Review: Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles Airport (IAD)

During my Aria Suite Adventure to Hong Kong, I had the chance to check out several lounges at Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). After visiting the Capital One Lounge, Chase Sapphire Lounge, Turkish Airlines Lounge, and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, I stopped in at the Lufthansa Business Lounge.

In addition to being a Star Alliance lounge, this is also a Priority Pass lounge over select hours. While the Lufthansa Business Lounge feels like a bit of a dungeon, it has a respectable selection of food and drinks, so it could be worth stopping in if you’re hungry or thirsty. Otherwise, there are probably prettier lounges in the terminal in which to sit.

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles location

The Lufthansa Lounge Washington Dulles is located in Concourse B, near gate B50. For context, all terminals and gates at Washington Dulles are connected airside, so it’s just a function of how far out of your way you’re willing to go. Concourse A and Concourse B are in the same long hall, so it’s pretty convenient from all those gates.

It’s hard to miss the exterior of the lounge, given Lufthansa’s signature bright yellow lounge facade.

The Lufthansa Lounge Washington Dulles has both a Senator and Business section. The Senator section is located on the same level as the entrance, while the Business section is down a level, and can be accessed by stairs or elevator.

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles hours

The Lufthansa Lounge Washington Dulles is currently open daily from 1:30PM until 10PM, though that schedule does vary based on the Lufthansa Group flight schedule at the airport. Unlike some other lounges in the terminal, this one doesn’t open in the morning, so it’s clearly primarily intended for the afternoon and evening bank of flights.

Note that while the above are the current hours, Priority Pass capacity restrictions are often put in place in the hours leading up to Lufthansa Group departures.

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles entry requirements

With the Lufthansa Lounge Washington Dulles being broken up into both a Senator and Business section, the access restrictions do differ, in line with Star Alliance lounge access policies:

• The Lufthansa Senator Lounge is open to Star Alliance Gold members on an eligible Star Alliance flight, plus Star Alliance first class passengers (so that includes those flying Lufthansa first class)
• The Lufthansa Business Lounge is open to Star Alliance business class passengers, as well as Priority Pass members
• It’s also possible to access Lufthansa Lounges with select Amex cards

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles layout & seating

As mentioned above, the Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles is down one level from the terminal, so it feels a bit like a basement, with limited natural light. That’s in contrast to a majority of the lounges in the terminal, which have great views and tons of natural light.

The lounge is broken up into a couple of distinct zones. Right as you enter the lounge, there’s the dining area, with a bunch of tables, each seating two people.

Then off to the side of that is a big room with rows of chairs facing one another, along with a couple of TVs on the wall.

There are a few other seating arrangements along the outer portion of the lounge, ranging from communal high-top seating, to small tables with chairs, to workstations.

While the windows are limited, from the side of the lounge you do have an apron-level view, which I suppose might be cool if there’s actually a plane parked at gate B49. Regardless, it’s a pretty obstructed view.

So yeah, design-wise this is probably one of the weaker lounges in the terminal, as it’s not particularly modern or bright. The Senator Lounge upstairs is a different story.

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles food & drinks

While the Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles doesn’t necessarily have a great design, it has a solid selection of food and drinks, especially if you’re looking at this by Priority Pass standards. The food is all available directly at the buffet, and is pretty high quality.

During my visit, the cold options included:

• Blood orange and fennel salad with goat cheese
• Quinoa salad with roasted squash, kale, and pesto
• Cranberry, provolone cheese, dijon mustard, and turkey sandwich
• Vanilla pudding with sumac macerated strawberries

Then the hot options included:

• Vegan stew with potatoes, peas, and bell peppers
• Rosemary and parmesan sweet potato mash
• Saffron rice pilaf
• Braised chicken sofrito
• Cream of potato soup

Then the end of the buffet had pretzel rolls, harvest rolls, sponge cake with white chocolate mousse, cookies, and gummy bears.

The main buffet area had an espresso machine, a soda fountain, water on tap, and infused water.

Lastly, there was a bar at the opposite end of the lounge, with a selection of wine, liquor, etc. There was even a bartender available, who could make basic cocktails.

Lufthansa is pretty consistent with its outstation lounge catering. I don’t want to say that this is anything amazing, but at least by Priority Pass standards, I thought it was quite good.

Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles bathrooms

The Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles has bathrooms in the back left of the facility. There are gender segregated bathrooms, with the men’s room having three sinks, two toilet stalls, and two urinals. As you can tell, it’s a pretty basic, no-frills bathroom setup.

The lounge also has a shower room, though I didn’t have a chance to check it out during my visit.

Bottom line

Every lounge at Washington Dulles has its pros and cons, especially those accessible with Priority Pass. The Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles is a lounge I’d come to if I wanted to eat and drink, but not necessarily one I’d want to hang out in otherwise, given the lack of natural light and not particularly inspiring decor.

The good news is that if you have access to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, that has a more pleasant design, with a lot more natural light.

What’s your take on the Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles?