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Having spent a few years in the beautiful country of Malaysia in my early 20s and childhood, any excuse to fly through is most welcome. Recently, I’ve had a couple of trips to Sri Lanka via Kuala Lumpur with some rather long layovers. As soon as I touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (IATA: KUL) I flipped open Lounge Buddy (get this app if you are a frequent lounge user) and found that I had access to the Plaza Premium Lounge with Priority Pass. With so many cumulative hours spent on layovers at this airport, I definitely gave this lounge a full run for its money, and sure enough, it lived up to its “Premium” name.
Wait, don’t stop reading yet. There’s going to be pretty pictures (promise).
If you are arriving in the main international departures terminal, you’ll want to hop on the airtrain that shuttles you over to the Satellite terminal. Upon disembarking, around the corner to your left will be an elevator that takes you up to the floor above with the lounge just 20 feet or so away as you exit. Access to this lounge is granted to premium cabin flyers of airlines who don’t have a flagship lounge at KUL, certain credit card customers and Priority Pass members. It is open 24/7 and you can always expect it to be at least half full/half empty (pick your side).
As soon as you walk in there is seating of all kinds from lounge chairs, to cushioned benches and even table top seating. If you need to use the bathroom, like I did during my first visit, you’ll need to walk all the way to the other side of the lounge upon entering. After settling in, you’ll want to make a bee line for the refreshments which are located just behind the reception where you checked in. The dining area is well stocked with a full fridge, including 100 Plus (my favorite thing to drink when I’m in Malaysia), salad bar, breads, coffee & tea, three chaffing dishes for hot entrées and finally, a made-to-order noodle soup station (YUM).
The hot entrees have always varied with each visit. It has gone from chicken cacciatore and braised curry laksa chicken for dinner to nasi lemak for breakfast. I always loaded up on all of it and still got a bowl of noodle soup afterwards. I can’t say enough good things about the soup noodle and I recommend saving space for it if you don’t live that laissez-faire glutton lifestyle (like me).
A stone’s throw away from the dining area is the bar. Premium liquors cost money while the beer on tap is complimentary. Heineken was what was available when I had visited. While it isn’t my favorite by any means, it is hard to ignore a fresh beer on tap. The other hidden gem at this bar is the dessert station on display in a glass case in the bar itself. “I’ll have one of everything” I said to the bartender and off I went to cap off my monstrous meal with a beer and dessert. I told you I was a fatty, didn’t I?
Lastly, if you are not in a complete daze after all the food and beer, the internet is fairly fast allowing you to get some decent browsing time in. I will mention that this lounge does get very full so your mileage may vary on that.
WITH ALL OF THAT SAID..
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
A lounge puts itself in the firing line with the world “Premium” in its name, but you know what? It lives up to that billing. The food was varied and piping hot. The fridge was fully stocked all the time, even big enough for me to run around in almost. You most certainly will not go hungry or thirsty in this lounge! On top of that, a free flowing beer on tap and desserts make for a very nice cherry on top of this cake. This lounge is almost perfect and the only thing that would have earned it a full 5-stars is complimentary liquor. I’ve been in some pretty bad lounges, such as this one, that offered complimentary liquor. Now that I think about it, could it be because of the sin tax in the country?
In closing, if you’re flying through KUL and have Priority Pass, this lounge is certainly worthy of your time and, most importantly, your calories.
| Yay + | Nay – |
|---|---|
| Excellent food & drink | Can get a little crowded at times |
| Decent Wifi | Premium liquors aren’t complimentary |
| Lots of seating | |
| Made-to-order noodle soup station | |
| Service is excellent |
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nico Atienza
Chief Storyteller
An expat remote worker based in Colombo, Sri Lanka with a penchant for window seats on planes, travel, and technology that makes everyone’s lives easier.
