- Introduction: The Long Way To Abu Dhabi
- The Unglamorous Reality Of My Review Trips
- Review: EVA Air Business Class Boeing 777 (IAH-TPE)
- Review: EVA Air Infinity Lounge Taipei Airport (TPE)
- Review: EVA Air Business Class Boeing 787 (TPE-HKG)
- Review: Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong
- Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
- Review: Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
- Review: Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
- Review: Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Class Lounge Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
- Review: Qantas Lounge Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
- Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class Airbus A350 (HKG-SIN)
- Review: Singapore Airlines The Private Room Singapore Airport (SIN)
- Review: Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge Singapore Airport (SIN)
- Review: Singapore Airlines First Class Boeing 777 (SIN-CGK)
- Review: Garuda Indonesia Lounge Jakarta Airport (CGK)
- Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Jakarta Airport (CGK)
- Review: Garuda Indonesia Business Class Boeing 777 (CGK-JED)
- Review: Aerotel Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Review: Etihad Business Class Airbus A321 (JED-AUH)
- Review: Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)
- Review: Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)
- Review: Pearl Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)
- Review: Etihad First Class Airbus A380 (AUH-LHR)
- Review: British Airways Concorde Room London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: British Airways Galleries First Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: British Airways First Class Airbus A380 (LHR-ORD)
During my review trip, I had the chance to check out Abu Dhabi Airport’s new Terminal A, which is such a massive improvement for the airport. I visited all the lounges in the terminal, including the new Etihad Business Class Lounge, Etihad First Class Lounge, and Pearl Lounge. In this installment, I’ll be reviewing the Etihad Business Class Lounge, which I visited prior to my Etihad A380 first class flight.
The new Etihad Business Class Lounge is quirky — it’s across three floors, it’s incredibly narrow and long, and the layout is downright confusing. But I have to say, on balance I think it ranks among the best business class lounges in the world.
The lounge has tons of natural light, endless seating, direct boarding from the lounge to select gates, and a variety of amenities, ranging from a beautiful bar, to relaxation rooms, to shower suites. The food perhaps isn’t that exciting, but it’s still good on balance, in my opinion. Let’s get into the review.
In this post:
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi location
For a newly constructed terminal, the Etihad Business Class Lounge seems oddly difficult to find, regardless of whether you’re coming from the immigration checkpoint or the transit security checkpoint. Below is a map of Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A, to give you a sense of the layout.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Abu-Dhabi-Airport-Terminal-A-Map.png)
The Etihad Business Class Lounge is located on the north side of the terminal, between the C gates and D gates. More specifically, the lounge is between gates C27 and D43 (yes, that sounds weird, but I think the above map explains why that is). The signage in the terminal for Etihad Lounges isn’t necessarily great or intuitive.
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If you’re in the central part of the terminal, the fastest way to get to the Etihad Business Class Lounge is to walk through the hallway for toilets, and then the lounge is in the corridor on the other end of that. Yes, it’s a rather odd way to get to a premium lounge, eh?
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Once you enter the lounge, there are Etihad employees who will scan you into the lounge.
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi hours
The Etihad Business Class Lounge is open 24/7, given that Gulf carriers operate flights all hours of the day and night, so the lounge never closes. In terms of crowding, you can generally expect that the busiest periods will be around midnight and around 7AM, with the lounge being particularly empty mid-morning and mid-afternoon (reflecting when the biggest banks of flights are).
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi entry requirements
The Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi is open to all Etihad business class passengers. On top of that, Etihad Guest Silver members can access the lounge with no guests, while Etihad Guest Gold members can access the lounge with one guest.
Etihad economy passengers can also buy access to the Etihad Business Class Lounge. I believe the current cost is $120 or 16,000 Etihad Guest miles for up to four hours, or $150 or 20,000 Etihad Guest miles for four to eight hours.
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi seating & layout
Okay, so I’m going to need everybody to pay attention for a second as we discuss the layout of this lounge, because it’s really confusing. In particular, there’s one part of the lounge that people would never even naturally come across, so let me explain.
The Etihad Business Class Lounge is absolutely massive, and it’s spread across three levels. I don’t know how many square feet it is but it’s huge. It’s also a very long and very narrow lounge — I can’t help but wonder if thought just wasn’t put into the lounge when the airport was first designed, or if this is intentional (for some odd reason).
