Before my Druk Air flight to Paro, I spent some time in the Executive Lounge at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu.
Executive Lounge Kathmandu Airport (KTM) Review
This is a landside lounge, located prior to security and passport control. While checking in for our Druk Air flight to Paro, we were presented lounge passes to access this lounge, though it is also a Priority Pass Lounge so we would have checked it out even if we were flying in economy class.
The lounge is around the corner from the check-in area. Just follow the signs to departures.
We checked on the ground level where our boarding passes were copied, then we were sent upstairs…via actual stairs.
A sign indicated a restaurant was to the left and the lounge to the right, but we were told we only had access to the right side (lounge).
There was some Radisson Hotel branding at the lounge entrance and at the podium upstairs, but I saw no other affiliations inside the lounge…which we had all to ourselves for the entire 30 minutes we were there.
What this lounge did well was offer functional wi-fi and plenty of seating. The lounge’s multiple seating areas were comfortable, although power outlets were few and far between.
Showers were available (one suite in each restroom), though apparently at a cost of 10 USD…
There was even a smoking room:
The food, though…it did not look very appetizing to me, although I had just eaten breakfast at The Dwarika’s Hotel. Even so, the breakfast spread was decent.
Plenty of liquor too…
Magazines and newspapers were also available:
The downside to this lounge is that it is landside. WHen our flight was delayed, we could not return to the lounge because it would have meant re-entering Nepal.
CONCLUSION
This lounge was clean and functional, although it would have been nice to see more power outlets. The staff was very kind. While there was a large selection of food, it did not look appetizing to me. I’d certianly use this lounge again, but not show up early for it.
I visited that lounge in November 2019 so it was a while ago but the food was horrible. Possibly the worst lounge food I ever ate. So bad I spit it out. It was evening and the lounge was pretty busy so the food was theoretically fresh. Beef was inedible and unchewable. It was a quiet spot from the rest of the airport but that was it’s only redeeming feature. It looks like that might be newer furniture at least.
And I felt bad not eating the food on my plate because I had seen so much poverty in Nepal but that didn’t make it any more edible.
I used that lounge a few times, the last being March 2020 flying home to Colombo, arriving just days before Sri Lanka went into lock down.
Yes the food was definitely substandard. I remember trying a selection of a few things that looked okay and eating less than half. But otherwise it was quiet and comfortable.
Is that the only lounge or is there another one airside?
There is another one called Horizon lounge, but it’s also landside. The food and service are better than the Executive, but is less spacious.