- Introduction: Four Times Across The Atlantic
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A350 (MIA-FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: Prima Vista Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A320 (FCO-CAI)
- Changing Terminals At Cairo Airport: Still Complicated
- Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI)
- My Rough Night At Cairo Airport, Made Better By EgyptAir’s Osama
- Review: EgyptAir Business Class 787 (CAI-CDG)
- Review: Sheraton Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: YOTELAIR Paris Airport Priority Pass Lounge (CDG)
- Review: Air France Lounge Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: New Air France Business Class 777-300ER (CDG-JFK)
- Review: Hyatt Regency JFK At Resorts World New York
- Review: AA & BA Greenwich Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Soho Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Chelsea Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: British Airways Lounge Newark Airport (EWR)
- Review: New British Airways First Class 777 (EWR-LHR)
- Review: Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: No1 Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic A330neo Upper Class Business Class (LHR-MIA)
- Is Virgin Atlantic’s Retreat Suite Worth It?
As part of my four flights across the Atlantic journey, I had an extended layover at Rome Airport. While I spent most of my time at the ITA Airways Lounge, I also decided to check out the Prima Vista Lounge, which is the Priority Pass lounge in the terminal.
While the lounge is better than hanging out in the terminal, I wouldn’t recommend visiting it unless it’s your only option. The lounge pales in comparison to the ITA Airways Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge, both of which are pretty great.
In this post:
Prima Vista Lounge Rome location
There are actually two Prima Vista Lounges at Rome Airport — one in the Schengen area, and one in the non-Schengen area. I visited the one in the non-Schengen area, given that I was flying to Cairo. The Prima Vista Lounge is quite a trek, especially if you’re not departing from gates E31-44, which are in a separate pier.
If you’re just entering the terminal, head through passport control, security, and duty free, and walk in the direction of the gates.
Eventually you’ll want to follow the signage in the direction of gates E31-63 (the lounge is near gate E41).
Pay close attention to the signs, as you’ll have to make a few turns to keep heading in the direction of gates E31-44.
You then need to take a train to access this pier of the terminal (don’t worry, you can return to the main part of the terminal, with a catch, which I’ll explain below).
Once you’re in this pier, just head up the escalator, and then follow the signage toward airline lounges.
Right across from gate E41, you’ll see the signage for the Prima Vista Lounge (and the now abandoned Casa Alitalia… OMG, how cool!).
You’ll then need to take the elevator down a level, which is where the Prima Vista Lounge is located.
Once out of the elevator, you’ll see the entrance to the lounge on the left.
Immediately next to that is the former Casa Alitalia. Honestly, I can’t even describe how tempted I was to break in and take a look. What a blast from the past!
Let me emphasize that if you’re not departing from gates E31-44, you can take the train back to the main part of the terminal. The catch is that you’ll have to clear a transit security checkpoint. There was no line there whatsoever. Of course I imagine during some periods it gets a bit busier.
Note that all of this is the non-Schengen zone, so there’s no passport control required either way. I suspect security is required because flights from certain destinations require transit security, while flights from other destinations (like the United States) don’t.
Prima Vista Lounge Rome hours
The Prima Vista Lounge is currently open daily from 6:45AM until 5:15PM. Note that the Priority Pass website indicates that it closes at 2PM, but that wasn’t the case during my visit. I imagine the hours change over time based on flight schedules.
Prima Vista Lounge Rome entry requirements
The Prima Vista Lounge is open to Priority Pass members, as that membership comes with many premium credit cards. The Prima Vista Lounge is also used as a contract lounge by a variety of non-SkyTeam airlines. This includes everything from American Airlines, to Qatar Airways, to EgyptAir, to Ethiopian Airlines, to United Airlines.
Prima Vista Lounge Rome seating & layout
The Prima Vista Lounge is quite small — the below picture shows you probably 80% of it. This lounge is essentially in a basement with no natural light, so in that sense I have to give the lounge some credit for the design, as the “fake” backlit windows and some of the brick walls with greenery at least give the lounge a bit of charm.
While the lounge furniture looked pretty modern, none of it was particularly comfortable. All the seats were super thin and not well padded, almost like the latest generation slimline seats that you’ll find on most flights nowadays.
The seating consisted of rows of chairs facing one another, some communal high-top seating, and a row of seats along the center of the lounge.
Prima Vista Lounge Rome food & drinks
This is the area where the Prima Vista Lounge most lags. Both the ITA Airways Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge have an incredible selection of food, barista made coffee, and cocktails. Meanwhile the Prima Vista Lounge… doesn’t.
The lounge had a modest self serve buffet.
In terms of drinks, there were coffee machines, fridges with soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and a small selection of wine and beer, and there was a selection of liquor, but not many mixers.
