Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ)

This Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ) goes out to all the adventurers out there who have traveled to the ends of the earth to expand their horizons, challenge their imitations, and to post better pictures on social media than any of their friends. Maybe you’ve just come to Punta Arenas from Antarctica. Maybe you were out hiking in the Torres del Paine. You may be sore, you may be tired, but don’t let your guard down yet, beucase one last Patagonian wonder awaits you at the airport: a lounge so great it will light your metaphorical tierra on fuego…. Actually, that might be pressing the point a little too hard. This lounge is not really anything to write home about, but, as we always say, any lounge is better than no lounge. South American lounges run the gamut, and this one probably falls on the less impressive side. But read on, dear adventurer, and form your own opinion.

Our Trip – Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ)

This South American tour took the sharks from the furthest north of South America to its southernmost reaches. We began in Colombia’s San Andres Island (near Nicaragua) before heading down to Bogota and then Brazil. We picked up the ticket to Punta Arenas in Salvador Brazil as the final leg of the tour before heading back up to New York. That didn’t give us much time in PUQ, but it was a magical trip anyhow.

The Facts – Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ)

It would be impossible for you to miss the entrance to the lounge. Once you go to security and turn around the corner it’s the first thing that you’re going to see. Don’t walk too fast or you might miss it. This place isn’t large at all.

Access to the lounge is afforded to those traveling in business class as well as of Priority Pass. You can also get into the lounge if you have one of 50 different Chilean credit cards. One of the less fun aspects of this Lounge is waiting in line while passengers go through their wallet one by one asking if each card they hold will give them access. Everyone eventually found a winning card but it took quite a bit of time.

The good news is that you can enter the airport quite early before your flight, at least in the afternoon. If you have some time to kill, there’s no reason not to come here a bit early and relax.

The Space – Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ)

As we have already intimated, the space is very small. Practically the entire seating area is pictured in the photo below. As you can see, the lounge is located in an internal part of the airport with no access to windows that would look out over the tarmac or offer any natural light. There are a few windows that open out onto the terminal, but they’re not large by any means. Thus, you’re really trapped in a little box with a lot of people.

There really arent a lot of seating options when the lounge starts to fill up. We would highly recommend getting there a bit early if you want to snag a good seat.

As can be seen above, the outlets are in Chilean style, so please bring your adaptors. On the plus side, there are outlets everywhere.

Unfortunately, if you want to stretch out and sleep you’re better off going into the terminal due to the silly bars they’ve put on the benches…not that you’ll have much space to sit when its crowded, anyhow.

Between the entrance and the seating area you’ll find a bar with some basic foodstuffs to nourish you before your journey.

The Food – Salones Pacific VIP Lounge Review – Punta Arenas (PUQ)

This is a very small domestic airport, and as such, the food offerings are not particularly terrible. Its mostly snacks, but it does the job. Of most note are the olives, which weren’t bad at all. There are also (individually-wrapped??) crackers, peanuts, some fruit, and some uninspiring baked goods. There are also finger sandwiches. All in all, we’ve seen worse.

Interestingly, there are packets for instant consome. I guess it is cold in PNQ, and the so a little soup might actually hit the spot. It isn’t fine dining, but hey.

The sandwichers were of jam and cheese and tuna. We had like four of the tunas and found them to be consistently average.

Maybe you didn’t need a picture of the sandwiches, but LoungeSharks is nothing if not meticulous in its attention to detail.

The Drinks

Again, this isn’t a full-on bar, but it’s not too bad either, given the circumstances. We actually rate it quite highly in its class, since it offers not just coffee, soft drinks, teas, and water, but also a range of alcohols, all of them self serve. It even includes some mixers for cocktails! Here’s a shot that encompasses most of the options. We’ll get to the close-ups next.

The soft drinks sit nicely next to the beer and the mixers (also called “juices” in some cultures).

Then comes the little liquor closet, a space of wonders. We appreciate the range of alcohols present.

Then comes the chilled wines.

And then, remarkably, some mixers!

The Internet

There was internet available and it worked just fine.

The Restrooms

There are naturally no showers, but the lounge did have in-lounge bathrooms, which is pretty good for the size of the airport. They aren’t special, but they sure as heck do the job. We checked.

Final Thoughts

If you’re traveling to Pinta Arenas (PUQ), there’s no reason not to stop at the Salones Pacifico VIP lounge. This isn’t something to write home about, but it is a comfortable space to have a snack, get drunk, and kill some time before you head to Santiago (yes, yes, there are a few other flights to, say Puerto Mott, but we’re willing to bet you a beer that you’re going straight to Santiago from here). And when you arrive, be sure to check out our lounge review there too.

Final Grades