Recently, View from the Wing wrote about a “Secret Special VIP Lounge at Washington Dulles” that gives foreign dignitaries special courtesies at US airports (.pdf). When I saw his headline, though, my mind was on another “secret special VIP lounge” that I recently stumbled across.
I love the new Turkish Airlines lounge at Washington Dulles. With its recent addition to the Priority Pass network, I no longer even have to be flying Star Alliance in order to access it. This lounge has comfortable seating, great food, kind staff, and a fully-stocked bar.
It also has a “secret special VIP lounge” within the lounge. While taking some pictures during my last visit I happened to look up and notice this:
What is this?, I thought. Does the lounge also have an upstairs section?
It appeared so. But when I inquired I learned that it was not open to regular riffraff accessing the lounge.
“Oh no sir, that is a special section for VIPs.”
There is a door next to the shower rooms that goes upstairs. I may or may not have tried to open it and found that it was locked.
Lounges within lounges are not something new, but this “secret” area in the Turkish lounge seems perfectly designed for the high-profile Washington DC market.
Ah, the inner keep. Cool that you discovered it. As great as having a new, high-end Priority Pass lounge at Dulles is, it’s good to know the lounge has something more exclusive that mere credit card holders/churners (or $27) cannot access.
As I’ve been inside the regular lounge several times I’ve not even noticed this. Interesting.
interesting
Almost, but not quite, correct. It’s not VIP only. And that locked door is an electrical room, not stairs that go up to that space. The stairs are elsewhere.
I noticed that last time and meant to update the post. The stairs are just inside the entrance to the kitchen. While the area is generally closed, it is possible to get up there.