several PCs, which are new and decent. There is also a laser printer.
There are power sockets dotted around the lounge, and the free wifi is good and fast.
A small selection of newspapers is on the curved rack by reception.
There is a TV area with 4 screens.
Video: KLM Schengen Lounge 25