The lounge consists of level three, level five, and level six. It goes straight from level three to level five, so I assume that level four is skipped due to tetraphobia, or something? Across the three levels, the lounge consists of an east wing and west wing, but the two wings aren’t connected on all floors.
The three levels are connected via a set of escalators and a set of elevators at each end of the lounge (east and west):
- You enter the lounge on level three on the west side; level three has some lounge space on the west side, while there’s no east side (I believe this is where the Etihad spa will be located, which is opening in the future)
- Level five spans the whole length of the lounge, though the east and west side aren’t in any way connected, and this means the east side of level five consistently stays totally empty; that’s because you enter through level three west, then you’d need to take the escalator or elevator up to level six west, then you’d need to walk across the lounge, and then you’d need to take the escalator or elevator down to level five east (clear as mud, right?)
- Level six is by far the most popular place (this is referred to as the Roof Lounge), as it spans the entire length of the lounge; the Etihad First Class Lounge takes up a small portion of the east side of level six
So yeah, generally my recommendation would be to hang out on level six if you want to eat or drink something, since it’s where the bar and one of the main buffets are located. If you just want to the quietest space, go to the east side of level five, because I swear 99% of passengers never find this area of the lounge. What a strange lounge layout, but we can definitely make it work to our advantage.
With that ridiculously long explanation out of the way, let’s get into the actual review of the lounge. As soon as you enter the lounge, you’ll see the escalator going up to level five.
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If you instead walk straight ahead and to the left, you’ll find Liwan Global Dining, which is one of the lounge’s all-day dining restaurants. In theory this cuisine is supposed to be more catered toward Emirati and Middle Eastern specialties, but I didn’t necessarily find the differentiation to be that huge compared to the other buffet (I’ll talk more about the actual food and drinks later on).
This area consists of all kinds of communal dining tables, booths, high-top seating, and more. The area is definitely intended to have some Middle Eastern flair, but personally I didn’t feel the finishes in this part of the lounge were particularly luxurious.
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I appreciate the consistent amount of natural light throughout the lounge thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, which is such a treat, given that many lounges feel a bit like dungeons.
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Now let’s take a look at level six (two levels above where you enter), which is called the Roof Lounge. This is the largest part of the lounge, and we’ll take a look at this space going from east to west. Right at the east escalator is the entrance to the Etihad First Class Lounge.
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You’ll then first see a variety of seating clusters, ranging from lounge chairs arranged in rows facing the windows, to sofas and other seating options.
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There’s then the first main part of the lounge, consisting of booths, communal high-top seating, and more. There’s only a small buffet of drinks and packaged snacks here, so this isn’t intended to be the main dining area.
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At roughly the halfway point of the Roof Lounge is the Constellation Bar, which is the lounge’s stunning bar. This is decorated with a 172 piece, 25 meter long glass lighting sculpture, depicting the Abu Dhabi skyline. It’s nice that the bar has proper cocktails and barista coffee, so this is definitely the best place in the lounge to get the best drinks.
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The Roof Lounge’s main buffet is near the bar, so there are also lots of dining tables in this area, as well as sofas.
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Past the Constellation Bar is even more seating, arranged in a single row of tables, each seating two people.
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In the very back of the lounge is another large seating area, with comfortable leather chairs, as well as booths. This area tends to stay pretty quiet, since most people sit near the dining and bar area.
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Now, let’s go down to level five west, which is the part of level five you’re more likely to naturally come across (since it’s what can be accessed from the escalators by reception).
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Level five west primarily consists of a long row of chairs facing the apron, as well as the family room and shower suites.
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There are also some other seating arrangements.
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Level five east is really the most hidden part of the lounge, given how most people would never naturally stumble across it. This also has rows of chairs (though in a different arrangement), and you can expect that you’ll typically have this part of the lounge to yourself. Level five east also has the relaxation rooms.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi food & drinks
With the layout of the lounge out of the way, let’s take a look at the food and drink selection in the lounge. On level six at the Roof Lounge, you have one of the main all-day dining buffets. Frankly the dining area isn’t huge, given how many people have access to the lounge.
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Over breakfast, cold options included cold cuts and cheese, all kinds of veggies and dips, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, croissants, and more.
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There were also nearly 10 hot options, ranging from ful medames, to scrambled eggs, to baked beans, to noodles, to sausage, and much more.
