Top Five Airline Lounges

I'm about to head out on one of my gratuitous international trips (Switzerland, this time). I'll be gone until Wednesday of next week, and the blog will remain on hiatus (more or less) until then. In the meanwhile, I will pay homage to my Star Alliance Gold frequent flyer status and the elite airlines lounges to which my status grants me access.

1. Royal Orchid Lounge (Thai Airlines), Hong Kong
This lounge is decorated in funky pastel colors. It sits on an open balcony overlooking the Hong Kong Airport terminal, which is an architectural wonder in and of itself. There is a full Thai food buffet alongside computers with internet access, comfortable lounge chairs, an enclosed television room, and Nintendo Wii systems. And of course, the requisite feature of any airline lounge is the free, unlimited booze.

2. Senator Lounge (Austrian Airlines), Vienna
While the Senator Lounge, awash in soft pink and green tones, is somewhat undersized, it comes appointed with a full selection of magazines and newspapers, televisions, hot omelettes with bacon in the morning, an array of danishes, all the booze you can drink, and the friendliest staff I've encountered on that side of the Atlantic.

3. London Lounge (Scandinavian Airlines), London-Heathrow
While this lounge lacks the food offerings of others (opting for packaged snacks instead of hot food), it makes up for it with size and atmosphere. The two-story lounge sports a utilitarian design scheme straight out of Ikea, bounding in wood. There are many computer stations on the first floor. On the second floor, the lounge has a movie room, a sleeping room, and a children's play area.

4. Sala VIP (Varig), Rio de Janeiro-Galeao
The elegant lounge in the basement of the Rio airport is a wonderful elite experience. It is spacious, offering lounge chairs, cafe tables, desks, and a plentiful selection of sandwiches and drinks. The highlight, however, is the container filled with hot pao de queijo (cheese bread) -- the most addictive snack in all of Brazil.

5. Signet Lounge (All Nippon Airways), Tokyo-Narita
This squeaky-clean lounge is a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese architecture. It features an expansive business center (with 20+ computer terminals), vegetarian sushi, a noodle bar, an automatic beer machine, a full assortment of Japanese soft drinks, more types of tea than you ever knew existed, and the most effective bathroom hand dryer I have ever encountered.

Honorable Mentions
Red Carpet Club (United Airlines) - Hong Kong
Red Carpet Club (United Airlines) - Sao Paolo-Guarulhos
Maple Leaf Lounge (Air Canada) - Toronto
Senator Club (Lufthansa) - Frankfurt