You’ve been swallowed by the proverbial whale that is Barajas’ Terminal 4, but worry not: this is no test of faith or twisted punishment for the stolen salmon you slipped in your pocket the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. This is a chance to hit one of two extraordinary lounges: The Neptuno Lounge and the Plaza Mayor. Each has their own entry requirements, and the staff seems to love to deny entry, so catch the details in this Plaza Mayor Barajas lounge review.
Our Trip
No, that’s not the Delphinus constellation, that’s a mad run for Brazil in the middle of Swedish winter. I hit the Plaza Mayor on my return to Europe.
The Facts
Plaza Mayor is a Priority Pass lounge, but you won’t find this information in the app: You cannot enter this lounge more than 3 hours before your flight and you must have a flight departing from T4 to enter. We arrived 7 hours prior to our flight in Terminal 4S thanks to a (very) long layover and were denied entry so firmly it would have made US border partol blush. Fortunately, lounge staff directed us to the more lax Neptuno Lounge in T4S, which is pretty similar in terms of amenities.
The Space
Like the rest of Barajas airport, the lounge space is grand and impressive. This isn’t a flagship lounge in Doha, but it’s not a screaming-child-filled hellscape like the Mera Business Lounge either. There are an assortment of lounge chairs, armchairs and more traditional workspaces to meet any lumbar need, but no private workspaces for taking calls or holding meetings. For these, check out the Neptuno Lounge.
The decor is simple, clean and industrial, just like the rest of Terminal 4, and peppered with unnecessary and unheeded arrows. The space includes showers and was not overly crowded either time we visited.
The Food
The catering area is temporarily roped off, meaning that you’ll need to order from one of the staff members shuttling back and forth from the cold cuts. This pandemic restriction is certainly more annoying for them than it is for you, but it is annoying nonetheless. On the upside, it’s a good chance to put that 11th grade Spanish vocabulary to the test
The Drinks
Bucking the time-honored Spanish tradition of getting sauced before 10am, I opted for orange juice. The bar, however, was very complete and included a decent Spanish wine selection.
Final Thoughts
The Plaza Mayor is everything the typical lounge should be– well-catered, well-connected and well-cushioned. The only criticam we can offer in our Plaza Mayor lounge review is that it is relatively sterile and lacks any local touches or character.
Final Grades
| Connectivity: | 4/5 |
| Workability | 4/5 |
| Relaxation: | 3/5 |
| Catering: | 4/5 |
| Alcohol: | 4/5 |
| Ambiance: | 3/5 |
| Total Score | 21/30 |
