SJO as she is called was my home airport for many years, so this review of its single, well-hidden VIP lounge may be nudged from stark objectivity by a certain affection for the place.
In spite of the wide spectrum of airlines that now services Costa Rica’s capital city, none of the major North American airlines has a dedicated VIP lounge. You’ll need credentials with a Latin American airline, like Panama’s COPA, or a bolt-on agreement like Priority Pass, my favorite for international airport lounge access.
The lounge can be found one story down from the main passenger concourse. The moving steps will only take you in an upward direction, so you’ll need to negotiate the steps with your carry-on baggage or opt for the hilariously slow elevator.
Once inside, the clean, low-lit lounge is relatively peaceful. It is, however, decidedly not expansive. You may find yourself sitting closer to your neighbor than you’d anticipated, but travelers in and out of SJO seem unusually good-natured (or is that the aforementioned sentiment creeping in), so this is not a bad thing. The bathrooms are roomy and clean.
Unusually, waiters and waitresses circulate bringing you food and drink, a gratifying portion of which carries no extra charge. Plus seats, defensible wireless service, and good television coverage fill out the picture.
SJO’s VIP Lounge is one of those pleasant little secrets that frequent travelers enjoy discovering. This is one you have to look for.
So, you by chance have one these for the airport in Singapore, Delhi, Tokyo, and Seattle? LOL
No, JR, not those airports! I have posted one or two of these from airports where for some reason the lounge struck me as worthy of comment. But not the ones you mention …
I note you don’t have any of these reviews for UK airport lounges. There are some fabulous ones – not just the BA ones at T5 – but some dire ones too. If you want to know where to go, let me know ! By the way JR, I was in the Singapore Airlines lounge at Changi last year and it was outstanding.
I’m traveling to SJO in two weeks with Aeromexico and will have access to the lounge. I have two quick questions: 1) In your experience do you know if the lounge is open 24 hours? I arrive and depart very late and very early respectively. 2) Can you get to the lounge from the arrivals side? I arrive very late in the evening and was hoping to relax a bit before taking a taxi to my next destination.
Dear Reid,
Thanks for your post. I’m sorry I’m getting to it a bit late and hope this information will still serve you.
I do not know if the lounge at SJO is open 24 hours. A friend of mine with an itinerary similar to yours recently found it useful, but I do not remember his details. Yes, you can access the lounge from the arrival side. You will find it at the bottom of the slowest elevator in the civilized world, just below the food court.
Safe travels,
David