On our recent Business Class trip to Spain we visited the Sala VIP Miró Lounge on our return leg home from Barcelona.
Access to the Sala VIP Miró Lounge depends on several criteria. Passengers flying in Business Class or First class on airlines that are a part of major airline alliances like oneworld, Star Alliance and Sky Team typically have complimentary access as there aren’t really any other Business lounges in Barcelona airport.
Frequent Flyers with high-tier status, such as oneworld Emerald or Sapphire, are also eligible. Additionally, lounge access can be granted through membership programs like Priority Pass, and it is possible to purchase entry for 44 euros when booked in advance through the airport operator Aena’s website.
The lounge is open daily from 5am until the last flight departure, accommodating a wide range of passengers throughout the day.
The Sala VIP Miró Lounge is located in Terminal 1 of Barcelona El Prat Airport, designated for non-Schengen flights. Finding the lounge was quite challenging due to the lack of clear signage and limited staff available in the airport to help point us in the right direction. After heading up a lift and walking to what felt like the very edge of the Barcelona El Prat Airport, we found ourselves at Sala VIP Miró Lounge.
Arriving at the lounge early in the morning at 6:30 am before our Business Class flight with Etihad Airways, we found the lounge to be relatively busy.
There was a big sign greeting us at the entrance, where we met with staff seated at a central desk who were able to check our eligibility for access.
Once inside, the lounge boasts a spacious environment with large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the main concourse below providing plenty of natural light.
There is seating available directly ahead from the staff entrance desk which wraps around to the entire left of the lounge.
The seating is plentiful and varied, including comfortable lounge chairs with side tables and power outlets, proper desks with chairs for working and private pods at the back of the work area (which we’ll get to later).
Directly left to the entrance of the lounge is the dining area. There are two large island benches spread across the entire length of the buffet which held a variety of dessert and drink options.
The biggest and first thing we noticed was the untidiness of the lounge and the amount of dishes which were left around from previous customers. Although the staff were actively cleaning at the time of visit, it made it hard to find a spot to sit without dirty dishes next to your lounge chairs side table.
The bathroom and shower facilities were located parallel to the dining area and were big and spacious with high ceilings and much more maintained with staff in there cleaning actively which was nice.
The food selection available was interesting during the time we visited - with cured meats, small packets of chips and crackers, a small selection of cheeses, and pre-made sandwiches that looked a bit stale - it was an odd assortment provided rather than a typical lounge buffet continental breakfast selection.
It was safe to say that we were a bit disappointed, especially considering our flight wasn’t for a couple of hours and we hadn’t eaten anything prior to coming to the airport being it so early in the morning.
On the positive side, the drink options were a bit more extensive. Featuring a range of soft drinks in bottles which everyone knows makes soft drinks automatically just taste better! Other beverage options provided included help-your-self champagne, wine, beer, flavoured water as well as bottled water.
The Sala VIP Mirò Lounge offers a few extra amenities including shower facilities, free reliable internet access and a Business Centre - workspace area.
We didn’t personally use the shower rooms so were unable to take a photo inside, however the big bathroom included in this lounge was well maintained and looked after and cleaned by staff (we wish this transferred through to the rest of the lounge!).
We can assume that the shower facilities would just be as of high standard cleanliness as the bathrooms were.
The Business Centre area was quite large providing guests with ample seating space and options of seats - from desks to private booths. However, we noticed that due to the location of the business area in the lounge, and no separate room as such, it probably wouldn’t be the best spot to get work done due to the noisiness of the food area right next door and no walls or soundproofing to stop noise from travelling.
Other noticeable features in the lounge included the amount of power sockets for charging devices - this was a great feature as almost any guest could choose to sit down wherever they wished and charge their device within arms reach.
Overall, the Sala VIP Mirò Lounge at Barcelona Airport provides a comfortable and well-equipped space for travellers. The lounge’s spaciousness and natural light make it a pleasant environment, although it can get busy and a bit untidy during peak times. The food offerings are somewhat limited, but the drink selection is good.
With good business amenities - desks, accessible computers and private booths, it caters well for Business travellers; however we would recommend bringing some noise cancelling headphones. The shower facilities are useful for travellers looking to freshen up before their next flight.
Despite the big inconvenience of its distance from the gate, and being somewhat hard to find - it remains a worthwhile stop for eligible passengers.
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