This is it. THE Business class lounge I was most excited about on my 9 Business class flights tour – getting inside the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge. This excitement was reduced to a mad dash thanks to a delayed flight out of Cairo on EgyptAir. Although I have since had a terrible Turkish Airlines experience, this visit was awesome. Here’s why:
Location
The ginormous Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge is located at the IST Ataturk International Airport on the departure level. It’s hard to miss as it is literally bigger than most airports.
Amenities
Inside the lounge, you will find more than enough to kill a layover of any duration. There is seriously too many to list. Highlights include:
- Miniature golf
- A movie theatre
- Pool tables
- Virtual gold
- beds!
Seriously, this places awesome.
Food & Drink
It should come as no surprise that the food and drink are tops. Food in Turkey, as I’ve found, is amazing. I was too rushed (and full) to line up at the chef’s table for freshly baked Turkish pizza, but I did sample some olives from the salad bar. This was paired with a cold Effs beer and a quick gin and tonic from one of the countless self-serve bars. I also didn’t have time to try out one of the coffee stands manned by baristas inside the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge.
Next time! *shakes fist in rage
How to Get in
If you’re not flying business class, don’t sweat it. You can still get inside this lounge. For a small fee (and a checklist of criteria – see below) you can purchase access to the lounge. It may seem like a lot of hoops but with the excellent amenities and top quality food and drink it’s worth a visit on a long layover.
I mean come on, mini-golf!…in an airport.
Inside the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Good to Know
Includes: Food, drink, and too much entertainment to list.
Don’t Miss: Movie theatre, napping, and golfing!
What say you?
Thoughts on this peek Inside the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge?
Let’s hear it!
For more luxury travel reviews from Istanbul and beyond see HERE.
