Review: Iberia Lounge Madrid Airport (MAD)

I visit this very often.... I agree that for a Shengen lounge it's not bad at all. The big red seats are not comfortable but there are many different areas that are quite welcoming. Still I believe the lounge in Barcelona is better, cosier, maybe the colours better also (but this is Iberia's red....). It was dead and not good during the COVID peak but now started to be better, the bar areas has re-opened, the wine selection is now good enough. Not a place indeed to go hours before a flight to enjoy and chill, but between 2 flights or to spend 1 hour before a short EU flight, it's more than decent.

Quite nice. Luck, really great to have your TRs once again. Great camera, btw.

I agree that the Iberia Dalí Lounge (Schengen) is one of the nicest regional lounges. It has a reasonable number of showers (regional lounges often have only one or two), which is very comfortable if you arrive from a long-haul flight and connect to a destination in Europe. The food and beverages are arguably some of the best, in particular after 2PM when they add the hot main courses (according to Spanish schedule, this is lunch time).

However, I wonder why you haven't used their Velazqués (Intercontinental) lounge in T4S? I understand you were flying on QR to Doha and they depart in T4S. The Velazqués lounge is very similar in terms of food and drinks, but offers more seats with an apron view. Also it is after the train ride from T4 to T4S and after departure immigration control, which I always prefer, because I don't have to worry about lines once I get to the lounge.

I was there 2 weeks ago, I visited both lounges, they are without a doubt better than any lounges that you will find in the US.

I agree with your assessment. As long as it isn't crowded, it's pretty decent.

However, it should be noted that this lounge is often EXTREMELY busy (it was even during the pandemic).

Totally agree re your review of the lounge. It was a lot worse with food selections middle of last year (likely COVID related), so good to see they've now improved their selection. The non-Schengen lounge is even better, nowhere near as crowded with seating as this lounge, and having big open spaces and extremely light due to it being a bit narrower and having floor to ceiling windows .

I'm glad the showers are open. I've found it ironic how many shower facilities, where one is ostensibly there to clean themselves, have been closed for sanitary purposes during Covid.

It is worth mentioning that there is another (and I think better) lounge on Terminal T4 (satellite building, where the flights to Israel departs from). It has better food and drink selection. I spent 3 hours there last December and enjoyed the food and drinks.

Loved this lounge. Last August 2021, I was awarded one of those "bid your offer" upgrades to domestic business class for my offer of 35 euros, earlier on the day of travel. I was just interested in the better seat and was delighted to hear that I also had access to the lounge.
It was late morning and there was a big selection of well-prepared food on their morning menu. Lots of people around, but the variety of seating arrangements was good for comfort and privacy. I hope to spend time there again in April.

Actually that wasn’t lunch. Proper lunch is served from 1 pm and selection of hot meals is better then the offer before 1 pm. The bar is very good when opened. The rum cocktail I had there was better than any drink I tried in OW first class lounges (QR, CX, QF, JL, MH).

Both IB lounge areas in Madrid Terminal 4, T4 (Schengen) and T4S (non-Schengen) are excellent and among my favorite European ones. Contrary to BA LHR T5 F which keeps downgrading, they keep improving.

The one sorry area is that they discontinued the huge wrapped towelettes which were so good that I would make 4 trips to the bathroom and steal as many as I could. Since everybody did the same and as they probably were quite expensive, this is surely why they removed them.

I'm always exhausted when in this lounge and so wishing they had more places to put your feet up to sleep. Think the red couch area is new (or in the other lounge). Is it so hard to add an ottoman or two?!?

Ben was flying on Iberia to Milan - then connecting to Doha, on Qatar, from Milan.

Iberia is almost always our preferred way to Europe. Although Madrid does not have quite the frequency or flight availability of Heathrow, as long as there are flights to where you want to be, it's hard to beat. They do have some of the best lounges anywhere in my opinion. The food choices are significantly expanded in particular the hot food at the other lounge in terminal 4S.

"For a regional lounge, I thought the selection was excellent"

Regional lounge? Isn't this one of their primary lounges?

I do wonder, how do smaller regional airports, like Saarbrücken Airport, operate with regards to Schengen and non-Schengen gates/areas, as they only offer a handful of daily flights to both Schengen and non-Schengen destinations?

"is that even a thing in Spain?)" What is this supposed to mean? I guess a stereotyped (and false) sort of comment that should be left out.

Agree. I also do not know what is meant with that.

Is that statement meant to say that Spaniards never wake up early (whether to take an early flight or to operate the lounge earlier than 6.30am)?

@ Carlos -- It's supposed to mean that Iberia doesn't operate many early morning flights. Looking at the schedule, Iberia's first scheduled flight out of Madrid in the morning is at 7AM, and most departures aren't until 7:30AM or later.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but at major hubs in the US, the first bank of flights is typically at 5:30AM-6AM.

@ Aaron -- Yes, it's a major lounge at a hub airport. What I meant by "regional" lounge is that this serves Schengen passengers, so that would include passengers traveling on regional flights.

@ Abidjan -- Thanks! Only an iPhone, heh.

But by that logic though, you could classify any lounge in the world as a regional lounge, no?

@ Aaron -- Not really, by my definition, at least outside of Europe? It exclusively serves those traveling on regional flights. That's not the case at most lounges around the globe.

I comfortably spent a 3-hour layover here in early January, after an early arrival from the US. My biggest gripe was that there was no shelf/ledge within the shower itself on which to set my cava.

This is what I call a "high-quality problem".

They do have a rest area with lounge chairs and low light, at least in the 4S Terminal Lounge.

Ah o.k., thanks!

I like your style!

Don't mind if I use your phrase "high-quality problem" from now on to correct those hypocritical, mediocre types who rationalize all problems by calling it "first-world problems" (as if they have any real affinity folks like me who actually do come from developing countries!!!).

Ben, you can’t tell us that there’s a long story involved with why Ford has a butterfly shaped key, and then not tell us! 😛

Flew Iberia business from JFK to BCN via MAD two weeks ago. Passing through immigration and security and then taking the airport train to the intra-Schengen area was super quick at MAD (especially compared to what our friends who made the same trip on KLM via Amsterdam experienced). The lounge was peaceful and very well-stocked. Despite the annoyance of passing through security without TSA pre-check at JFK, I found the Iberia experience--and especially the MAD lounge--pretty good.

Ben, a question, perhaps you can help me. We have LATAM issued business class tickets, code share operated by Iberia. Will we have access to this lounge? Thanks in advance.

Your "country's" reputation is in the drain