The food wasn’t bad for a Priority Pass lounge, but in Italy you generally expect more. Food included a selection of pastries, a couple of types of individually portioned salads, finger sandwiches, chips, pizza, and three other hot dishes. Those three dishes included penne with zucchini, mushrooms, and chives, fusilli with tuna, capers, and black olives, and a pumpkin and chickpea stew.
Prima Vista Lounge Rome bathrooms & showers
The Prima Vista Lounge had bathrooms and a shower in the very back. The bathrooms were quite clean, though there were only a couple of stalls, and no urinals.
There was also a shower room inside the bathroom, which had a walk-in shower and sink. It looked okay, but not as good as the showers at the Plaza Premium Lounge.
Bottom line
The Prima Vista Lounge is better than nothing, but it’s by far the weakest of the three lounges I visited at Rome Airport Terminal 3. The lounge lacks natural light, doesn’t have particularly comfortable seating, and has a limited selection of food and drinks.
If you have a credit card that gets you access to the Plaza Premium Lounge, that’s infinitely better, in my opinion.
What do you make of the Prima Vista Lounge Rome?
This review that was updated in 2024 needs to be updated again. This review was not of the lounge that I visited in April 2024. The review posted on August 2023 is more accurate.
The Prima Vista lounge moved (as of my visit in August 2023) and is now *before* the train when you walk towards the signs for gate 31 in terminal 3. Hence it is much easier to access if you are departing from other gates in terminal 3, as it is a relatively short walk.
This part of the terminal is not very busy and such is the lounge. It was a nice quiet atmosphere. The...
The Prima Vista lounge moved (as of my visit in August 2023) and is now *before* the train when you walk towards the signs for gate 31 in terminal 3. Hence it is much easier to access if you are departing from other gates in terminal 3, as it is a relatively short walk.
This part of the terminal is not very busy and such is the lounge. It was a nice quiet atmosphere. The design is obviously quite different from this review.
There is a basic buffet (including various pizzas) and bar with house wine and barista made coffee. Overall I enjoyed my stay.
Prima Vista lounge in Terminal 1 in Rome earned the honor of the WORST lounge of the 50+ I have been to. No A/C, extremely warm, horrible food, even kiwi fruit war not edible. Never again!
OMG! The seating there screams "20 minutes max. stay".
Wins the booby prize for Worst Lounge Furniture Ever, hands down!
Thanks for the helpful and (from our experience) accurate review. My husband and I are there fairly regularly on our returns from our place in Italy. Two additional things: 1) the staff has always been warm and helpful to us, especially the experienced desk team; and 2) for breakfast, food has been made to order and decent. FWIW, it's all relative... there's really not much upstairs in the NS area, other than a (swamped-in-the-morning) caffe,...
Thanks for the helpful and (from our experience) accurate review. My husband and I are there fairly regularly on our returns from our place in Italy. Two additional things: 1) the staff has always been warm and helpful to us, especially the experienced desk team; and 2) for breakfast, food has been made to order and decent. FWIW, it's all relative... there's really not much upstairs in the NS area, other than a (swamped-in-the-morning) caffe, so we have found the PV lounge a nice respite while waiting for our FCO-EWR flights, even when crowded.
First time leaving Rome, I let Mrs. Doubt convince me to leave the Plaza Premium lounge for this one because it was right at our gate.
Never again.
It’s a grim cave.
Agree, not an amazing lounge at all. It also gets super crowded in the mid to late mornings as many of the US airlines use this lounge for their premium cabin customers and in summer, it can get really crowded. Was there in July waiting for a Newark-bound UA departure. It was hot (A/C didn't work well) and overcrowded. Waited in the gate area, which was cooler and more tranquil.
To me the best lounge at FCO is the Star Alliance in T3 Schengen area. While also small, I never saw it as over-crowded as I have seen the international Prima Vista referenced in the article.
It has open kitchen, dishes cooked on demand and in front of you, good bar with variety of drinks. The Prima Vista next door uses the same kitchen but the food (more limited selection) in cooked in batches and...
To me the best lounge at FCO is the Star Alliance in T3 Schengen area. While also small, I never saw it as over-crowded as I have seen the international Prima Vista referenced in the article.
It has open kitchen, dishes cooked on demand and in front of you, good bar with variety of drinks. The Prima Vista next door uses the same kitchen but the food (more limited selection) in cooked in batches and re-heated.
During the height of the pandemic up until last March, because both the Star Alliance and the Prima Vista lounge immediately next door (and across from the new ITA lounge) are managed by the same cater, and the Prima Vista was closed, the Star Alliance lounge was accepting Priority Pass.
Good times.
This would be the nicest U.S. PP lounge?
You’re joking? Or you have little experience with US PP lounges?
This place is a grim cave.
That's fair, NiD. I was focused on the food offerings at Prima Vista, which look pretty tasty
Pepperoni pizza lol I thought that didn’t exist in Italy