Review: LATAM Loung...
 

Review: LATAM Lounge Sao Paulo Airport

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(@lucky)
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In the last installment I reviewed the American Admirals Club Sao Paulo Airport, while in this post I wanted to look at the LATAM lounge, which is right next door. Both lounges are located airside in Terminal 3 at GRU, and both can be accessed by all oneworld first and business class passengers, as well…

Continue reading: Review: LATAM Lounge Sao Paulo Airport

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28 Replies
28 Replies
(@flightwonk)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 0

LOVE this lounge! The Star Alliance lounge at GRU is very nice, as well (also Terminal 3). The LATAM lounge at EZE is a bit smaller than at GRU, but still a terrific alternative to the very cramped American lounge at EZE. Very happy with what LATAM has done at these two airports.


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 Ben
(@Ben)
Joined: 11 years ago

Posts: 131

I don't think I've ever seen an XBox in a lounge before. Seems like a very solid option for a variety of reasons.


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(@Luis R.)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 8

I think it's worth noting that this lounge also has sleeping rooms that are fairly comfortable. I think is one of the nicest business class lounges in South America.


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(@modepolizei)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 0

OMG, they have pao de queijo!!!


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(@Zachary)
Joined: 8 years ago

Posts: 1

Was at this lounge about 4 years ago. One of the best lounges I've been to. Showers are amazing, food was great and relaxation room was fantastic.


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(@Leeza1)
Joined: 9 years ago

Posts: 116

@Mark G. : I would be shocked if they didn't have pao de queijo.


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 Cj
(@Cj)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 45

Judging between the sets of photos in each review, it seems the Admirals Club had better selection of food? Except for the pan de queso of course!


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(@CriCed)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 140

The service is better in LATAM lounge at EZE


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(@Mr. Grumbert)
Joined: 8 years ago

Posts: 4

I share your thoughts on LATAM's flagship lounge. I like the South American wines and food options. Never saw the lounge crowded, even during the friday evening peak hours. Plenty of (clean!) Showers available, never had to wait to get one. One of my favourite business class lounges in the Americas.
Unfortunately the experience on TAM's 777-300 with the outdated 2-3-2 lie-flat seat layout is less appealing.


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 pwc
(@pwc)
Joined: 13 years ago

Posts: 34

I'd rate the LATAM lounge in Santiago a notch ahead of this one, but that might be in part due to the fact that I've been there in the evening and Sao Paolo only in mornings. I thought the food spread and wines were a bit better at SCL and liked the set-up a bit better (seating areas more nicely separated).


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 Sean
(@Sean)
Joined: 15 years ago

Posts: 46

LATAM has done similar work at SCL, but probably a bit better than GRU. Wonderful tarmac views, and two stories with multiple buffet and wine sections.

LATAM certainly has stepped up its game with lounges - that's for sure. These are a far cry from the old LATAM lounges at SCL and EZE.


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(@Diogo Thebas Oliveira)
Joined: 8 years ago

Posts: 3

I’m gere doing the same.
Frist admirals club after latam.
In hot food and deserts , american win.
But the latam have a nice eat selection. I think it’s better for vegan( not my case)

Latam lounges have a funny think, Miami you have haggen das ice cream. Bogota you have a local ice cream( not to far from haggen das)
But the 2 home lounges don’t have, either Guarulhos( TAM) and Santiago (Lan)
And for the admirals club The shower is better hear tham Miami flagship lounge( of couser justo the shower)


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(@Cesar Yukio)
Joined: 8 years ago

Posts: 1

I love the LATAM lounge at GRU Airport! There's a lot of seating and the self service bar is amazing!
In terms of food, I prefer the Admirals Club.

In terminal 3 there's also others good lounges, as the Star Alliance Lounge (PP, LK and AMEX Platinum) and the Mastercard Black Lounge (All mastercard black and world elite are acceptable)


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(@James)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 49

LATAM GRU lounge is indeed very nice. but my favorite in the region is the LATAM lounge at SCL international terminal.
Similar in design but over 2-floors, and just feels a bit warmer and found food offering superior in SCL.


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Diamond
(@pierre-2)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 512

It seems to be EXACTLY the same lounge as in Lima.

Have LAN and TAM finally agreed on doing ANYTHING together ?


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Diamond
(@pierre-2)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 512

Re above, sorry. I meant EZE. Lima has a terrible lounge.


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 AC
(@AC)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 12

Lucky, I’m sorry to say but I just don’t rate this lounge. It is not a bad lounge, but it is definitely not as great as you make out. I’m basing that assessment on visiting it about 10 times over the last three years.

The best thing about the lounge is that it is spacious and there are a number of comfortable seating options. And yes it definitely better than a lot of other lounges out there.

But this is the flagship lounge of the biggest carrier in South America in the biggest city in South America. There are many very wealthy Brazilians living there and LATAM fares are on the expensive side. So I expect a lot more.

