Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur (International Gates)

By
Ziggy
-
people in a building with a sign
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After a fun few days in Kuala Lumpur, during which time I finally got to visit and see inside the Petronas Towers, it was time to head back to Kuala Lumpur International airport to catch my Qatar Airways flight back to Doha.

As in most cities you may visit while flying with Qatar Airways, Kuala Lumpur International doesn’t have a dedicated Qatar Airways lounge. Here the airline’s premium cabin passengers are provided with an invitation to the Plaza Premium lounge upon checking in.

a white envelope on a black backpackPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Kuala Lumpur airport has two levels to it and, if I’m being completely honest, it occasionally confuses me ….so it’s just as well that the back of the invitation has a map showing the lounge’s location.

a white paper with black textPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

The lounge is on the upper level of the airport and can be accessed by using the elevators (lifts) in the very centre of the C-gate complex.

people in a building with a signPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Not only is this Plaza Premium lounge part of the Priority Pass network but, according to the signs outside, it’s also the lounge of choice for 25 airlines…..

a sign with many logos on itPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….and 15 banks/credit cards issuers:

a group of logos on a glass wallPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

All of that meant that I wasn’t too surprised to find a line of flyers waiting to be checked-in.

a group of people standing in front of a buildingPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

In fairness to the lounge agents they quickly separated us all into two lines – those who had invitations and those looking to use Priority Pass or a bank/credit card membership to access the lounge – and I wasn’t waiting too long before I was allowed inside.

Here’s a very, very basic layout of the lounge that I’ve mocked up to help explain where things are in the pictures you’ll find in this review:

a diagram of a seating areaBasic layout of the Plaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Once I was checked in at the desk I turned immediately to my right to enter the lounge and, once inside this is the sight I was greeted with:

a group of people in a restaurantPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

On the right hand side of the lounge are a few 2-person tables while a little further in, is the bar complete with bar stools and bar tables opposite it.

a group of people standing at a counter in a restaurantPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Past the bar is the main seating area which takes up the width of the lounge…..although, as you can see from the picture below, the lounge isn’t particularly wide.

Here’s a view of that sitting area looking back at the bar and the lounge entrance:

a room with chairs and tablesPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

It’s in this sitting area that I spotted the largest number of power outlets although travelers should be aware that the outlets only accept UK-style 3-pin plugs.

a wall outlet on a wallPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

On one side of this sitting area the lounge has set up a number of work booths…..

a room with desks and chairsPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….complete with PCs which are free to use for all guests.

a computer on a deskPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Also, here at the very end of the lounge, is a separate room that on this occasion had been reserved for EVA air travelers.

a glass doors with a signPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

On the opposite side of the main seating area (i.e. across from the workstations) are seats alongside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the airport apron.

a group of chairs in a room with a large windowPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

Walking back down the length of the lounge (this time behind the bar) you pass through the secondary sitting area which is mainly composed of tables and chairs more conducive to dining than to relaxing…..

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurantPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurantPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

…and this is because, just past these tables and right down near the entrance of the lounge, is where you’ll find the main food area (you can’t really see this when you first walk in):

a group of people standing in a kitchenPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

The food on offer here is complimentary and includes salad items…..

a counter with bowls of foodPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….cereals…..

a couple of glass containers with cereal and cerealsPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….bread (and a toaster)…..

a toaster machine and a basket of breadPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….snacks like peanuts and crackers……

a couple of glass jars with nuts and crackersPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….sushi and mini-desserts…..

a trays of food on a tablePlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

…and a variety of hot dishes.

a buffet with food on the counterPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

On this occasion the hot dishes included:

  • Vegetarian fried noodles
  • Miso soup
  • Pumpkin congee
  • baked beans in tomato sauce
  • Hard boiled eggs

Non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary and include the usual items like sodas, juices…..

a buffet table with food and drinksPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

…as well as tea and coffee making facilities:

a machine with a screen and buttons on itPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

For alcoholic drinks there was a price list on display…..

a menu on a tablePlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

….and this is what the selection looked like:

a group of bottles of alcohol on a counterPlaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur – International Gates

The lounge also offers Carlsberg beer on draft but I didn’t notice what charge there was for this (if any).

Thoughts

At this point I should come clean and admit that I had no intention of spending any time inside the Plaza Premium lounge once I saw how busy it was.

My oneworld Emerald status gives me entry to the Malaysia Airlines First Class lounge as long as I’m traveling on a oneworld airline (which I was) so I only stayed in the Plaza Premium Lounge long enough to take pictures and to see what was on offer.

So, with that confession out of the way…..

The positives:

  • The floor-to-ceiling windows prevent the lounge from getting too dark and, when the sun is out, a nice amount of light comes in.
  • The seats in the main seating area were comfortable (yes, I did try them out)
  • There were a reasonable number of power outlets on view

The negatives:

  • The webpage for the lounge claims that it is 7,500 sq ft in area…but it definitely doesn’t feel that big. Perhaps that includes whatever area had been set aside for EVA Air on the day I visited but the lounge definitely didn’t feel spacious.
  • It was crowded on my visit and judging by the number of airlines and banks that use this lounge I suspect it’s crowded for large parts of the day.
  • The food didn’t look particularly appetising and there wasn’t anything close to a good selection.

Bottom Line

Here’s something I find myself saying time and time again: Qatar Airways has one of the world’s best Business Class offerings and they can be a joy to fly with….but some of the lounges they choose to partner with really don’t feel all that “premium” at all.

I had the same thought at the beginning of this trip when I reviewed the AviaPartner VIP Lounge Le Anfore in Rome and here I am typing it again about another lounge Qatar uses – the airline needs to address this…and the sooner the better.

The Plaza Premium lounge may be ok if you’re looking to get a quick snack and a drink before your flight and if you don’t have status to get in to one of the Malaysia Airlines lounges (which are just around the corner)….but if you have options then I suspect those may be better.

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