When it comes to Lounges, Malaysia Airline’s Golden Lounge network is sadly hit and miss – maybe even more miss than hit. The lounge in Kuching International Airport unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. This is all the more tragic for the fact that there is a fantastic pay-per-use lounge just a few feet away. Now, it’s not that there is anything actively wrong with it, but there’s certainly very little to be excited about – with one important exception. To learn what it is, read on – Welcome to the Golden Lounge Kuching Airport Review!
The Facts – Golden Lounge Kuching Airport Review
The Golden Lounge Kuching Airport is located on the mezzanine level at the far end of the terminal – once you’re through immigration take a hard right and walk until you hit an escalator. The lounge is close but secluded, giving an air of exclusivity. Once you’ve gotten past the lounge dragons, you will find yourself in a spacious, and sparsely populated waiting area with a selection of foods at the far end of the room.
A word to the wise: because there are only two lounges in the entire airport, we’ve taken a comparative approach here – this lounge really isn’t that terrible in the grand scheme of things, but it simply doesn’t live up to its rival downstairs.
The Positives – Golden Lounge Kuching Airport Review
The Space
It’s nothing to write home about, but the space is ample and the lounge users are few. There aren’t many comfortable chairs to sit in, but if you’re looking to get some work done, the tables will do the job. But this is clearly not a lounge anyone expects you to hang out in – you’ll be bored and uncomfortable after half an hour. There is, however, a view of the tarmac and plenty of natural light, which is unarguably a plus.
The Showers
As my esteemed colleague Sir Rob will surely agree, nothing makes a lounge more appealing than a shower. I don’t care if I showered an hour before I arrived at the lounge … I’m going to want another shower. And that’s where the Golden Lounge Kuching really shines: they actually have showers. They aren’t fancy. There are no sponge gloves or exfoliating face washes, but a shower is a shower. And there is surely no waiting time, either. (We will also mention that there is a prayer space in this lounge, unlike the Plaza premium.) It is also a plus that this lounge has its own dedicated restrooms, which is more than the Plaza can say.
The Negatives – Golden Lounge Kuching Airport Review
The Food
Negatives are a relative thing. In some lounges, we’d be thrilled to have any warm items at all. But for this part of the world, and this airport in particular, we thought that Malaysia could do a whole lot better than the piddling pickings on display here. We wanted to sample the offerings, but just couldn’t work up an appetite (full disclosure: we had also just gorged on laksa Sarawak at the Plaza Premium Lounge downstairs.)
The beverages
In this category, too, the lounge just doesn’t live up to its neighbor. Golden Lounges have a policy of not serving alcohol for domestic passengers, so to get a stiff one you’ll need to use one of the larger, Golden Lounge “regional” lounges like the one in the international terminal at KUL. Otherwise, the drink selection is the usual – coffee, tea, soda, water. Meh.
The internet
Come on, Malaysia! You’re better than this. How can you let a pay-per-use blow you out of the water like this? The speeds here aren’t bad…but they aren’t really up to snuff given the competition.
With that, we hope you’ve enjoyed this Golden Lounge Kuching Airport review.
Final Grades
| Connectivity: | 3/5 |
| Workability | 3/5 |
| Relaxation: | 3/5 |
| Catering: | 3/5 |
| Alcohol: | 0/5 |
| Ambiance: | 2/5 |
| Total Score | 14/30 |
