Lufthansa Senator Lounge Berlin Brandenburg
The Lufthansa Senator lounge at Berlin Brandenburg airport is the more upmarket lounge with more space, better catering, and fantastic airport views.
There is a simple and minimalistic design but it was revamped in 2023, and now is pleasantly atmospheric, particularly the area overlooking the runways.
The views are superb, as is the sheer amount of space: the lounge never seems all that crowded.
There is also a separate dining area in the inner part of the lounge, two bar areas, phone rooms, a full hot buffet and a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and even a separate area for the most elite of elite flyers.
Berlin Brandenburg Lufthansa Senator lounge review
It is no surprise there is a Lufthansa lounge at Germany's capital Berlin. What is a surprise is that there are two lounges, and both are nearly brand new. Having already been revamped, within a year of the airport opening. This is in no small part thanks to the older style lounge being opened, and mothballed for a decade. However, since then Berlin moved from being a potential hub airport, to at the end of a spoke, and now the airport boasts Lufthansa flights just to Munich and Frankfurt: even the old flights direct to London are no more.
The Senator lounge even features a steam fireplace, as well as a new digital art concept, allowing guests to individually contribute to the artwork via an app.
Which is all the more astounding that the Lufthansa Senator Lounge Berlin is both large, new and swish. And pretty much empty most of the day between the occasional regional flights.
It is right next to the Lufthansa Berlin Business Lounge, for those without the right type of frequent flyer card.
The Berlin Lufthansa lounge, which was remodelled early 2023, embracing a "modern room concept" dividing the spaces into zones for rest, conversation and work, in a kind of boutique hotel-like style, but with Lufthansa's classic blandness.
The Senator side boasts panoramic tarmac views with the Berlin skyline in the distance, and most passengers on entering up the steep stairs, then turn sharp left, to the seats overlook the views. Here there are some great photos and posters on the wall, if you are heavily into U Bahn maps, that is. There are two lovely recliners here, overlooking the runway.
Inland from here is a smaller more enclosed area, which has a small fireplace. Not a real one though: it runs on steam.
As you walk around, inland there are some circular seating areas, suiting groups of four or six, then as you swing back towards the entrance there is the small secondary bar on one side, and phone booths and a work room on the inland side. Then you come to the dining area, with dining tables overlooking the windows, a central island buffet, and the bar against the wall.
Throughout the lounge though there is comfortable seating with power outlets in the armrests or in the wall. The Senator Lounge features a vapor fireplace where guests can relax or work, but misses the library on the Business Class side, although both lounges offer stellar views of the runway and are located on the North Pier of Terminal 1.
The lounges are located at the north pier of Terminal 1 close to gate B20 - the Senator facility is brand new, while Business lounge has undergone a refurbishment programme.
Close to the entrance is the separate space for HON Circle members.
Food
The dining in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge Berlin Brandenburg is best described as solid and German. And very Lufthansa.There is one hot dish, boiling away in a tub by itself, and another bowl of hot soup which changes daily.
There is a large salad bar, with the usual Lufthansa Senator selection of potato, cabbage and cucumber, plus gherkins and olives. Don't miss the ham cheese and tomato, plus various odd kinds of lard type dips.
There are also an all manner of breads.
There are also some good deserts in the fridge, and packets of biscuits and nuts.
Don't miss the 'secondary' snack bar in the middle of the lounge. This has Lufthansa's 'meal of the month' which can often be a regional delicacy, plus there is a small bar here, and a shelf with bar stools, which has jars of all sorts of interesting sweets, including Berlin's famous 'gummy bears'.
Bar
The bar in the Lufthansa Berlin Senator Lounge is excellent, contrasting the rather run of the mill dining.The bar is to the left of the food servery, with the classic Lufthansa 'perspex box of wine' with three or four bottles sitting in a plastic square box to chill them. There is usually a German sparkling wine.
Beers is good, with two taps dispensing draft Becks and Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier. Logoed glasses are behind the beer pump. There is also a bucket here with bottles of beer, with three types of Becks (plain, light, and lime flavour).
Up on a glass shelf is an amazing array of spirits, with 20 bottles in total, including some special Gins from the UK.
There is a coffee machine, and a decent range of tea.
Business Facilities
There are three phone booths, where you can have a zoom conversation in quiet without disturbing the rest of the lounge. Not that many people bother, and they aren't very well used.There is also a small conference room, next to the room for Hon Circle members.
There very good free and fast wifi in the Lufthansa Senator lounge, which is far better than the Berlin Brandenburg airport supply.
Bathrooms
In lounge, but outside it, in the arrival lobby.Access
Lufthansa and SWISS first and business class, Miles & More Senator, HON Circle frequent flyers departing on a Lufthansa, Star Alliance or eligible codeshare partner flight and Star Alliance Gold cardholders departing on a same-day Lufthansa or Star Alliance flight.
Lufthansa also offer the chance to buy entry to the lounge if you are in economy. It costs 39 euro, but you'll need to buy a voucher in advance, and you can only access the Lufthansa Berlin Business Lounge.
Video: Lufthansa Senator Lounge
Always very empty
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