Saphire Lounge Bandung Review – Bandung (BDO)

The incredible delights of Bandung don’t end once you’ve left your hotel for the airport. You can enjoy just a few more minutes of this city’s hospitality in the lounge before you take off for your destination. We’ve prepared this review to make sure that you can make the most of your stay. Here it is: the Saphire Lounge Bangung Review – Bandung (BDO)

Our Trip – Saphire Lounge Bangung Review – Bandung (BDO)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was also the Corona-iest of times. This was our first trip in over three months – its not easy to ground a Lounge Shark, but Covid-19 definitely succeeded. Once Indonesia’s airports were open, and the lounges were recieving guests, we decided to get back to work, booking a trip to Palembang in Sumatra just so we could write this review for you. And also, we really wanted to go to Sumatra.

The Facts – Saphire Lounge Bangung Review – Bandung (BDO)

You really don’t need to plan a lot of extra time for Bandung. The airport is smack in the middle of the city. It’s small and effecient, too. After security, head to the right, until you see the lounge on your left. You can access it using the usual cards, like Priority Pass, or you can pay 150,000 cash, just over ten US dollars.

The Space – Saphire Lounge Bangung Review – Bandung (BDO)

There are three main areas to the lounge. A small coffee bar comes first, followed by a relatively small waiting room. This connects to a smoking room that is pretty big and surprisingly comfortable. Smokers are clearly very welcome (though the smoke doesn’t drift into the main lounge area.)

Behind this there is a restroom (no shower) and a musalla for those who wish to pray. There’s not a lot going on here, like in most small Indonesian airport lounges, but the Saphire lounge is comfortable and its worth hanging out here for a while. Even with the airport almost completely empty, it still felt like an oasis.

The tables and chairs were comfortable and good for working.

The food

Friends, we will not lie to you. The future is bleaker than it once was. Indonesia was the land of the buffet, a place where amazing foods were spread before you like you were a king. Or at least a self-entitled frequent flier. But those days are no more. The lounge, at least for the time being, offers only Indomie noodles. They’re good noodles, obviously, a national obsession, and you can probably get an egg thrown in, but for now, that’s about it. Sorry.

The drinks

Again, very limited in the days of the ‘Rona. There is water, tea, and coffee. Perhaps soft drinks, but don’t push you’re luck. You’re lucky to be here at all. The coffee is made by hand, though, at the barrista station, so it feels a little swanky. We didn’t mind too much. The cup was paper, for safety reasons, but it all goes down the same hatch, amirite?

The internet

BLAZINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG. There’s no dedicated connection for the lounge, just the usual airport free wifi, but at least when we tested it, the speeds were fantastic: 46mbps. So have fun with that, but don’t forget to use protection.

The restrooms

Inside the lounge. Small, but good. Spray guns and toilet paper. Très riche. But no showers.

Final Thoughts

This is a solid lounge. If you want to do some work, spend the afternoon here, there’s little to stop you. It’s comfortable and has some food and some drink. Saphire Lounge Bandung, we approve of you.

Final Grades