Lounge Review: Primeclass CIP Lounge at Istanbul Ataturk

The last Priority Pass lounge I visited during my transfer in Istanbul back in April was the Primeclass CIP Lounge.

Just like the previous two – HSBC Premier and Comfort – lounges, the entrance to this one is located in the food court area.

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Except, this time, instead of going up the escalator you have to go down. Interestingly, there are two “Primeclass CIP” lounges in the hallway downstairs.

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The one that Priority Pass provides access to is the one at the end of the hallway rather than at the side of it.

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Lounge Overview

The lounge is split into two large parts depending on whether you go to the left or to the right at the reception.

The left part feels a bit more private as it is smaller and features a bit “spacier” layout. The right side is more like a “typical” lounge.

Let’s take a look at each of them below.

“Left” Section

I first explored the left section.  Just as I turned left, I could see a living room-like space in front of me. It had a (fake) fireplace, a couple of leather couches and a coffee table.

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It was bordered by the dining area on its right side. Besides tables and chairs, there was also one of the several buffets and drink counters. On the other side of the buffet, there was a slightly more “casual” setup with sofa chairs and coffee tables.

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On the left side of the living room area was one of the two conference rooms in the Primeclass CIP Lounge. Between the two conference rooms, there was another drink counter as well as a counter with some snacks.

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“Right” Section

After leaving the first section and walking by the reception desk, I got into the second – much larger part of the lounge.

Going straight from the reception, there were some flight information screens, cellphone chargers and reading materials along a wall.

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Further down, there was the bar area. Besides featuring a staffed bar, there was also a variety of seating there.

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Adjacent to the above was the main seating area of this part of the Primeclass CIP Lounge. This area features mainly rows of sofa chairs and also some dining tables and chairs.

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Along the sides of the seating area, there was also another buffet spread and drink counter.

Finally, there was a communal table which served as a workspace with plenty of power sockets for charging laptops, and a play room for kids.

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Food & Drinks Selection

Before I jump into the actual offering, I just want to mention that the selection in both of the parts of the lounge was more or less the same.

In terms of drinks, besides the staffed bar mentioned above, there were several counters with soft drinks. There was some soda – both in bottles as well as in a dispenser. Besides that, there was an orange juice dispenser and some canned Cappy juice.

Of course, there was also plenty of tea and coffee.

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Then, there were some light snacks including cookies, and some fruits.

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Finally, there were some salads and cakes, tomato soup, and a couple of hot options.

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Primeclass CIP Lounge Istanbul Summary

Overall, the Primeclass CIP Lounge at Istanbul airport is a good lounge – especially considering that it is a contract lounge. While the selection of food could be slightly better – especially on the warm side, other than that, there is not much to complain about.

In fact, the lounge is one of my favorite so far out of the thirty-or-so Priority Pass lounges that I’ve visited.