Turkish Airlines Lounge - Washington Dulles (IAD)

The Turkish Airlines Lounge Washington Dulles airport has long been a LoungeSharks favorite for those flying in to our out of Concourse B. With good hot food options, solid beer and wine and plenty of stylish and comfortable spaces, this should be your first choice for a layover. If you’re denied because there are too many revelers in here already, check out the Air France/JAL Lounge nearby.

The Space

A view of the main lounge space — We believe this space used to be a ballet studio.

The Turkish Airlines Lounge Washington Dulles smartly divides its patrons into one of three camps: the eaters, the drinkers, and the misanthropes. For the former, a spacious and stylish area surrounds the buffet. Seating along the window allows you to watch Dulles’ people movers awkwardly and sometimes ineptly shuttle around the tarmac. Fun fact, these “mobile lounges” were designed by Charles and Ray Eames of lounge chair fame. For those that prefer looking at themselves, the opposite wall is clad with mirrors.

The promotional video for the Dulles shuttles.

If you’re a drink like a shark, you’ll find a nice seating area near the bar by following the hallway past the restrooms, prayer room and shower (or my version of a prayer room). In here, the wine flows and round sofa brings you closer to your neighbors. On a busy night at Dulles, this is U Street.

A view of the bar seating area — No good lounge singles’ club would look right if everyone weren’t on their laptop.

The third and final space is the Turkish Airlines Lounge’s best kept secret. Hook a right just past reception and you’ll see a stairway peaking at you from behind a partially closed curtain. This is seating area number 3.

The secret entrance to a seating area above the lounge — The curtain to the inner santcum.

The third space can be seen from below as you traverse the hallway as a balcony where only the truly haughty are allowed to sneer down at the rest of us. Entrance to this area is sometimes restricted to VIPs, TAL status holders or those with a really convincing iyi akşamlar.

The Food

Depending on the time of day, you’ll be treated to a very fruit-and-yogurty breakfast buffet, börek, baklava and revani for lunch and dinner and a diverse rotation of hot and cold dishes. The food here is really excellent and beats almost any other lounge in its class (that is, short of the Centurion lounges).

The Drinks

The bar with wine, beer and liquor — Booze-galore to wash down a seemingly never-ending stream of bad news.

The bar is excellent, with complimentary beer and wine and cocktails at a charge. On a busy night, this won’t feel too different from a modest bar in Georgetown, where the suits put down their spreadsheets and limber up with each other. We felt it only lacked a suitable space to dance.

The Internet

In our many visits, we have never successfully remembered to check the internet (possibly because we caught the devil may care vibes floating out of the bar). It has served on several occasions, however, for a slurred video call to loved ones and downloading a show on Netflix. If you need to work here, you’ll be well accommodated. We suggest that you skip it, whenever possible and get in on the boozy mirth.

Final Thoughts

Too little is said in our reviews about the bathrooms, though these great levelers leave nothing wanting. Given the size of the space, you have only two, single-occupancy bathrooms, complete with bidets, though no Turkish toilet was in sight. The area does, however, include a prayer room (which, if you saw the emphasis in this review about the bar, you will rightly infer that we did not use) and a shower. There seems to be no booking for the shower, though there is only one. We should note, we have never seen it occupied.