Pearl Lounge Bahrain Airport Review – Is it Worth a 5-Star Skytrax Rating?

What’s it like inside the Pearl Lounge Bahrain? Let’s find out.

After an excellent but exhausting day tour of Bahrain, I arrived at the Manama airport eager to relax in the lounge. Although I was expecting to check out the flagship Gulf Air Falcon lounge, I found rest and relaxation in the immaculate Pearl Lounge. Here are my thoughts and takeaways from the recently appointed Skytrax 5-Star lounge rating.

Pearl Lounge Bahrain Access

My initial flight out of Bahrain was supposed to depart at 8:30 PM. This flight was cancelled and I was rebooked leaving at 3:30 AM which was…gross. On the positive, I was going to have plenty of time to check out the lounges at Bahrain airport. I just needed to get past security.

Similar to my issues in Istanbul (more to come on that), the Oman Air check-in counter didn’t open until three hours prior to departure. Since my day tour of Bahrain was cut a little short due to Ramadan, I was dropped off at the airport around 9:00 pm. This left me with plenty of time to kill inside.

The Bahrain airport does have a comfortable business class check-in area along with a small archaeological museum worth a visit. That said, this killed all but 25-minutes.

When the counter finally opened I was surprised to receive a voucher for the Pearl Lounge. Since I had time to kill I decided to peek inside before trying my luck at the Gulf Air lounge. Thanks to my experience with the IGA lounge in Istanbul, my expectations were low when it comes to non-airline associated lounges in the Middle East.

Turns out, access to the Pearl Lounge is open to any guest for a fee of BHD 25 for three hours. This is based on capacity but I doubt they turn many away given the size of the lounge – 2,690 sq m, and seats for 445 customers. Business class passengers flying on Oman Air, Etihad, Emirates, Saudia, British Airways, Austrian, Lufthansa, and Swiss get complimentary access.

Where is the Pearl Lounge Bahrain Located?

After clearing the dedicated security area for business class passengers, I made my way to the lounge. The Pearl Lounge is located just past security on the left and up a floor. If you have a hard time finding it, just look for the pearly white sign glowing above the departure level.

Pearl Lounge Bahrain Service and Amenities

As I entered the Pearl Lounge my jaw dropped. Again, I was expecting a similar experience to the contracted IGA lounge at the Istanbul airport or the Lounge in Abu Dhabi. This was anything but that.

Similar to the country it’s located in, the Pearl Lounge Bahrain is opulent and immaculate. You are immediately greeted with a beautifully decorated seating space in an elegant room perfect for preflight relaxation. The lounge was designed after a 5-Star hotel and features 10 unique rooms, each beautifully designed and welcoming.

Service

Service at the Pearl Lounge matches its classy decor. There was an abundance of staff for the number of passengers while I was visiting. All of them smiling which made me feel welcome. It seemed odd to have so many staff members at that hour but this seems to be a reoccurring theme in Gulf countries. There was, for instance, a bathroom attendant…at three in the morning.

Aside from the abundance of staff, service at the pearl lounge includes table service for meals, a barista on hand, a games lounge, a drawing room, a family lounge, and a library.

Amenities

There are a variety of beautifully decorated and comfortable seating options at the Pearl Lounge. From the cosy seating area upon entry to the variety of bench seats in the dining area, there is plenty of space to stretch out.

There’s also a shower room for use and a business centre. The Pearl Lounge also features direct elevator access to the Bahrain Airport Transit Hotel, something great for the horrible flight times the Middle East are known for.

Aside from that, the Pearl Lounge’s most interesting feature is the local art walk throughout. Next to each painting is a QR code, allowing guests to go on a bit of a painting crawl and discover local talent along the way.

Pearl Lounge Bahrain Food and Drink

The highlight of the Pearl Lounge is the dining experience. Again, I was expecting the drab food found in the Lounge at Abu Dhabi Lounge but this was nothing like that.

Upon entering the dining area my eye caught a beautiful display of desserts. To the left of that is a full kitchen.

Scanning the QR code I pulled up the various menus. As I was falling under the late-night service, this meant a buffet. I made my way over to the kitchen where a server walked me through the menu and served up what I selected. I went with the roasted lamb, biryani, vegetable curry, and a couple of dolmas along with a fried halloumi salad. All of it was great except for the lamb which was very dry, like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours…which it probably was.

I washed this all down with sparkling water and freshly squeezed orange and pineapple juice.

The Pearl Lounge has several fancy espresso machines however I was too intimidated to attempt the milk frother. Luckily, the lounge also features a dedicated coffee corner along with a barista. There was no bar or alcohol to be found but that was likely due to my visit during Ramadan.

Final Thoughts on the Pearl Lounge Bahrain

In the end, the Pearl Lounge blew my expectations away. Again, they were extremely low given past experience with contract lounges. I had a pleasant visit and I didn’t even bother wandering over to the Gulf Air Falcon lounge. I was too comfortable and too into my handcrafted macchiato to leave. It certainly lives up to the 5-Star Skytrax Rating, and I only got to experience it in the middle of the night. I look forward to returning and taking in more of the lounges services soon.

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