Trip Report & Review – Iberia Velázquez VIP Lounge – Madrid Terminal 4S

I really enjoyed and was impressed by Iberia’s Velázquez VIP Lounge which is located in Terminal 4s (non Schengen departures) past security and was completely renovated in late 2011. This is part eight of a nine part trip report from my travels to the south of France.

• British Airways Terraces Lounge JFK
• British Airways Club World (Business) JFK-LHR B777-200
• British Airways Galleries Club Lounge LHR Terminal 5A
• British Airways Club Europe (Business) LHR-NCE A319
• Marriott’s AC Hotel Ambassadeur Antibes- Juan les Pins, France
• Le Méridien Nice
• Nice (NCE) Airport Lounge, Not All that Nice…
• Iberia NCE-MAD CRJ1000 Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional) Business Class
• Iberia Velázquez VIP Lounge – Madrid Terminal 4S
• Iberia “New Business Class” MAD-JFK  A330-300

Entry to the lounge is a bit strange as the elevator is located in a duty free shop!

This was actually my second time visiting the lounge (once early morning and once in the afternoon) and both times I found the lounge to be really quiet and peaceful. It wasn’t empty either time, but there was plenty of room to spread out and there were far fewer passengers than I’ve seen at almost any other major European carrier’s hub lounges.

Multiple seatings areas – all with power outlets…

I thought the food was excellent and I really enjoyed the grilled chicken and pasta. There are two areas with identical food options, both were empty! “Would you like your meal warmer? Our waiters are at your service.”

Only looking for snacks, a sandwich, or a drink? There’s a nice selection of those too:

There are multiple self-service bars located throughout the lounge where you can make yourself a drink or you can venture to the special Wine Bar area:

Shower? The showers and bathroom were modern and appeared freshly cleaned, though the entire area smelled of feet! The shower had multiple body sprays in addition to the main shower head.

Like the plates, the towels and shower keys were courtesy of Melia.

Children’s play area, great plane watching, and wifi. The free wifi cards are only good for 30 minutes so take a few or you’ll be running back to the check-in area.

I really enjoyed the lounge – great food, quiet, peaceful, and plenty of seating. Though it was completely refurbished back in 2011, it still felt new. I’m still surprised by how few fellow passengers there were during both of my visits. Iberia isn’t known for having the best business class service or lounges, but this lounge definitely shines.