Lounge Review: Asiana Lounge Business Class Central – ICN –

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Asiana Lounge Business Class Central at Seoul - Incheon (ICN) : airport lounge review, location, amenities, pictures, ratings, food, drinks, access rules.
Located immediately after passport control, near gates 25-26, on a mezzanine overlooking the concourse, the Asiana Lounge Business Class Central at Seoul-Incheon airport welcomes Business Class and Star Alliance Gold customers in elegant surroundings. Asiana also operates a second Business Class lounge (Business Class East) and a First Class lounge near gate 11. Lifetime Asiana Club Platinum and Diamond Plus members may use the First Class lounge when flying in Business Class. Note that Priority Pass members do not have access to the Central lounge, but may use the East location, which is virtually identical in every regard. Subway-style gates with boarding pass readers provide quick and easy access to the lounge. Just keep your boarding pass handy at all times; oddly, boarding passes are required to exit, too. Design Opened in November 2018, the Asiana Lounge Business Class Central at Seoul-Incheon airport replaces the former flagship club near gate 28. The new lounge, located in the footprint of the former KAL Lounge, is significantly smaller, yet more efficiently laid out than its previous incarnation. Bathed in daylight, the space boasts a high arching ceiling with a dramatic two-story window wall overlooking the tarmac. The design of the Asiana Business Lounge, conceived by Korean firms SKM Architects and KUKBO Design, is a modern interpretation of the airline's traditional living room-inspired décor. Bookcases line the edge of the mezzanine, creating an elegant and homely vibe. Clean lines, natural materials, Earth tones, hardwood floors, and indirect lighting foster a relaxing ambiance with Korean undertones. Gone is the grand piano that used to be the hallmark of Asiana's lounges, however. The new seating arrangement is more pragmatic, yet remains relatively private. Along the bookcases is a cozy seating area for families and groups, with convivial armchairs around coffee tables. Further along are a dozen highly coveted semi-enclosed pods outfitted with an egg chair, an ottoman, and a small side table. Two pods are equipped with a full-body massage chair. Other seating options include a TV area with a spacious theater-style seating layout; two dining areas with booths and traditional dining tables; table-top seating overlooking the windows, and shared work tables near the lobby. All seats are outfitted with international power outlets and USB chargers. The open-space layout achieves a good balance between privacy and efficiency, with a side table or coffee table near every seat, and low dividers that carve out more intimate areas. While routinely busy, the club remains typically relatively quiet thanks in part to local cultural norms. Amenities The Asiana Lounge Business Class Central at Incheon airport features a complete range of amenities for international travelers. The buffet features an assortment of snacks, a salad bar, instant noodles, and four rotating hot entrees such as fried rice, stirred fried vegetables, and beef and potatoes. There isn't much in the way of sweets, though custard tarts or other small desserts make an occasional appearance. Overall, Asiana has significantly stepped up its food offering with the opening of the new lounges. The selection may not impress, but it’s substantial enough for a full meal, and the entrees are fresh and tasty. Across the lounge, closer to the lobby, a second buffet area sports a self-serve selection of alcoholic beverages, including a modest assortment of wines, and typical liquor staples. Worth noting are the sake and soju, as well as Asiana's own craft beer, available on tap every day after 3pm. (And before 3pm, as well, albeit unofficially.) Other drinks include bottled water, soda, tea, and espresso along with a selection of syrups. The Asiana Lounge Business Class Central features four stylish shower rooms, which are a significant improvement over the cramped facilities of Asiana's legacy club. Each suite is outfitted with a rain shower, a toilet, a comfortable amount of space to change, and bath products and cosmetics in large bottles. To use a shower, return to the reception desk through the automated gates, and hand over your boarding pass to an agent. You will be issued a key card for your designated room. The adjacent bathrooms are elegant and spacious, but already show signs of wear and tear and aren't kept as pristine as one of one might expect from Asiana. Other amenities include secure a changing room, two massaging chairs, Wi-Fi, and electronics bag lockers in the lobby area. Bottom line The Asiana Lounge Business Class Central at Seoul Incheon boasts an elegant high-end design, comfortable accommodations, and an enjoyable range of amenities. At peak times when the club is busy, it might be worth a quick trek over to the Asiana Lounge East near gate 11, in case the latter happens to be quieter. Down the road, Asiana would benefit from additional capacity.