Coming in from Heathrow, we had a couple-hour layover in Brussels prior to flying home. We were destined for The Suite by Brussels Airlines, the inferior cousin of The Loft, which is in the Schengen part of the airport. I feel like I (and many other travelers!) have been in this lounge quite a bit over the years. While it is nothing aspirational, it is a fairly straightforward lounge and one I wanted to formally review. So onward to our The Suite by Brussels Airlines lounge review!
Details
Name of Lounge: The Suite by Brussels Airlines
Location: Brussels Airport Pier B
Time/Length of Visit: 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Date of Visit: 11/30/19
Seating 2/3
The Suite had a decent collection of seating, including chairs, high tops, and tables. The power outlet situation was better than some lounges – many of the seats, but not all, had immediate access to power. When we were at the lounge, it was probably around 75% capacity. We were able to find two comfy (and powered) chairs together, which was good since Mrs. PTI promptly fell asleep.
Drink 2/3
The drink selection was acceptable, but nothing special. The coffee machines were good, although lacked some of the fancy hot chocolate options (not sure if they were out of powdered cocoa) I had seen in The Loft. There were two good beers on tap, including Leffe Blonde, which I helped myself to – after all, it was now like, 9:30 AM, which is when normal people drink. But the liquor and other selections were relatively disappointing compared to the Lufthansa Senator lounge I had just been in.
Food – 2/3
Food was also OK, but not anything special. There were a couple of hot dishes, but they didn’t look nearly as appetizing or interesting as what Lufthansa had on offer. Cold dishes were also available, and some decent, if not special, croissants and chocolate croissants. The most compelling looking food was a fridge full of delicious pies and tortes, but I wasn’t hungry enough to indulge.
Cleanliness – 3/3
The lounge was clean, even though it was busy.
Bathrooms – 3/3
The bathrooms were also in good shape and clean, with both multi-stall bathrooms and single stall. There were showers, but I did not get a chance to use or review them.
Wifi – NR
I did not run a speed test, unfortunately. The speed seemed fine for standard internet use.
Views – 2/3
There were pretty good reviews of the tarmac and aircraft activity. However, this is a good place to note a complaint I’ve had about this lounge for years. The rising sun hits the lounge windows and it gets WARM. And I’ve generally been in this lounge when it’s cold outside—i.e., winter. And it still gets uncomfortably warm. Now, to be fair, I run hot as a human being (literally and metaphorically), but generally when sun impacts a building that much it’s an HVAC or design issue.
The Suite by Brussels Airlines Lounge Review Overall – 2/3
I like this lounge because I’ve been to it a lot of times throughout my flying career – particularly early on when I didn’t really know what a truly “good” lounge was. When I first started doing heavy international travel, my definition of a good lounge was anything that beats a U.S. United Club. This lounge achieves that. It also beats out the Diamond Lounge I had traversed earlier in the year.
However, in the scope of things – and in direct comparison to the morning’s Lufthansa Senator’s lounge – it’s a pretty average international lounge at best. It also shows its age in comparison to The Loft, the Brussels Airlines “flagship” lounge, which has a better ambiance and better food and drink. That said, nothing about The Suite is really BAD, it just isn’t very special.
All images the authors‘.
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