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The Constellation Bar has everything from barista coffee, to cocktails, to wine and beer, so this is basically a full-service bar. It’s always nice when a business class lounge offers barista coffee and proper cocktails.
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Then Liwan Global Dining is located on level three, and is the other main dining area. The buffet area is much larger, and almost feels like what you’d expect in a hotel.
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I was expecting a bit more differentiation in terms of what was being offered compared to upstairs, but it was largely similar. The cold options were virtually the same, with the main different being a few more hot Middle Eastern dishes.
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The lounge also has several food and drink stations on each floor, but the selection there is very limited. We’re talking coffee machines, canned soda, bottled water and juice, packaged snacks (chips, cookies, etc.), and whole fruit.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi bathrooms & showers
There are several bathrooms throughout the Etihad Business Class Lounge, and they’re constantly cleaned. The cleaners are almost a bit too attentive, as they never seem to leave the bathrooms.
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The lounge has 18 shower suites, located on level five west. They’re available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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The shower suites are compact but functional, and have a sink, a toilet, and a walk-in shower.
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The shower has both a rainforest shower head, as well as a handheld one.
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The toiletries in the shower suites are unbranded, which is a bit surprising, given the extent to which Etihad tries to partner with luxury brands.
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The only real criticism I have of these shower suites is that the ventilation is not good, so if you take a hot shower, expect that you’ll be sweating afterwards. This is such a common issue in airport lounges, and I don’t know if it’s just that hard to avoid, or if lounge designers don’t put more thought into it?
Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi relaxation rooms
The Etihad Business Class Lounge has relaxation rooms located on level five east. Since level five east is the hidden part of the lounge, many people will never find these, unless they know to look for them.
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While these rooms aren’t fully private, they exceeded my expectations in terms of ambiance. The relaxation area consists of semi-private rooms, each of which has a door, but the rooms don’t have floor-to-ceiling privacy. There are stars on the ceiling, and Armani / Casa bedding.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi family & games room
The Etihad Business Class Lounge has both a family room and a games room. The family room is located on level five west, and is intended for smaller children. It’s a cute space, but doesn’t have much in the way of toys or other ways to stay entertained (which is perhaps intentional, since people might steal things, or something?).
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On level six there’s a games room, with table football, air hockey, and digital games, for guests of all ages to enjoy.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi smoking room
The Etihad Business Class Lounge has a smoking room on level six. The smoking room is small but elegant, and features Chesterfield sofas, with the capacity to seat around a dozen people at a time. That doesn’t seem like a very high capacity during peak hours, but then again, I’m not a smoker.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi spa
While it’s not open yet, it’s worth noting that Etihad is in the process of opening a spa at Abu Dhabi Airport. The entrance is separate from the lounges, though I’m guessing it will somehow be connected internally once it opens, since it’s in the same general area.
Etihad hasn’t revealed any more details about that, so it remains to be seen what kind of treatments will be offered, how much they’ll cost, etc. It’s nice to see Etihad bringing back a spa concept, after shutting it down years ago in the old lounge, as part of a cost cutting measure.
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Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi special boarding
Another cool aspect of the Etihad Business Class Lounge is that it offers direct boarding to select gates, allowing you to skip the terminal after your time in the lounge. On level five west there’s boarding for gate D43 and C27, and then on level five east there’s boarding for gate C29.
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This is an awesome feature — there are double doors at each end, and then they open when boarding is ready. You then walk straight down the jet bridge and onto the plane.
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You can generally expect that Airbus A380 flights, as well as select other premium flights, depart from these gates.
Bottom line
The new Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi is very good, and is an excellent hub lounge. On the plus side, the lounge is spacious, has lots of natural light, has generally nice design, offers direct boarding for select flights, has a gorgeous bar, and has lots of amenities, like shower suites, relaxation rooms, play rooms for kids, and more.
The lounge isn’t perfect, though. I’d say the lounge has a good but not amazing food selection, and the layout is also confusing (though you can make that work in your favor).
On balance, though, I’d say this ranks among the top 10 business class lounges in the world, give or take. Many airlines struggle with offering a great business class ground product at their hub, given the amount of demand, and this is one of the better run business class lounges I’ve seen. I’m a fan, and it’s particularly noteworthy what a massive improvement this is over Etihad’s previous facility.
What’s your take on the Etihad Business Class Lounge Abu Dhabi?
