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Home » Reviews » Lounge Reviews » Review: Al Dhabi Lounge Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Lounge ReviewsPriority Pass

Review: Al Dhabi Lounge Abu Dhabi (AUH)

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 15, 2023November 13, 2023 3 Comments

a sign on the wall

The Al Dhabi Lounge in Abu Dhabi Terminal 1, formerly a Plaza Premium Lounge, served as a comfortable and productive work space ahead of my Gulf Air flight to Bahrain.

Al Dhabi Lounge Abu Dhabi Review (AUH)

It is is not clear to me why Plaza Premium no longer manages this lounge, though it is now managed by the airport. In addition to being a Priority Pass lounge, it also serves as a premium cabin lounge for a number of airlines that operate from T1.

The lounge is open 24/7 and located on the first floor. If you are transiting from another terminal or just completed passport control, you will go up one level, past the “hotel” entrance and to a separate lounge entrance.

a hotel lobby with a sign and people standing behind it

a man standing at a counter in a hotel

Once checked in, you’ll find a daily spacious lounge with several rooms offering seating including the signature honeycomb-like chairs I see in so many Plaza Premium lounges.

a room with a few booths

a booth with a seat and a chair in the middle

a room with chairs and a wall

a room with a table and chairs

a room with a round counter and purple chairs

a chandelier in a room

a group of purple chairs and a black booth

a room with a booth and a wood floor

At 9:00 pm the lounge was not crowded, though by 10:30 pm it filled up quite a bit.

In the center of the lounge is a dining area with self-serve, buffet-style food and drink, including a salad bar and several hot dishes, with Western (pasta, chicken medallions) and Asian (Indian food plus noodles) choices. There’s a dining area adjacent to the buffet.

a man standing in a kitchen

a salad bar with different types of food

a kitchen with many pots and pans

a trays of food in a glass case

a beverage cooler in a restaurant

a man standing in a kitchen

a group of people sitting at tables in a room

A bar was empty (it was Ramadan), and alcoholic drinks were not even available “hidden” below the counter. This is a dry lounge during Ramadan.

a man behind a counter in a hotel

In the rear of the lounge there was a roped-off area that looked like it was an Etihad Airways lounge.

a room with a glass door and a plant

For smokers, a small room offered an indoor area to smoke.

a room with brown chairs and tables

a room with brown chairs and tables

a room with brown leather chairs and a table

Shower rooms were not available and the massage area appeared to be closed (no longer in operation). Restrooms were clean, though all the urinals showed “out of order.”

a hallway with plants and a screen

a sign on a wall

a hallway with a smoking room

a hallway with a marble floor and a tile floor

a hallway with a couple people sitting on a couch

a bathroom with sinks and urinals

CONCLUSION

While this lounge does not have a lot of character, I certainly appreciated waiting here for 90 minutes instead of in the terminal. This is a respectable Priority Pass lounge and you will find comfortable seating and a decent spread of food if you find yourself with a layover in AUH.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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3 Comments

  1. Dougie Reply
    March 16, 2023 at 3:19 am

    Yes I’ve used this lounge many times and definitely prefer this of the two public lounges at Abu Dhabi.

    One point, if you come into Terminal 1 then it is indeed just after transit security or passport control; but if you checked in or arrive at Terminal 3 then it is fairly long walk from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1, all the way to the end of the corridor and past the walkway to the gates. But if you plan to be there for a while, it’s worth the walk.

    The mezzeh items on the buffet are usually excellent, if a little chilled!

  2. JMacNYC Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 10:03 am

    One question. Were you allowed to use the roped off part of the lounge (which I have seen in video reviews as being for “business and first class” passengers)? We are flying out of AUH on Qatar in first and under if one has access to what seems, from the video reviews I have seen, a much quieter and less busy part of the lounge. Especially when we will be there for our 1:50am departure.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 11:00 am

      I was not invited to use the ropes off portion of lounge.

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