Rosie Herdman visits The House Lounge at Melbourne International Airport, while flying with Virgin Australia.
The greeting: Finding the lounge was a little challenging as airport signage points to "The House" with no mention of "Virgin Australia" (and I conveniently forgot that I'd been told the name of the lounge already), but I stopped a friendly Virgin staffer who pointed me in the right direction. Upon entry, a welcoming greeter inquired whether I had visited before, pointed out (without me having to ask) where everything was including bathrooms, offered a Wi-Fi password and — crucially — informed me that no boarding announcements are made in the lounge, so to keep an eye on the time.
First impression: Walking into The House is like walking into a calm, chic, members club. The main area is set up like a restaurant with white tablecloths, nicely designed lattice partitions breaking up the space and a geometrically designed bar running along the window.
What's there: The House is part of British lounge specialist No1 Lounges' new international brand, and is created in collaboration with Etihad Airways. It provides both self-service and a la carte dining throughout the day, a fully tended bar, bathroom with shower and secluded prayer rooms. It was the winner of "Lounge of the Year" at the Melbourne Airport Excellence Awards 2018, which is impressive given the presence of Qantas' formidable First Class lounge.
Who's there: The lounge was quiet when I was there, but I saw a young couple sharing a cheeseboard at one of the tables, businessmen, older couples and parents with their kids.
