During my two times to Latin America review trip, I had a roughly seven hour layover at Viru Viru International Airport (VVI) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (that’s a mouthful, eh?). I was arriving in Boliviana de Aviacion’s A330 business class, and was connecting to GOL’s 737 MAX premium economy.
My layover ended up being rather complicated. That’s because I was connecting internationally on separate tickets, and the ground staff decided that this required clearing immigration, and that I wouldn’t be able to connect airside. So I did that, but was then told that I couldn’t clear security for my connecting flight until a few hours before departure. That’s neither here nor there, though.
Anyway, in this post I wanted to review The Lounge VIP, which is the only “traditional” lounge in the international terminal at Viru Viru International Airport. I suppose this lounge is better than sitting in the gate area, but that’s about all I can say, as lounges don’t get much more basic than this. In a separate installment, I reviewed the VIP Lounge, which is the other (less traditional) lounge in the terminal.
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra location
Finding The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport is quite easy. Once you’re through immigration and security in the international terminal, just follow the signage in the direction of gates 5-8.
At the very end of the terminal and on the right, you’ll see the entrance to the lounge. Based on the lounge’s exterior, you’d probably assume that it’s actually quite nice, though manage your expectations. 😉
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra hours
The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport doesn’t have set hours, but rather they vary based on flight schedules. You can expect that the lounge will be open a couple of hours ahead of most departures.
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra entry requirements
The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport is the only real contract lounge in the terminal, so there are several ways to access it. For one, the lounge is open to Priority Pass members, so that’s how I visited the lounge.
Furthermore, business class passengers on some airlines will be given invitations to use this lounge. This would include business class passengers on carriers like Air Europe (to Madrid) and Copa (to Panama City). However, note that Boliviana de Aviacion doesn’t offer its business class passengers lounge access, despite this being the carrier’s hub airport.
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra seating & layout
The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport is super basic. The space is one rectangular room with “two aisles,” and rows of seats facing one another. There’s no variation here, as all the seating is the same. I’d say there are maybe 50 seats in the lounge.
I wish there were more I could add, but the above is the extent of the lounge. There’s no family room, or nap area, or business center.
At least there was Wi-Fi in the lounge, though it was on the slow side. There were some outlets throughout the room, though literally any time that someone plugged something in, the lights throughout the lounge would flicker. They might want to have that looked at, or something.
I also can’t say that the lounge staff were terribly friendly or motivated when it came to greeting guests, or keeping the lounge clean. Based on the welcome I received at the lounge, I might as well have been dealing with a tenured employee at Cairo Airport. 😉
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra food & drinks
The food and drink selection at The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport roughly matches the rest of the lounge. There’s a self-serve buffet setup near the entrance, and it’s also basic.
Food options during my late morning visit included cereal, toast, cake, cheese, finger sandwiches, fruit, chips, sausages, and soup. Most plates and bowls had saran wrap on them.
Then there was a selection of drinks, including bottled soda and water, coffee, and tea.
There was also reference to there being alcohol and cocktails, but I didn’t actually see those drinks anywhere, so I’m not sure if these were just general recipe tips, or what…
I just stayed hydrated in the lounge, and the extent of my consumption was a few bottles of water.
The Lounge VIP Santa Cruz de la Sierra bathrooms
The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport has bathrooms, but not showers. When you enter the lounge, just turn right, and you’ll find the bathrooms down the hallway.
The men’s room had two sinks, two urinals, and one stall. At least the bathroom was reasonably clean.
Bottom line
The Lounge VIP is the only traditional lounge in the international terminal at Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Lounges don’t get much more basic than this. So don’t get excited about this lounge, but at the same time, it’s probably a better place to kill some time than the terminal, as that’s even more basic.
What’s your take on The Lounge VIP at Viru Viru International Airport?
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