Turkish Airlines Business Class Istanbul Lounge
Vast, huge, and light, the brand new Turkish Airlines Business Class Istanbul Lounge is airy and architecturally inspiring.
With a multitude of place to eat, and different places to sit, there are also a huge number of things to do. From a flight simulator, golf driving range, mini car racing, and even a UEFA museum, the one surprise is that there is no bar in the lounge, and any type of alcohol is hard to track down.
However it is stunning in the new gateway hub for the region. There are also two other very similar lounges to check out, with the Star Alliance Gold lounge, and the Miles and Smiles elite lounge nearly identical and nearby in the airport.
Istanbul Turkish Airlines Business Class lounge review
the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge in Istanbul is one of the best business class lounges in the world. In terms of size, variety of places to sit and eat, atmosphere, and sheer 'everything' the lounge has it all.
Indeed, it is one of two Turkish Airlines lounges: if you hold a Star Alliance Gold card you'd be directed to the Turkish Airlines Business Class Istanbul Lounge which is so similar that it isn't much of a concern.
However this lounge, technically named 'Turkish Airlines Lounge Business', is open to Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance business class passengers, and not a Star Alliance Gold lounge, which is a little confusing. However, it is vast, at over 60,000 square feet and can accommodate 765 passengers.
The entrance is near Gate E1, but a little hidden away up a side alleyway in among all the shops. Your credentials will be checked at the base of the escalator by staff who are very used to turning away passengers, and then at the top of the escalator you need to scan your boarding pass at the automatic gates.
As soon as you enter the new Turkish Airlines Business Class Istanbul Lounge you'll see the swoosh, which will follow you from the entrance and around all parts of the lounge.
Then as you enter the lounge, you notice the grand piano which is tinkling away. There are generally bowls of fresh-cut flowers here and a vast screen showcasing Turkish Airlines and all of its destinations around the world.
From the entrance, you can turn left, and approach the work desks, an area with lockers for your bags, and at the far end an area with bedrooms if you have a long layover, however access to these is tightly controlled.
Turn right and to the balcony, and throughout the length of the lounge there are white chairs and sofas all the way along the balcony, along with occasional meeting rooms which you can book.
However most people turn right, and walk through the lounge through the lounge past the various fooderies, which are arranged in little stone huts, with overhead wooden frames, rather like a traditional Turkish beach resort. Adding to the effect are the giant palms in wooden pots.
Around these there are Parisian cafe style tables and chairs, and this area, particularly near the door, gets very busy, however part of the problem is that the chairs are arranged in groups of four: solo travellers tend to hog these and put bags on three of the chairs, defeating the purpose.
Carry on walking, underneath the 'swoosh' which flows through the lounge, and on the left is the strange kind of TV area, but it's quite odd: there are twelve TV screens in a wall, but with a single line of chairs watching the screens, very close to them. Sit here, and you get a kink in your neck, plus you can't hear what is on the TV screens anyway. You can however borrow noise cancelling headphones and a remote to tune into the screen of your choice: piles of them are in the corner.
On the opposite side of the lounge from here is the coffee room and library. This looks great, with a dark enclosed space with trendy gold coffee tables. On the other side of the room is indeed the coffee table itself. Keep on walking, and out into the main part of the lounge again, past the pide hut, and you come to the giant salad buffet, which is fantastic. Opposite are the pizza ovens.
If you turn right up the side alley here, you come to the golf course, and the flight simulator. Hidden away in a back corridor is a small sleeping area, with recliners: few people find this space, but it is in the most idiotic location, with sunshine beating down on you, and overlooking the noise of the terminal.
Keep on going as there is yet more to explore in the lounge, with the mini slot car racing game, the mead barrels, and then in the far end of the lounge the children's play area, with a giant play in aeroplane.
Keep on walking, as there is yet more to explore, with the other side of the lounge full of white seats; right at the end of the lounge on the balcony is generally the most quiet and calming area.
There are lots of games to try while you are in teh lounge: the most popular is the panini golf simulator, and the mini slot car racing game.
Food
If there is one thing that defines the Istanbul Turkish Airlines Business Class lounge it is food. There is a vast array of options to suit Western and middle eastern tastes, even if it does lean a little towards the latter.
The main dining area is in the middle of the lounge, and is designed to look like a series of stone huts, joined by overhanging wooden trellises, which covers it from the tall vast ceiling of the airport and somehow manages to feel more intimate. Although there are numerous small side tables and chairs which also span the area, if you want somewhere more conventional.
Throughout the main thoroughfare however are multiple live cooking stations making a range of omelettes, Pides and other Turkish delicacies.
Further up there are a couple more stalls making other dishes, although about as western as it gets is one stall making pizza, and a small tub of curry.
However the highlight of the lounge is the four sided tiered salad bar, with numerous options. Indeed, the quality of salad, and the different types of dip, is very much worthy of note.
Bar
The real surprise about the Turkish Airlines Business Class Istanbul Lounge is there is no bar!
Instead there is a small trolley with a few bottles of wine, hidden near the Pide stand - and that's it.
However cans of beer are in all the fridges.
Very much hidden away, in a wooden cabinet on wheels by the TV screen is a small spirits bar, with bottles of free pour spirits, and ice oddly in the wooden drawers below. There is (non-chilled) Baileys here, along with Johhny Walker Red and Black label, and just a single Beefeater gin.
Don't miss the traditional Ayran barrels half way up the lounge, with a traditional Turkish yoghurt drink.
Business Facilities
There are no business facilities as such, but there are meeting rooms you can book: they overlook the balcony side. A trio of conference rooms can be reserved at reception or even using the screen on the door of each lounge.There is of course free wifi, but noone explains how it works: At the entrance there are two ATM type machines, which dispense internet vouchers with a unique username and password; you just need to scan your boarding pass and a voucher will print. Don't miss the huge newspaper stands: Turkey is famous for it's multitude of newspapers, and many of them are available here.
The vast wall of yellow things by the front entrance are luggage lockers, where you can store your bag.
Bathrooms
In lounge, with plenty of showers.If you have a shower, an Ironing service is available while you are in the bathroom.
Private Bedrooms
There are a number of private hotel-like rooms inside the lounge, but you need to be on Turkish business class, with a connection between four and nine hours, and one of your flights needs to be at least eight hours.If you can't get a Private Suite, the daybeds are on the north side of the lounge, with each one separated by a thick curtain, with pillows and blankets.
Access
Turkish Airlines Business Class departing on a same-day Turkish or Star Alliance flight.
No admittance to Star Alliance Gold.
Video: Turkish Airlines Business Lounge
Very large
Lots of things to do
Little western food