Sitting in the lounge now, I think this is the best business lounge I have been to of the gulf carriers. Economy tickets on Etihad CAN buy lounge access - I paid $150 for 4 hours.
I’m literally in here right now, eating at the buffet around 1 am and it’s pretty crowded.
Update: It’s $215 USD to upgrade from the biz lounge to the 1st. And economy flyers can NOT pay for entrance!
Just to dispel the rumors floating around…
Ben - thanks for the review, I went to this lounge last night on a layover and without your detailed directions I'm not sure I would have been able to locate it.
Some updates since your review - the lounge was CRAZY CROWDED (I was there between 11pm - 2:30am), with almost nowhere to sit that included both: 1) nearby power plugs; and 2) some serenity. Most groups of travelers spoke extremely loudly and...
Ben - thanks for the review, I went to this lounge last night on a layover and without your detailed directions I'm not sure I would have been able to locate it.
Some updates since your review - the lounge was CRAZY CROWDED (I was there between 11pm - 2:30am), with almost nowhere to sit that included both: 1) nearby power plugs; and 2) some serenity. Most groups of travelers spoke extremely loudly and there didn't seem to be any real "quiet area." I also think the "secret" level 5 east has very much been discovered, since it was packed (and loud) as well. The good news is that there's another set of showers over here that you might have missed.
Even worse than the loud travelers, there's some very odd music choice being played at every corner of the lounge -- it sounds like a ukulele playing the first few chords of the "Lion King" on repeat. It would be more appropriate as hold music for calling your travel agent in Hawaii. The music was so loud and annoying that I could hear it through noise-cancelling AirPods, and eventfully I relocated myself to the Pearl lounge for a reprieve from the music.
Just had the chance to go through the lounge and though it was fantastic, but yes definitely confusing in terms of layout. Evening dining options were good but once again upstairs and downstairs were roughly the same. We stuck to the upstairs space more since it was not nearly as crowded.
Another thing to note - there is a second set of showers in the hidden east wing! When I went to the ones mentioned...
Just had the chance to go through the lounge and though it was fantastic, but yes definitely confusing in terms of layout. Evening dining options were good but once again upstairs and downstairs were roughly the same. We stuck to the upstairs space more since it was not nearly as crowded.
Another thing to note - there is a second set of showers in the hidden east wing! When I went to the ones mentioned there was a bit of a wait, so they directed me to find the others (which had nobody using them since.....they're so hard to find).
Been through there a few times and thought this lounge was top notch. Great review.
BTW if you want to stay relatively close to the airport I would highly recommend the Yas Marina.
Ben,
Great review.... much appreciated.
My wife and I will be in AUH in late March - arriving from LHR in F on A380 at 12:45a and departing for Cairo in J at 9:40a later that morning
Are the relaxation/nap rooms in the Business Class Lounge suitable for an overnight sleep? If so, is there a time limit to staying in the rooms? And is it one person per room?
Would...
Ben,
Great review.... much appreciated.
My wife and I will be in AUH in late March - arriving from LHR in F on A380 at 12:45a and departing for Cairo in J at 9:40a later that morning
Are the relaxation/nap rooms in the Business Class Lounge suitable for an overnight sleep? If so, is there a time limit to staying in the rooms? And is it one person per room?
Would prefer to stay in the Airport Hotel but have not found any information regarding possible opening dates.
Thanks,
Paul
I had a similar question. I have a 10+ hour layover at the end of February. Also, I was wondering how many relaxation rooms there are in total.
There is a 4 hour maximum time limit for the relaxation room and it is one person/unit. Very quiet. Dont know how many there are since it's darkened. Bedside lamp to read. Stars on the ceiling. Very neat.
Thanks for the detailed review, Ben!
We'll be arriving on Etihad in business class from London at 1 AM. Do you know if any of these lounges can be used on arrival to wait until we can check-in at hotel later or is there a hotel inside the airport? Maybe we can purchase access via Loungebuddy or AmEx Platinum?
@ Alex -- Unfortunately you need a departing boarding pass to use any of these lounges, as far as I know. The in-terminal airport hotel isn't yet open. I'm not sure what time of year you're traveling, but a lot of Abu Dhabi hotels are very affordably priced, so you might be best off just booking an extra night at another hotel on the way to where you're staying, assuming the price is okay?
Appreciate it, Ben!
We'll be there at the end of March going to Dubai, so we'll have to just purchase one night at some local hotel.
