Review: Elegante Salon VIP Lounge, Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí Terminal 3, Havana

The bar, which was the best looking part of the lounge, was self-service and had a choice of half a dozen bottles of various spirits. The refrigerator at the bar held a variety of cold drinks including pear juice, mango juice, and a decent selection of Cuban beers including Bucanero and Cristal.

I found a quiet corner and settled in to do some work, connect to the Internet, and have a drink (I opted for the a Cristal), and, after using my initial 30 minutes of Internet, ventured out to spend my remaining convertible pesos, or CUC. When I returned to the lounge, the attendant was kind enough to give me a second Wi-Fi code, which she was not obliged to do.  The Internet, incidentally, worked quite well.

I asked for a coffee (there is no coffee machine but the staff will gladly prepare a cup of espresso and bring it to the bar), helped myself to water and pear juice, and settled in to do some more work before wandering off to the gate.

BOTTOM LINE

While the Elegante Salon VIP lounge clearly lags behind almost every lounge I’ve been to except perhaps for the American Airlines Admirals Club in São Paulo, Brazil, it was air conditioned (the terminal itself was not), had free Wi-Fi access, and comfortable seating.

Was it worth the 24 CUC I paid (I didn’t have exact change for 25 CUC, so rather than make change, the receptionist asked me to give her the 24)? Given the heat and lack of comfortable seating in the main terminal, I’d say it was a bargain.

(Photos: Accura Media Group)

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