Emirates Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport. Photo / Supplied
Emirates Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport. Photo / Supplied
Stephanie Holmes visits the Emirates Business Class Lounge at Concourse A, Dubai International Airport
The lowdown: Dubai Airport's Terminal 3 has three separate concourses (A, B, and C), each with their own Business Class lounge. I was flying out of Concourse A, which offers direct access to the departure gatesfrom the lounge itself. This means you can make the most of its luxurious facilities right up to the very last minute.
The greeting: Professional and efficient. There's a huge lobby area with a range of desks and immaculate staff.
First impression: After a seven-hour flight from London Stansted, and a 16 hour flight ahead of me, this lounge was heaven, taking me away from the bustle of Dubai airport's sprawl.
Who's there: The entire world. A quick glance at the Departures screen showed there were connections from Terminal 3 to Casablanca, Kuwait, Rio, Tokyo, Geneva, New York and seemingly everywhere in between.
What's there: Space, peace and quiet, an excellent range of cold and hot food options, fully stocked bars, showers with attendants, a business centre, and varied seating options.
My favourite option was the comfortable loungers in the quiet area. They're similar shape to a sun-lounger, and come with individually shrink-wrapped blankets and pillow. Just make sure to set an alarm on your phone so you don't miss your flight.
Anything for the kids: There's a whole room dedicated to young travellers, with pinball machines, basketball hoops and video games. You'll have a hard time dragging them away to board your flight.
Tech stuff: Complimentary Wi-Fi, with no password required. There was an abundance of plug sockets and charging ports, and plenty of departure screens.
Reading material: A raft of international newspapers including The Sunday Times, New York Times, Washington Post and more.
Eating and drinking: The food in Emirates' Dubai lounges is excellent, with a huge range to choose from. It was very early morning on my visit, so there were many Western and Arabic breakfast options, the latter of which included mfarakeh (a potato and egg dish), makanek (Lebanese sausages), ful medames (fava bean stew), and the most delicious hummus and labneh with freshly baked flat breads.
You could also tuck into soft-serve icecream, fresh dates, and a massive range of alcoholic beverages. Is 7am too early for French champagne and grand cru wines? Not for the passengers in the lounge that day — people were well and truly getting stuck in. Hey, it's five o clock somewhere, right?
The top shelf spirits selection at Emirates' Business Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
I wasn't quite up for a booze-up but I knew I should at least try the top-quality red wines on offer, so I compromised and had a little taster of the Chateau Laroze Famille Meslin Grand Cru Classe. Sixty-eight per cent merlot, 26 per cent Cabernet franc, 6 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 100 per cent delicious.
Bathrooms: The shower rooms are well maintained and spotlessly clean. You might have to wait a little while for your turn, but the attendant will take your name and you can go away and come back again.
Lounge atmosphere: Peaceful — there's so much space you can find a quiet spot and relax.
