Review: SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)

During my trip to Zimbabwe, I intentionally planned a roughly 10-hour layover at Zurich Airport, to be able to do some lounge hopping, after getting off my SWISS 777 first class flight from Miami.

I spent most of my time in the two SWISS First Lounges in Zurich, including the SWISS First Lounge Zurich Terminal E and SWISS First Lounge Zurich Terminal A.

However, I also wanted to check out the SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich Terminal E, which I’ll be reviewing in this installment. During a previous trip, I reviewed the adjacent SWISS Business Lounge Zurich Terminal E, so I figured it was time to check out the other lounge, which is intended to be a bit more premium.

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich has a lot of nice features, including a lot of natural light, a terrace, a Whisky Club, and shower suites. While there’s a lot that impresses about the lounge, I’d say the food selection isn’t much to get excited about. Still, this is a nice place to pass some time.

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich location

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich in Terminal E is quite easy to find (Terminal E is the non-Schengen terminal, so it’s primarily for long haul flights).

Once you’re in Terminal E (which requires going through security, taking a train, and then going through passport control), follow the signage in the direction of gate E36. Near the gate, you’ll see both a staircase and a couple of elevators that can take you to the lounge, which is located on level three (one level above the concourse).

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich hours

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich is currently open daily from 6AM until 10PM, covering all departures from the terminal on both SWISS and Star Alliance partners.

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich entry requirements

SWISS follows standard Star Alliance lounge access policies, though takes a unique approach to how it separates out its lounges:

• SWISS Business Lounges are the carrier’s business class lounges, which are open to all Star Alliance business class passengers
• SWISS Senator Lounges are more premium, and are open to Star Alliance Gold members plus Star Alliance first class passengers; the airline technically markets this as a first class lounge, so that it doesn’t have to let Star Alliance first class passengers into its real first class lounges
• SWISS First Class Lounges are the carrier’s best lounges, though they’re reserved for HON Circle members, SWISS first class passengers, and Lufthansa first class passengers; SWISS gets away with this by marketing this as a HON Circle lounge that SWISS first class passengers just happen to get access to

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich seating & layout

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich is 1,100 square meters (~11,800 square feet), and has seating for 170 people. This lounge is just slightly smaller than the adjacent SWISS Business Lounge, so you can expect that it’ll generally be a bit quieter.

As you enter the lounge, there’s a map of the layout, to give you a sense of the different zones.

Inside the entrance to the lounge, you’ll first find a long and narrow area with a limited amount of seating, plus some reading material. The wall in this area has information about some of the tallest mountains and biggest lakes in Switzerland, which is a cute touch. You’ll also find a machine in this area where you can generate a Wi-Fi code.

At the end of that area, you’ll find four phone booths, which I guess are intended to offer just a little bit of privacy if you want to make a phone call, though they don’t have seats or doors.

At this point you’ll be in the area of the lounge where most of the seating starts. There’s an area with clusters of black leather chairs.

Given the limited lounge capacity so many airports have, I’m also puzzled by how SWISS chooses to dedicate some of its lounge space to sponsored displays, since that space could be used for quite a bit more seating instead.

The back corner of the lounge has the largest seating area for lounging, with chairs arranged in rows, facing one another.

Across from that space you’ll find the dining area, which has cafe-style tables, communal tables, high-top seating, and more.

There’s also an area with six semi-private work spaces, ideal if you want to be productive. It’s amazing how many lounges don’t have any sort of facilities intended to maximize productivity, so I appreciate this.

Also in the back of the lounge you’ll find a large relaxation area, with around 10 individual pods.

Now, I can’t say I find these pods to be even remotely comfortable, especially with their oddly vertical pre-reclined position. But I guess it’s better than nothing…

Last but most certainly not least, the lounge has a terrace with views of the apron, which is one of the coolest aspects of many of SWISS’ lounges at the airport. Unfortunately it was closed during my visit due to weather.

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich Whisky Club 28/10

One unique feature of the SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich is Whisky Club 28/10, with the “28/10” named after the runways at Zurich Airport.

As the name suggests, this bar is primarily dedicated to whisky, and guests can sample whisky options from around the globe. The selection is massive, so if you’re a whisky drinker, you’ll no doubt love this.

In addition to the bar as such, this area also has couches and other seating, so it’s one of the more comfortable areas in the lounge to sit.

I always appreciate when airlines invest in unique experiences, and this certainly qualifies.

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich food & drinks

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich has a self-serve food and drink selection, which frankly I found to be quite underwhelming, and almost identical to what you’ll find at the SWISS Business Lounge.

In terms of drinks, there’s a station with several espresso machines, plus a tea selection.

Then there’s an area with beer, soda, and some liquor.

There’s also a display with wine, juice, beer, and water.

The food selection is quite mediocre, and not much better than you’d find in the average lounge in the United States. One station has a salad buffet, so you can prepare your salad as you’d like, along with some chips and salsa.

Then there’s the live cooking station, with two kinds of soups (beef broth with egg cubes and vegetables, and root vegetable soup), two types of pinsa (one with chicken, and one with feta cheese), a lentil dish, and a selection of bread.

In terms of dessert, there are some jars with a selection of sweets, plus a station with some fresh desserts.

I’d say the selection was okay, but for a flagship, long haul, better-than-business-class lounge, I didn’t think this was terribly exciting.

SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich bathrooms & showers

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich has bathrooms roughly in the middle of the lounge.

The men’s room has four sinks, four toilets, and four urinals, and seemed to be quite clean during my visit. Unlike in the SWISS Business Lounge, there are no views of the apron here, sadly.

The lounge also has shower suites, which are shared with the SWISS Business Lounge. If you want a shower, just proceed to the front desk, and they can arrange that for you (though during peak hours, there may be a wait). The showers are located outside the main part of the lounge, just past the elevators.

The shower suites are nicely appointed, each with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower.

Toiletries are in reusable containers from Soeder, as seems to be the standard product line for the carrier nowadays.

Bottom line

The SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich is quite a large lounge, with lots of natural light, a beautiful terrace, a Whisky Bar, a relaxation area, and showers. While I appreciate those features, I think the lounge’s food and drink selection is rather lackluster. I appreciate the “live cooking” concept, but then the number of dishes actually available is very limited.

What’s your take on the SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich?