January 8, 2025
The airside lounge in Hall A by the food court before entering the corridor to international departures (not to be confused with the International VIP Airside Lounge) though small, was a nice respite from the activity of the airport. When I approached the doors I noticed they had a sign out announcing they were at capacity and to please try the International lounge further down the corridor. I went inside to see if there was some kind of waitlist before moving on to try my luck at the other lounge, but as I was traveling alone they were kind enough to let me slip in.
The lounge space was fairly compact, measuring roughly 20 by 20 feet. However, two adjoining walls were floor to ceiling windows with a view of the tarmac and the grey skies filled the lounge with natural light without being overpowering had it been a scorching sunny day. The space was furnished with a mix of comfortable loveseats of various sizes, bistro tables, and one long bar top running along one of the window walls. It had recessed lighting that was not too bright, and wood accents that didn’t feel cheesy as it sometimes can. A small but attentive staff circulated the lounge, taking drink and snack orders and clearing empty plates and glassware and prepping empty tables for new guests. For refreshments they offered a full bar, beer and wine, as well as basic non-alcoholic beverages. They offered an array of snacks and I enjoyed a few hot ham and cheese croissant sandwiches and a tuna salad, but saw other other people enjoying chips, crudites plates and scrambled eggs.
The lounge did a wonderful job managing capacity. Despite seeing several open tables and chairs, they had capped the influx and the space never felt full to the gills. After about a half hour of being there, I did notice a staff member assessing the open tables to revisit capacity and shortly thereafter there was a new influx of guests.
There were several big screen TV’s with the sound off but different sports games playing, as well as a few monitors with the airport’s departure information. The lounge also had bathrooms (no showers though), which was great to be able to utilize and not feel the need to drag all my carry on bags in there with me as I wasn’t holding much of value. I did bring my fanny pack with all my documents and wallet into the restroom of course. I don’t roll the dice that hard.
Suffice it to say, I was impressed with this modest but pleasant lounge. As I had taken the bus from Sayulita to PVR and aired on the side of caution, I had arrived at the airport a whopping 4 hours before my flight so I was elated to have somewhere comfortable to relax, read and enjoy some natural light and snacks before my flight. As the comfort, cleanliness, and refreshments of a lounge can vary wildly from ‘sad cafeteria’ to upscale hotel lobby vibes, I was very satisfied with what I found at this lounge. When it was finally getting close to boarding, I made my way towards the gate and passed the International VIP Lounge that was alluded to in the initial sign that had announced it had reached capacity. It was a large, two story structure that looked high-end in its black and gold facade. I did not attempt to go inside as it looked rather crowded and I was busy attempting to understand the chaos of 3 gates lined up next to each other that appeared to all be boarding simultaneously for some terribly disorganized reason. Despite my initial feeling of remorse that this lounge seemed fancier and perhaps I should have gone to this one instead, I promptly realized that despite its premium-looking bar and sitting spaces, that the complex was enclosed and did not appear to have windows to the outside as it was more or less a box living within the wing of the airport. As an avid lover, bordering on obsession or just plain need for natural light, I quickly settled back into myself, content with my initial choice.
Leave a Reply