A visit to Turkish Airlines’ new business lounge in Istanbul

In mid-February, Turkish Airlines opened its revamped business lounge in Istanbul, with a whole new floor of 2400 square metres and a variety of fun new features, including a miniature race track and a golf simulator. BusinessClass went to Istanbul to take a look. The expansion is below the existing lounge and means the lounge area has expanded by 2,400 square metres to 5,900 square metres, and now has the capacity for 1,000 visitors. The new section is located at the back of the lounge, the opposite end from the main entrance. During the test visit, a few days after the opening, many visitors chose to stay in the old part of the lounge and simply never had time to discover the stairs to the floor below. There is now an additional entrance to the lounge which is located beside the transit hotel and goes directly to the bottom floor.

The large atrium with the globe The new floor is built around a large atrium, with an impressive spiral staircase leading down from upstairs. The atrium is adorned with a huge globe, with a Turkish Airlines emblem, to symbolise Turkish Airlines’ worldwide networks. In the middle of the atrium is a Turkish tea garden where you can enjoy a cup of Turkish tea and snacks. Surrounding the atrium are several different rooms with seating areas, workplaces, a buffet area, drink stations, children’s playground and an activity area.

The staircase to the lower floor with tea garden Food and drink Right after the stairs is a sizeable and nicely decorated restaurant section, with chandeliers and a small self-service buffet.

One of the restaurant areas On the opposite side of the atrium is a further restaurant section that has a more extensive buffet. This area is very similar to a breakfast hall at a nice hotel, with a fancy decor and a comprehensive range of food. There are both cold cuts, snacks and hot food which is cooked by a team of chefs. During different parts of the day you can order different hot dishes which will be cooked while you wait, such as an omelette in the morning, with your choice of filling. The reputed caterer, Do & Co, is responsible for all the food in the lounge, the same catering company that provides the food served on board Turkish Airlines flights.

Large self-service buffet In several parts of the lounge you find drink stations with soft drinks and other alcohol free drinks, most of them in a shelf section built into the wall. In addition, there are three locations in the lounge with a bar, with a fairly large selection of liquors such as gin, vodka, whisky, rum and various liqueurs. In the atrium is a tea garden where you can enjoy Turkish tea (with three different choices) and snacks.

Wide selection of alcoholic beverages Activities for young and old The new floor also offers several new activities to pass the time. The most fun feature is perhaps the miniature racetrack, where one can drive a rally car around a model sized Istanbul and pass famous landmarks like the Hagia Sophia, the bridge over the Bosphorus and Istanbul's airport. There are also several car racing games, a golf simulator where you can practice your swing, pool tables and a play area.

Rally car, computer games and one of the drink stations

Golf simulator Upstairs The old lounge upstairs is still there but feels worn and almost ancient in comparison, which more so reflects the very high standard in the new lounge rather than the upstairs actually being old. Also upstairs are several seating areas and plenty of food and drink. Additionally, there is a library, a cinema room with a popcorn machine outside, a large playroom for children and a flight enthusiast corner, where on a wall, you can follow all departing and arriving flights in the Istanbul area via Flightradar24.

The slightly more worn upstairs

Cinema room with the popcorn machine What does Business Class think? Turkish Airlines sets a considerably high standard with their new lounge section. Perhaps most interesting is that it does not feel like you are in a lounge at a busy airport, rather it feels like you are in the lobby or lounge of a very nice hotel, with the bar and breakfast room around the corner. It was morning during the test visit and there was not a huge amount of people in the lounge, while upstairs was busier. Many had stopped at the first seat they saw and had not made ​​it through the lounge, to the atrium, or down the stairs to the lower floor. However, this was a benefit for us as the lounge looked very pleasant when it was quiet and relaxed. This is sure to change as more people discover the new area. The food and drink was of a high level and there was a great selection. All the different activities were very enjoyable and make the lounge a destination in itself and turns the visit into an experience. Access to the lounge is offered to travellers in business class, first class or Star Alliance Gold Card holders travelling with Turkish Airlines or another airline in the Star Alliance. All photos: Jacob Molin