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Home » Reviews » Lounge Reviews » Review: Bidvest Premier Lounge Cape Town (CPT)
Lounge ReviewsSouth Africa

Review: Bidvest Premier Lounge Cape Town (CPT)

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 13, 2022November 13, 2023 3 Comments

a sign in front of a lobby

Years ago I reviewed the Bidvest Lounge in the international terminal at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and on my last trip I had the chance to review the Bidvest domestic lounge. Bottom line: it’s a very decent Priority Pass lounge.

Bidvest Premier Lounge Cape Town Domestic Terminal (CPT) Review

I visited this lounge during my July 2022 trip to South Africa.

Access + Hours + Location

I was flying on Safair and had no lounge access, but thanks to my Priority Pass membership, was able to access this lounge. The lounge is open from 4:30 am t0 7:30 pm Monday thru Friday and closes an hour earlier at 6:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Certain local bank card holders and premium cabin flyers on Airlink also are granted access.

The lounge is located airside (after security). Turn right after security and proceed to the end of the corridor then turn right again. Take the elevator up to the 4th Floor. Head down the hall and before you hit the South African Airways lounges, turn right and you will find the lounge.

Seating

This lounge is spread over two levels, with seating on both levels. Even at 5:00 am in the morning, the lower level was fairly crowded, but the upper level was empty.

a room with chairs and a tv

a group of people standing in a room

people sitting in a room with large windows

a staircase with glass walls and people sitting on it

a room with a glass wall and a television screen

a room with chairs and a table

a room with chairs and a tv

a room with chairs and a television

a planter with a white flower in it

a group of chairs in a room

a room with chairs and tables

Food + Drink

The lounge offered a very respectable spread of food and drinks for breakfast, including hot egg  frittatas, rösti, beef chipolatas, yogurt, cereal, croissants, smoothies, fresh fruit, muffins, and cheese.

a buffet table with food on it

a group of bowls of fruit

a row of glasses of fruit and yogurt

a plate of bread and cheese on a counter

a table with food on it

a variety of food in containers

a buffet table with food on it

a plate of croissants on a table

a group of silver food containers

a group of food containers on a counter

a group of food containers in a buffet

a group of bowls in a metal container

There were even some potato chips (a weakness of mine…), but I resisted…

a group of bags of food on a shelf

a sign on a stand
Do not take food from the lounge!

All drinks are self-serve. Coffee, tea, orange juice, soft drinks, and water were located in the food area. In a separate refrigerator, alcoholic beverages including beer and wine were available, though I did not notice any hard liquor (perhaps due to the early hour?).

a coffee machine on a counter

a refrigerator full of cans and soda

a refrigerator full of beer and cans

Restrooms + Showers

Restrooms and shower facilities are available. Towels are available from reception.

a sign on a wood surface

a sign on a counter

a sink in a bathroom

a toilet and sink in a bathroom

a bathroom with a glass shower and a bench

a shower head and shower head in a bathroom

Newspapers + Magazines

In a blast from the past (since these are all but eliminated from U.S. lounges), newspapers and magazines were available. It’s kind of fun to actually hold a newspaper in your hand…

a wooden bookcase with several books on it

Additionally, electronic periodicals and newspapers are available on your electronic devices.

a rectangular box with a picture of a laptop on it

CONCLUSION

Overall, a solid lounge. It beat my expectations and offered a respectable range of food and beverage choices and plenty of room to spread out.

If you are choosing between this lounge the South African Airways lounge next door, the only reason I choose the SAA lounge is that there is barista-made coffee available versus simply the automatic machine.

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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. BrYan Reply
    October 13, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    It’s not surprising the lounge was crowded since CPT-JNB is one of the busiest routes in the world (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_passenger_air_routes). That being said, I’ve also found the lounge to be really accomodating of larger numbers, which is why I enjoy it.

    The finish is in better shape than the SAA lounge, but the SAA lounge wins in terms of spaciousness.

    Generally, the SAA food is less appetising, except sometimes you hit the jackpot with a delicious cooked meal – the Bidvest lounge food in my experience is boringly reliable (but you get the same level of quality all the time), whereas SAA can be a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. As you say, though, you can always drown your sorrows with a decent cuppa coffee!

    • BrYan Reply
      November 9, 2022 at 6:07 am

      Oh, hey! Here I am at the upgraded SAA Lounge in Cape Town.

  2. Tania Riley Reply
    May 4, 2024 at 1:51 pm

    I was disappointed in the Bidvest Lounge at CT international. The worst wine I have ever tasted. The worst coffee. No bottled still water. Food was unappetising. They need a new chef.

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