Review: SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)

Review: SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)

NAME: SWISS Arrivals Lounge
Airport: ZRH
DATE: January 2024
REVIEW RATING:
BEN SAYS: The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is excellent, with generous entry requirements, pretty good food and drinks, lots of shower suites, and even nap rooms.
10

During my downgraded adventure to Oman, I had a roughly 12-hour layover at Zurich Airport. During that time, I checked out both the SWISS Arrivals Lounge and SWISS Business Lounge, so in this installment I’ll be reviewing the former.

While my SWISS A330 business class flight left a lot to be desired, the SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is excellent, by comparison, among the best arrivals lounges out there. Not only does the lounge have very generous entry requirements, but it also has a solid selection of food and drinks, lots of shower suites, and even some nap rooms. Let’s get into the review!

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich location

Finding the SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is pretty easy. Upon arrival, just head through immigration and baggage claim. Once in the baggage claim area, you should see signage leading in the direction of the lounge.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich signage

After exiting baggage claim, just turn left, and then you’ll see the entrance to the lounge right there.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich entrance

The lounge is actually one level up from the arrivals level, so there are elevators that you can then take up to the lounge. Even the lower level has some cool SWISS airplane art, and a couple of chairs.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich entrance
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich elevators

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich hours

The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is open daily from 6AM until 1PM. The intent of an arrivals lounge is ultimately to have a place to freshen up before you either head to the office or can check into your hotel, so it’s pretty normal for these lounges to not be open later in the day. The lounge can also be useful if you’re waiting on a train connection after a SWISS flight.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich entry requirements

What sets the SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich apart is its generous entry requirements. Many airlines restrict their arrivals lounges exclusively to those arriving on long haul flights, while that’s not the case with SWISS. The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is open to:

  • Arriving SWISS first and business class passengers
  • Arriving Miles & More HON Circle, Senator, and Frequent Traveller members

So those are some pretty great entry requirements, as the above passengers can use the lounge even when traveling short haul.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating & layout

The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is 770 square meters (~8,300 square feet), and it has seating for 80 people. So as far as arrivals lounges go, this is among the bigger ones.

As you enter the lounge and pass reception, you’ll first see a seating area with a few seating options, including a couple of couches, some chairs, and even a table.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating

Past that is the main room of the lounge, where there’s first a bar with some stools.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich bar
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich bar

Then you’ll find yourself in the main part of the lounge, which primarily consists of some tables that can each seat two, with high-top seating.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating

Beyond the tables above, there’s also a seating area with three chairs and some side tables.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating

Then there’s an area with dining tables that have a bench on one side, and a chair on the other side.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich seating

The lounge also has a couple of phone rooms that have glass doors you can close, should you have a private call you want to make, or should you just want some silence.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich phone room

The lounge has a variety of reading materials that guests are free to take.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich reading materials

As you can see, the seating is probably more functional than comfortable, since those wooden high-top seats aren’t particularly comfortable to sit on for extended periods of time.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich food & drinks

The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich has a self-serve buffet, located right near all the high-top seating. Arrivals lounges generally don’t have the most exciting food selections, and this lounge was no exception, though I still found it to be pretty good.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

In the morning, the food selection included all kinds of yogurt, smoothies, muesli, and cold cuts.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

Closer to lunchtime, some of those items were replaced with salads and sweets.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

There were also a variety of carbs, from croissants, to rolls, to pastries, to danishes, as well as several cereal options.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

There were several hot options, including scrambled eggs, omelets, baked beans, and tomatoes.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

The lounge has some food options available upon request, including hardboiled eggs, porridge with stewed cherries, and waffles with cream and cherry compote.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

Later in the day, there was also the option of a daily soup.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

As far as drinks go, there was self-serve water, juice, soda, and beer, as well as a coffee machine and tea selection.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich buffet

The bar had some white wine and sparkling wine. The bar also contains a proper espresso machine, in case you want a barista coffee.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich drinks

Lastly, if you’re looking for some sweet treats, the bar has everything from chocolate, to gummy bears, to marshmallows, to cookies.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich sweets

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower rooms & bathrooms

The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich has 20 shower rooms, each of which is named after an international destination, which I thought was a pretty awesome naming system. You can reserve one of the showers with the receptionist at the front of the lounge, and then they’ll tell you which “city” you’re going to (I showered in “Bangkok”).

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room signage
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower rooms
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower rooms

The shower rooms are simple but functional, with sinks, toilets, and walk-in showers.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room

Toiletries are from Soeder, and are in reusable containers.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room toiletries

The lounge also offers an ironing service, whereby you can place your clothes into a compartment by the door, and have your clothes ironed while you shower.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shower room ironing service

While the lounge has plenty of shower suites, the actual bathrooms are otherwise limited. There’s one men’s room that has a single sink, urinal, and toilet.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich bathroom
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich bathroom

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich nap rooms & rest area

The area where the SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich shines is when it comes to resting facilities. For one, the lounge has a rest area, whereby there are cozy seats with ottomans, with a partition between each of them. This might be a good place to sit if you just want to relax for a moment, but don’t want to get any real sleep.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich rest area

What’s awesome is that the lounge has three private nap rooms, which are available on a first come, first served basis. Two of these are single rooms (without bathrooms), while one is a double room (with a bathroom). There’s no time limit for how long you can use these, as long as you leave by the time the lounge closes.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich nap rooms

I managed to get one of the single rooms. It’s by no means luxurious, but the bed was quite comfortable, and it was possible to make the room completely dark, so I managed to take a brief nap, which helped me power through the day.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich nap room

If you just want to hang out and feel like you’re escaping the airport, there’s also a TV in the room.

SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich nap room
SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich nap room

This is such an awesome feature, since being able to get a proper nap after landing off a long haul flight can make such a difference at times. In the past, not many people have known about these nap rooms, though perhaps as they get more exposure, it’ll be harder to snag one of these.

Bottom line

The SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich is about as good as arrivals lounges get. The lounge has a decent selection of food and drinks, plenty of seating, lots of shower suites with an ironing service, and even nap rooms. Best of all, access requirements aren’t at all restrictive, as even short haul business class passengers can use this lounge.

Personally I think this is the best arrivals lounge in the world when you factor in the quality and variety of the facilities with the generous access requirements.

What do you make of the SWISS Arrivals Lounge Zurich?

Conversations (10)
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  1. Lisa Guest

    I'm a repeat lounger at the Swiss Arrivals Lounge in ZRH, and I love it. I've been using it for 10 years, ever since family moved there, and it definitely has a clean-lines, no-nonsense, healthy-food Swiss German vibe. But it has everything I want after the redeye from the US - healthy breakfast options (muesli, quark, eggs, pastries, fruit juices and fresh fruit, high quality machine coffee.) Great showers, never in use when I arrive....

    I'm a repeat lounger at the Swiss Arrivals Lounge in ZRH, and I love it. I've been using it for 10 years, ever since family moved there, and it definitely has a clean-lines, no-nonsense, healthy-food Swiss German vibe. But it has everything I want after the redeye from the US - healthy breakfast options (muesli, quark, eggs, pastries, fruit juices and fresh fruit, high quality machine coffee.) Great showers, never in use when I arrive. There are many other options, including the bar, that I've never paid attention to. As someone else commented, in 10 years, I have never seen more than 5 other people in the sitting/eating area, except at the beginning of Weihnachts- oder Sportferien, (skiers) and there's plenty of room to bring in your previously-checked luggage. It seems well-designed to allow people to decompress from their flight and transition to meeting up with business colleagues, or transferring on to the SBB (train system) which connects directly to the airport. I find it much quieter and more relaxed than the Business Departure Lounges, which I don't find particularly refreshing. One more note: ZRH has a fully-stocked Migros, one of the two top grocery chains in Switzerland, so if you are headed to an unstocked airbnb, you can pick up necessities without making a 2nd stop.

  2. Stefan Guest

    I definitely see this as an asset in ZRH. Food-wise exactly what I am looking for after a long flight, seating-wise there are comfy chairs though limited number. But in my 10 visits or so (usually 2 hrs) I have never seen more than 5 people in the lounge. And the bedrooms are great...

  3. Rusty Guest

    You make it sound a bit better than I thought it was. The decor is stark and seating is uncomfortable. The food offerings are fine but. I felt this was designed to get you in, take a shower and get you out. The vibe in the lounge is also quite dull. All that said, I was pleased to be able to freshen up in there.

    I much prefer the departure Business Lounge.

  4. Andy Diamond

    Yes, that‘s the great part of travelling Swiss. Fingers crossed it does not get „enhanced away“ …

  5. Adam Guest

    Awesome write-up. I know it’s not stated on-line, but the lounge being accessible to those arriving on United Business Class is one of the most important low-key features.

  6. SD Guest

    What about the Lounge with the Balcony view? I guess it is in the Departure area. SWISS lounge in Zurich is the best lounge in the world. Quite! Always take a 4-5 hour layover and you will not regret it.

  7. lolz Guest

    no one's gonna laugh about ben getting assigned the Bangkok room?

  8. Tennen Diamond

    Looks pretty nice! Is there a luggage storage area near the reception? It seems like the lounge would be cluttered if everyone brought their checked bags inside...

  9. Abidjan Diamond

    Quite an impressive lounge.

  10. Joe Guest

    Amazing that you can get eggs without having to wait for someone to make a measly portion of them! Should have gone here rather than their departure lounges on my last connection.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Tennen Diamond

Looks pretty nice! Is there a luggage storage area near the reception? It seems like the lounge would be cluttered if everyone brought their checked bags inside...

1
Lisa Guest

I'm a repeat lounger at the Swiss Arrivals Lounge in ZRH, and I love it. I've been using it for 10 years, ever since family moved there, and it definitely has a clean-lines, no-nonsense, healthy-food Swiss German vibe. But it has everything I want after the redeye from the US - healthy breakfast options (muesli, quark, eggs, pastries, fruit juices and fresh fruit, high quality machine coffee.) Great showers, never in use when I arrive. There are many other options, including the bar, that I've never paid attention to. As someone else commented, in 10 years, I have never seen more than 5 other people in the sitting/eating area, except at the beginning of Weihnachts- oder Sportferien, (skiers) and there's plenty of room to bring in your previously-checked luggage. It seems well-designed to allow people to decompress from their flight and transition to meeting up with business colleagues, or transferring on to the SBB (train system) which connects directly to the airport. I find it much quieter and more relaxed than the Business Departure Lounges, which I don't find particularly refreshing. One more note: ZRH has a fully-stocked Migros, one of the two top grocery chains in Switzerland, so if you are headed to an unstocked airbnb, you can pick up necessities without making a 2nd stop.

0
Stefan Guest

I definitely see this as an asset in ZRH. Food-wise exactly what I am looking for after a long flight, seating-wise there are comfy chairs though limited number. But in my 10 visits or so (usually 2 hrs) I have never seen more than 5 people in the lounge. And the bedrooms are great...

0
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