Review: Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge Madrid Airport
This reviews details my visit to the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge, a business lounge in Terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas Airport in Spain.
Air Europa flight
Having stayed the night at the ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas hotel, it was a relatively short early morning walk to reach Terminal 2 of Madrid Airport.
Terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas Airport is used by a wide variety of airlines, including by most SkyTeam and Star Alliance carriers for Schengen area flights.
The biggest airline to operate out of Madrid Barajas Airport Terminal 2 is Air Europa, which uses this terminal for their domestic and Schengen area flights.
I was flying with Air Europa in economy class to Milan Malpensa.
Although there was a queue for the economy class check-in desks of Air Europa, I could use the business class check-in line courtesy of my SkyTeam Elite Plus status.
With there being only one person in front of me in the queue, check-in was a quick affair and within minutes I had my boarding pass in hand.
Madrid Airport Terminal 2
Terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas Airport is an ancient relic that certainly ranks among Europe’s least charming terminals.
It’s layout is bit confusing and the décor is decidedly functional.
Madrid Airport Terminal 2 really is a far cry from magnificent Terminal 4 where the flights of Iberia and their oneworld partner airlines depart from.
Finding the only business lounge in Terminal 2 of Madrid Airport, the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge, was a bit tricky due to the confusing layout and lack of signage in parts of the terminal.
However, after a while I did find the elevator that would take me one floor up to the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge.
Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge entry requirements
The Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge is the only lounge in Terminal 2 of Madrid Airport and is used by most airlines departing from this terminal for their business class passengers and frequent flyer elites.
As an Air France/KLM Flying Blue Platinum member (SkyTeam Elite Plus), I could access the lounge before my economy class flight to Milan with Air Europa.
You can also access the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge with Priority Pass or another lounge membership programme.
It is also possible to pay for your lounge visit, which you can do on the spot or in advance through the Aena airport authority website.
It currently costs €41.15 to access the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge and €19.00 for a child aged between 6 and 10 (children younger than 6 years can get in for free).
Inside the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge
Once you enter the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge you will instantly notice how non-descript its design is.
Just like Madrid Airport Terminal 2 as a whole, the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge feels completely characterless and sterile.
It’s basically just one giant room with a random collection of chairs, sofas and tables, without any decorations or so whatsoever.
You therefore shouldn’t expect much privacy when visiting this lounge.
Although the lounge was fairly crowded when I entered it did empty out quite soon, which allowed me to grab one of the more comfortable chairs along the windows.
Tarmac view
The view over the tarmac is the only saving grace of the design of the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge.
If you are seated by the window, you can enjoy some fine views over the apron and do a bit of plane spotting.
There were quite a few Air Europa widebodies visible from the window, as the airline flies these planes on high capacity domestic routes such as the short hop to Barcelona or flights to some of the Canary Islands.
Food buffet
As I visited the lounge in the early morning, there was a breakfast buffet set out in the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge.
The breakfast spread contained some different sorts of bread and buns, croissants, donuts and some cold cuts.
In a fridge you could also find some pre-made sandwiches, yoghurt and pudding.
Although the breakfast buffet wasn’t the most exciting ever, it did made for a decent enough breakfast.
Reportedly, some hot food dishes are available around lunch and dinner time.
Drinks
I thought the selection of drinks in the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge was actually quite good.
Inside a fridge you can find lots of different juices, soft drinks as well as a couple of different beer brands.
The coffee machine inside the lounge does make a decent brew.
There are several white and red wines you can try, including cava (Spanish sparkling wine).
The booze selection in the lounge is solid too, as there are several mid-shelf alcohol brands such as Bombay Sapphire gin.
Other lounge facilities
The Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge features shower rooms, although I did not try them out during my visit.
At the far end of the lounge you can find a quiet work area with desks facing the wall.
I had no problems during my stay in the lounge to find an available power socket and Wi-Fi internet throughout the lounge was fast and reliable.
The lounge also features a children’s play area.
Conclusion
The Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge is a rather unremarkable business lounge in Terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas Airport.
By far the biggest downside of the lounge is the complete lack of character.
It really is a featureless lounge with a bland design, with the only redeeming feature being the tarmac view.
The breakfast buffet was decent enough, while the selection of drinks was much better.
If you just want to grab a couple of drinks before your flight, the Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge is quite a good place to do so.
Although staying in the lounge for sure beats hanging around the ageing terminal, I would however not come early to the airport for it.
Trip report index
This ‘Trains, Planes, Beer and Tapas: A Trip to Prague and Madrid’ trip report consists of the following chapters:
1. Review: Ryanair Bucharest to Chania (Boeing 737-800)
2. A Rainy Chania Stopover
3. Ryanair Hell: My Bad Chania to Budapest Flight Experience
4. Review: T62 Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
5. Review: EuroCity Train “Hungaria” Budapest to Brno
6. A Walk Through the Historic Old Town Centre of Brno
7. Review: EuroCity Train “Metropolitan” Brno to Prague
8. Review: K+K Hotel Central, A Prague Art Nouveau Delight
9. Beer Boozing in Prague: Sampling Some Czech Brews
10. Praha Hlavní Nádraží – Prague’s Stunning Art Nouveau Station
11. Review: Leo Express Train Prague to Olomouc
12. Olomouc Guide: Baroque and Belle Epoque Beauty
13. Review: RegioJet Train Olomouc to Prague
14. Review: Erste Premier Lounge Prague Airport
15. Review: Air France HOP Business Class Embraer 170
16. Review: Air France Schengen Business Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2F
17. Review: Air France Business Class Paris CDG to Madrid (Airbus A220)
18. A Madrid Tapas Crawl: Bar Hopping in Spain’s Capital
19. Review: Ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas
20. Review: Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge Madrid Airport (current chapter)
21. Review: Air Europa Economy Class Madrid to Milan (Boeing 787)
22. How to Transfer Between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport
