Given that Basel airport’s EuroAirport Skyview Lounge was voted as the best lounge in the entire Priority Pass network once, as well as its best European lounge several times, I was excited to check it during my transit at the airport back at the beginning of January.
And, while the lounge didn’t exactly impress me in many aspects, one thing I can say is that it’s one of the coolest looking Priority Pass lounges I visited so far.
Continue reading this review to learn more.
Location, Opening Hours & Access
The lounge is located in the Schengen departures area, just past gate 43 and 44, and is easy to find. It opens at 5AM every day, and closes at 8:45PM on weekdays, 7:30PM on Saturdays, and 8:30PM on Sundays.
The EuroAirport Skyview Lounge can be accessed for free by business class and elite passengers, and is also accessible to members of the Priority Pass and Lounge Pass networks.
All passengers holding a valid boarding pass but ineligible for free entrance can also pay a fixed fee of 38 EUR/CHF to enter the lounge.
Lounge Tour
After entering the lounge, I was welcomed by the reception staff and my Priority Pass card was scanned. Besides the reception counter, the reception area also included a cloakroom, a couple of sofa chairs, as well as a flight information display.
Past the reception area and on the left, there was “Piazza Bar,” which seemed to be the lounge’s staffed bar, but it was closed at the time of my visit.
I found it interesting that the opening hours of the bar (at least based on a sign that was placed on the bar counter) were 5:00AM to 7:30AM – something I would expect from a hotel’s breakfast room and not from a bar.
On the right side was a self-service bar where one could get some snacks and other light food, as well as soft and alcoholic drinks.
In the middle of the lounge’s first floor was a little “oasis” with some palm trees, a small pond with a bridge crossing it, and half a dozen circular dining tables – each with four chairs.
Seeing this area made me understand why the lounge was voted the best lounge in the Priority Pass network a couple of times. Together with Oman Air’s lounge in Bangkok, the EuroAirport Skyview Lounge has to be one of the most uniquely (in a good way) designed Priority Pass lounges.
Besides the “oasis,” there were also some high-top tables tucked under a staircase which led to the lounge’s second floor.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
The second floor which was a circular balcony over the edge of the whole first floor and then some was where most of the lounge’s seating could be found. It also offered a nice view of the lounge’s first floor and its unique roof.
As for the second floor itself, there was a large dining area with a buffet and about a dozen tables in the middle, as well as a smaller one with four tables along the windows.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
There were also a couple of areas designed for lounging and relaxing. One of those was a larger area with black leather sofas and sofa chairs in the central part of the second floor.
Besides that, there were also some smaller such areas along the windows – some with sofa chairs (and sometimes TVs) and some with lounging chairs with ottomans.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
Finally, there were also some areas dedicated to work including a couple of desks with computers, a couple of conference tables, a glass booth (presumably for taking phone calls without disturbing other passengers – a feature that I like a lot and that can be found in most lounges in Japan but nowhere near enough in other parts of the world), and a counter with charging ports.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
There were also two other, unique things that could be found on the second floor.
First, there was a staircase to a (fairly small) third floor of the lounge which is likely used only during busy times as it was closed during my visit.
Second, there was an outdoor smoking terrace which offered some limited views of aircraft on the apron.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
Food and Drinks
While I am not sure what drinks one could get at the downstairs staffed bar when in operation, as far as the self-service drinks were concerned, the offering was more or less the same in both the first and the second floor buffet areas.
Cold soft drinks included soda in large PET bottles and water – both sparkling and still – in large glass bottles. There was also a variety of juices including apple, orange, apricot, and tomato.
Hot drinks included coffee and a selection of Lipton teas.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
As far as alcoholic drinks were concerned, there were red, white, and sparkling wines (one kind of each), three brands of bottled beer, and ten or so different kinds of liquor.
Similarly to the drinks, the snacks and other lighter food were roughly the same on both floors.
There were some fruits – both whole and dried – as well as some salty snacks such as nuts, chips, and olives.
There were also simple ham and cheese sandwiches, as well as plain bread with a variety of spreads.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
In addition to the above, in the more extensive buffet spread on the second floor, there were also a salad bar, some cold cuts, a cake, as well as some hot items including tomato soup and ratatouille.
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
EuroAirport Skyview Lounge Basel Summary
While the food and drinks selection in the lounge was not as impressive as I’ve seen in some other lounges – including other contract lounges in the Priority Pass network – the lounge was still one of the best Priority Pass lounges I visited overall.
It offered a quiet (at least during the time I visited) and nicely designed place to relax and work in.
And, the outdoor terrace was a nice bonus.