@alex-
Abu Dhabi is a highly underrated city. Lots of stuff to see; not quite Dubai but in many ways less artificial. The mosque and the Louvre Abu Dhabi are just two highlights, and lots of lovely beaches. As Ben says, hotels are also not super expensive so you can book a fairly high end experience at not so heavy a cost.
Enjoy.
Thnks for such detailed review. Do u hv info that do they allow kids with silver members?as I m silver member flying in economy but my kids ( age 4 and 7) r not silver members. They are traveling with me next month. So are they allowed with me free as I hv access to business lounge.
@ Asma -- Unfortunately only children up to two years can enter at no cost with an eligible adult. That being said, I believe access can be purchased for 50% off for young children. Enjoy your trip!
oh one more thing to add:
Right now because of the transition to the new terminal only select US flights are using the preclearance facility- which involves a bus ride to the old terminal.
My flight to New York EY 103 did not have preclearance (the other, later flight, EY 101 does). If you have global entry or US mobile passport app I would highly recommend NOT opting for the preclearance flights. Those...
oh one more thing to add:
Right now because of the transition to the new terminal only select US flights are using the preclearance facility- which involves a bus ride to the old terminal.
My flight to New York EY 103 did not have preclearance (the other, later flight, EY 101 does). If you have global entry or US mobile passport app I would highly recommend NOT opting for the preclearance flights. Those add a ton of time and stress; and only pay off if there is time saving at the other end which with Global entry you are not.
Looks lovely.
I just returned from the middle east flying Qatar out (Business), Etihad back (Economy).
As I was not eligible to use the Business Class Lounge (which looks pretty spectacular based on Ben's pictures), I did get to use the Pearl Lounge over my 6 hour layover.
Here are a few summary thoughts:
Among the priority pass lounges, it is definitely one of the better ones, and certainly big. There...
Looks lovely.
I just returned from the middle east flying Qatar out (Business), Etihad back (Economy).
As I was not eligible to use the Business Class Lounge (which looks pretty spectacular based on Ben's pictures), I did get to use the Pearl Lounge over my 6 hour layover.
Here are a few summary thoughts:
Among the priority pass lounges, it is definitely one of the better ones, and certainly big. There is a dining area and then a "terrace" that essentially opens onto the terminal but one floor higher.
The food was aplenty and pretty good, and there are a couple bar and kiosks strewn across. The lounge was moderately but not unbearably crowded. They also have shower facilities which is nice. Wifi was decent.
My one complaint-very few staff spoke either English or Arabic.
Noticeably different from Dubai and Doha. While I don't mean to sound disparaging toward those with limited fluency in languages other than their own, an international airport terminal is where this can be a true limitation. Almost no one in the dining room could answer questions; I needed help figuring out how to operate the shower in the bathroom- no one could help. And even in the duty free, some of the simplest questions were met with puzzled stares. my guess is the new airport/terminal required quick influx of new employees and some of them are still being onboarded and trained.
But overall, a good experience.
I had the same experience. I did fly EY a couple times so i got to visit the lounge twice. But, when i was flying Gulf Air i was directed to the Pearl Lounge. I was wondering if any other airlines had access to the Etihad Lounge, or if it's only Etihad passengers.
You mention that all of the dining areas had essentially the same dining options. Were you there for multiple meals or only breakfast? Just curious if they maybe are just not very imaginative for breakfast, but do better with other meals.
And Happy New Year! :-)
@ Grey -- Great question! I also took a look at the lunch selection, and similarly I didn't see all that much differentiation. There was maybe a little bit more variety than at breakfast, but not much. HNY to you as well, and thanks for reading and participating!
I know this is an Etihad trip, but do you have any info on other lounges in the new terminal? I hear QR is using a "pearl " lounge or something like that?
@ alex -- Review coming shortly, stay tuned. :-)
oh I just posted some comments on my view of the Pearl Lounge below- I wonder if we will concur !
My two cents is it's a good airport but isn't (quite) as well oiled a machine as DXB or DOH yet.
Ah I see it, thanks! Trying to figure out layover scheduling for a SEZ-AUH-DOH-COK trip
Nice review. I think you mean "treat" in this sentence: "...floor-to-ceiling windows, which is such a threat..."
@ Adil -- Whoops! Fixed, thanks. Happy (almost) new year!