At Warsaw International Airport, LOT Polish Airlines operates two lounges for their business class and elite frequent fliers. The main lounge is the LOT Business Lounge Polonez, located in the Schengen zone and the secondary lounge, the LOT Polish Business Lounge Mazurek, is located in the non-Schengen zone for their international passengers. This makes sense as LOT Polish only flies to a handful of international destinations and the majority of their flights are operated within the European Union. If you are departing Warsaw on an international flight outside of the Schengen zone, you can still use the Polonez Lounge but you should save at least 30 minutes to get through passport control and clear the Schengen zone before heading to your gate.
The LOT Business Lounge Polonez is located in the departures area of Terminal A, near gate 25. As you exit the security check, take the escalator/elevator up to the third floor and the lounge will be located directly in front of you. The Polonez Lounge is open from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily and is accessible by business class; and Star Alliance Gold passengers traveling in any class of service, on a LOT Polish or Star Alliance partner flight. LOT Polish Premium Economy passengers (with no status) used to be able to buy a day pass to the Polonez and Mazurek Lounges for PLN 120 (about $31 USD) but I’m not sure if this is still possible.
Review: LOT Business Lounge Polonez
I’m gonna cut to the chase and tell you that this lounge is not incredible by any means. The space is small and crowded and unless you’re a Star Alliance Gold member or flying on an intercontinental flight, there aren’t many places for you to sit and relax in the Polonez Lounge. The main portion of the lounge is one narrow room with several barriers to define the various seating areas but they are all the same. The lounge used to be more open with better spaces for relaxation but that has all changed. The lounge is now nothing but individual dining tables and chairs, crammed in together to accommodate as many people as possible. I guess I can’t complain as I would rather have a table in a cramped space, than no table at all.
During the day, the large windows let in plenty of sunshine to make the space feel bright and airy but the crowds make the space feel very loud and chaotic.
Because of the long narrow design of the main seating area, there are several food stations located along the side of the lounge. Here, you’ll find a pretty good selection of both hot and cold dishes from pre-packaged salads and cold plates of pasta to hot food items such as rice, chicken, and vegetables. I was really surprised by the variety of dishes offered and I have to give LOT Polish some credit here. The highlight of the lounge was definitely the catering as their food was actually delicious and filling.
For drinks, there’s a very small selection of sodas, beers and spirits; and a couple of coffee machines.
Other lounge amenities include a single shower suite and a “premium beauty lounge.” The shower suite is located in the men’s bathroom and it’s very basic. There’s a single stall with a single soap dispenser mounted to the wall. This isn’t the most luxurious setup by any means but if you really need to freshen up after a long-haul flight, then this will do the trick.
As for the Premium Beauty Lounge, I can’t really give many details here as I didn’t get to use it. From my understanding, there’s an esthetician that will provide you with mini-facials and other services, possibly free of charge, but I wasn’t able to use it or confirm the information. I couldn’t really communicate with the employee but I think she said it was for women only and shooed me away. I’m not too sure.
LOT Elite Club Lounge
However, what makes the Polonez Lounge unique is that there is a lounge within the lounge. With an attendant to check your credentials, the LOT Elite Club Lounge is accessible by business class passengers traveling on intercontinental flights (USA, Canada, Japan, China, Singapore, or South Korea), Star Alliance Gold members and Miles and More HON Circle/Senator members traveling in any class. However, I’m not sure how strictly they enforce this policy.
If you have access to the LOT Elite Lounge, you should definitely hang out here instead of in the main lounge. The LOT Elite Lounge is a more private and peaceful space to rest and relax in between flights. It’s less crowded and the lounge features several relaxation rooms in the back to get away from the noise and chatter of the main seating area. This is honestly how I wished the whole lounge could be.
There’s also an upgraded buffet menu featuring traditional hot and cold Polish dishes, some snacks and a small selection of alcoholic beverages.
Again, keep in mind that the Polonez Lounge is located in the Schengen zone. If you are departing on an international flight to a non-Schengen country, you will have to clear passport control before arriving at your departure gate. On a previous trip, it took me about 30 minutes to clear passport control and walk to the non-Schengen zone on a Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM.
LOT Polish Business Lounge Bottom Line
Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the LOT Polish Business Lounge. If there’s an area for improvement for LOT Polish Airlines, I would say this is one of them. The space is long and narrow and regardless of what time you travel through here, it will always feel loud and crowded. The food is great and I appreciate the Elite Club Lounge access for intercontinental passengers, but the overall space feels subpar to their regional competitors.
Have you visited the LOT Polish Airlines Business Lounge? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
The other posts in this series include:
- Star Alliance Lounge LAX
- LOT Polish Airlines Business Class, Los Angeles to Warsaw (Boeing 787-9)
- LOT Polish Business Lounge, Warsaw
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Frankfurt
- Air Canada Business Class, Frankfurt to Vancouver (Boeing 777-300ER)
- Air Canada Business Class, Vancouver to Los Angeles (Airbus A220)
