Back in April, I have visited three of the four Priority Pass lounges offered at Ataturk airport. While I have written a separate review of each of them before, this article looks at each of them briefly to help you figure out which one is the best Priority Pass lounge at Istanbul Ataturk airport for you.
Priority Pass Lounges at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
Out of the four Priority Pass lounges that Istanbul Ataturk airport offers, one is in the domestic terminal and three are in the international terminal.
Primeclass Lounge (Domestic Terminal)
Since I was traveling internationally, Primeclass Lounge in the domestic terminal was the only one of the four that I did not have the chance to visit. You can see some pictures here and here. I am not sure how crowded the lounge can get, but from the pictures it looks fairly comfortable.
Plus, given that it is the only Priority Pass lounge in the domestic terminal, there is no real choice.
Comfort Lounge
During my visit, Comfort Lounge was crowded – with no seat open except for a counter-height chair. Also, the reception staff was the least friendly of the three – being absolutely unenthusiastic about me or any of the other people that came while I was there.
The lounge offered both warm and cold food, as well as alcoholic and soft drinks. The selection itself, however, was more or less the same as at the following two.
The lounge also offers shower, but the single use “paper” towel provided is barely usable.
Read the full review of Comfort Lounge…
HSBC Premier Lounge
In my opinion, HSBC Premier Lounge offers slightly more comfortable seating than Comfort Lounge. It was also less crowded during my visit.
It does not, however, offer showers.
In terms of food and drinks – when I was there, as mentioned above, the selection was virtually the same as in the other two lounges.
Read the full review of HSBC Premier Lounge…
Primeclass CIP Lounge
The last of the three Priority Pass lounges at Istanbul Ataturk international terminal is the Primeclass CIP Lounge. The lounge is at least twice as large as either of the above two lounges, and offers plenty of seating.
While the food at the lounge was, again, no different from the food in the other two lounges, unlike the other lounges, it also featured a staffed bar.
It also offers showers. Although I did not use them, they can only be better than the ones in Comfort Lounge.
Read the full review of Primeclass CIP Lounge…
What Is the Best Priority Pass Lounge at Istanbul Ataturk Airport?
If you are taking a domestic flight out of Ataturk airport, then there is not much to discuss as there is only one Priority Pass lounge in the domestic terminal – the Primeclass Lounge.
On the other hand, if you are planning to take an international flight, there are three choices – Comfort Lounge, HSBC Premier Lounge, and Primeclass CIP Lounge. In terms of food offering, they are all more or less equal.
However, with a staffed bar and (likely) better showers than Comfort Lounge, it is fairly easy to conclude that Primeclass CIP Lounge is the best Priority Pass lounge at Istanbul Ataturk airport.
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Thank you! That’s very helpful
Great write up! I will have a layover on my way to Budapest and back from Zagreb in March! This was very helpful and I’ll definitely have to check out those showers after flying for so long!
Same paper towel to dry off in Primeclass just as an FYI.
Great article – Prime class it is!
The domestic terminal lounge is comfortable and has an outdoor terrace for smokers and those who want to sit outside.
I had a six hour wait for my domestic flight and the staff had no problem with grabbing a snooze.
Food was good if not a great selection and there was a bar with staff happy to make you a drink.
It’s nothing special, but perfectly good for a layover.
No showers that I saw.