My biggest criticism of this lounge is the very average catering and drinks. It might look ok in the pics, but it is essentially all snack food with minimal hot food (and the small choice in hot food is very poor quality). The catering in even small Emirates, Qantas, or Cathay lounges is lightening years ahead of this lounge.

In particular:
- The fruit (apples) are wrapped in plastic. Yuck!
- In the morning they serve pre-sliced fruit in little bowls with plastic lids (mango, papaya, grapes, etc). This looks and tastes like it is prepared in a laboratory and is the worst tasting fruit I’ve had in 18 months of travelling in South and Central America
- The bread they serve is shocking quality
- They serve just one beer (Heineken) which is not even a Brazilian beer. Serving one of the world’s most commercial beer brands and offering no alternatives is a big thumbs down. Compare this to a very basic lounge (I’m thinking Qantas Club in Launceston Tasmania which has a population of 90,000) and you would typically have at choice of at least three beers.
- The lack of a Brazilian beer is fairly typical of the cultural interiority that I’ve noticed among some Brazilians (particularly wealthier Brazilians). If you travelled to the UK, Germany, USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc, the locals would be proud to serve a local product. Not in Brazil, they are almost embarrassed by it. I have Oneworld Emerald with Qantas and I am constantly delighted by how Qantas celebrate Australian culture and support Australian companies through their product. Besides the pao de queijo and bottle of cachaca there is almost nothing identifiable Brazilian about this lounge which in my mind is a great shame.
- The lounge is somewhat sterile. I think LATAM could have been a bit more creative and adventurous and perhaps included a dedicated juice bar, or had a tapioca stand at breakfast, or had a dedicated cocktail bar, or even a Brazilian BBQ dining area. This would make the lounge so much more exciting and memorable. Personally this lounge offers nothing that would make me want to visit.
- Many of the comments say things like ‘it is good for a south American lounge’. Again an example of the cultural inferiority. If I was LATAM I would be more apparitional and be aiming for the best business class lounge in the world.
- I’m a little confused why LATAM and AA didn’t open a joint lounge and pool together resources (especially given the lounges are next to each other
- Interestingly the LATAM lounge in Santiago serves both Louis Roederer champagne and Hagen Daz ice cream which are both absent from this lounge. My guess is this is because LATAM is essentially still LAN (Chile) and TAM (Brazil) and the TAM offering is conspicuously inferior to the LAN offering
- I've used the showers and the unfortunately the water kept going from hot to cold to hot making the experience fairly unpleasant


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 Manu
(@Manu)
Joined: 8 years ago

Posts: 2

I spent 11 hours there last Friday, waiting for my long connecting flight to get back home from holidays. As said by others, service is good, the guys in the reception were really attentive, but food looks better than it actually is, they could have more diverse options and some stuff could be of better quality (like pao de queijo or the fruits). What I really liked were the showers, that are big, nice and with toiletries from Natura. They also have a closed rest space, with 4 to 5 day beds, that could be used for a nap, that’s kind of hidden.

Ezeiza has a smaller, similar lounge, but with better view of the tarmac, and nicer catering, for example the last time I was there (2 years ago) they offered Freddo ice cream instead of the regular Nestlé one that was in GRU last Friday. Also, the coffee machine was better and as it was a Nespresso commercial one had options to choose, and wine was definitely superior.


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 vand
(@vand)
Joined: 5 years ago

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Posts: 0

I was here a couple of years ago, possibly soon after it opened, and was really impressed also.


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 Zdm
(@Zdm)
Joined: 9 years ago

Posts: 6

It's a pity that both one world lounges close at midnight and the Qatar flight to Doha is at 3 am.


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 HNL
(@hnl)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 39

Did you check out the Star Alliance lounge acrosss the way from LATAM/AA and allows access to Priority Pass members. There is also the less desirable Executive Lounge / Sala VIP up there as well. LAN and AA used to use that for their passengers prior to opening their respective lounges.

I agree with your assessment that the LATAM lounge is the best of the lot.


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Diamond
(@abidjan)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 337

Thanks for both lounge reports. The AC looks nice, but LATAM is better. Better design. Thanks Lucky.


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(@Fred M)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 194

Seeing cold cuts out in an uncooled and uncovered manner gives me the creeps.

What is that machine in the first pic?


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(@schar)
Joined: 10 years ago

Posts: 886

Terrific review, please tell me you had some pao de queijo! 🙂


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(@roger72)
Joined: 5 years ago

Member
Posts: 0

I was just there and thought it was one of the better lounges I have been to.


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(@Patrick)
Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 1

Does anyone know if the lounge could be used as arrival lounge (arriving on an early transatlantic flight in Business Class)? Just to take a shower and have a small breakfast before heading to the office.


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 Choo
(@Choo)
Joined: 2 years ago

Posts: 1

Are there any beds in the lounge for long haul passengers who have long waits till the next flight?


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(@Peter J Haas)
Joined: 11 years ago

Posts: 6

I’m assuming this article hasn’t been updated and that OW Emerald no longer as access this lounge?? Asking for me!


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