The Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of several lounge options available to Emirates passengers passing through DXB Terminal 3. The lounge is open to passengers of all travel classes, and is particularly useful to passengers without access to Emirates’ own lounges.
I had the opportunity to spend some two hours in this lounge before boarding my connecting flight to Athens. Here’s what I thought about it.
Location of the DXB Terminal 3 Plaza Premium Lounge
The Plaza Premium Lounge is located airside on Level 4, Concourse A of Terminal 3. Access is via a lift located next to Gate A3 on the western end of Terminal 3.
The directions to the Plaza Premium Lounge lifts are marked on terminal signage with the round Plaza Premium logo. It was my experience that the directional signage for the lounge wasn’t very consistently placed, and it was easy to miss the lift. I’d recommend just aiming for Gate A3 instead.
Review of the DXB Terminal 3 Plaza Premium Lounge
Exiting the lift puts you face to face with the lounge reception desk. The staff on duty served us promptly and cleared our entry into the lounge.
My first impression of the lounge was good. I particularly liked the grey – dark blue colours and dark wood of the main sitting area, which gave the space a more exclusive feel. The lounge is also setup in a lengthwise layout that maximizes the compact space available, but this also means that it can get crowded during busier times.
Seating
Directly across from the reception is the general seating area with a variety of seating configuration, consisting of open single couches and private seating pods. The single couches are separated from each other by side tables equipped with a lamp and a single universal power outlet.
The seating pods are enclosed with higher partitions and offer greater privacy from your neighbours. These are equipped with a reading light, universal power plug, USB power ports, and a small fixed side table that will hold your drinks without any issue. No, the side tables won’t hold your laptop. I had to place my iPad on my lap when I wanted to get some work done.
Closer to the main dining area are two sets of seats arranged around two coffee tables in a corporate boardroom-esque layout. I thought these were rather awkwardly placed.
Dining
Turning right from the reception area brings visitors down the length of the lounge, and walking further straight on gives access to the main dining area.
There is a bar just before the main dining area, but it really was too early for drinks and the bar didn’t seem to be staffed.
Sit down dining is available on a (paid) per order basis and food orders were taken on an online menu accessed via QR codes pasted on the tables. As this was the early morning at DXB, the available food options were very limited and consisted of some rather…healthy breakfast options. These didn’t appeal to me, so I didn’t taste test them.
There are also simpler options for those who prefer a more basic breakfast – a complimentary selection of cereals, tea & coffee, fruit juices, soft drinks, milk, a regularly replenished bread basket and some jam. Since I usually keep my breakfast simple, I went with some bread & butter and a cup of coffee.
The main dining area is also where the children playroom is located. If you have young children, this should keep them occupied without having to worry about disturbing other visitors.
Sleeping options
Private cabins are available at the lounge for a fee. Alternatively, there are what appear to be private seating enclosures featuring a couch, a footrest, and a sliding door. You could catch a short nap in these, but the couch is right next to the glass wall with a view of the crowd below, so it’s not exactly the most private of places.
Shower facilities
The webpage for this lounge mentions shower facilities being available. However, this is a chargeable service and reservations can be made at the reception desk or through the website. Owing to the time of the day I didn’t really have a need to use the showers so I didn’t catch a glimpse of them.
Access to DXB Terminal 3 Plaza Premium Lounge
The Plaza Premium Lounge runs on a paid access basis and is accessible via the following options –
- Pay per entry – Reserve on the Plaza Premium website or pay on entry at the Lounge;
- Credit Card lounge entitlement (check with your card provider); and
- Priority Pass subscription.
Visitors paying per entry can opt for a maximum stay of 3 hours or 6 hours. When in doubt, check with the reception staff. Visit the Plaza Premium website for more information.
Final Thoughts
The Plaza Premium Lounge at DXB Terminal 3 is a nice and pleasant enough place to spend some time in between flights. Minus points include its small size and relatively limited seating. If you have access to the Emirates lounges, I recommend heading straight there instead.
That being said, this is still a lounge that I’ll keep in mind when I pass through DXB Terminal 3.
Leave a Reply