This May Be the Worst Airport Lounge We’ve Ever Visited?

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Over the years, we’ve visited plenty of airport lounges—some spectacular, some forgettable, and a few truly dreadful. To make our “best of” list, a lounge needs to be visually appealing, offer adequate seating, and provide a menu that goes beyond basic snacks.

But what about the other end of the spectrum? The worst lounges aren’t just mediocre; they’re an outright disappointment. These are the places with uninviting spaces, cramped seating, minimal amenities, and barely any food options. The kind of lounge you want to leave the moment you step inside.

On our recent trip to Puerto Rico, we found a nominee for that list.

A Disappointing Lounge Experience at San Juan Airport

After our cruise, we headed to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) for our JetBlue flight to Orlando. We’d heard that security lines could be long due to an additional agricultural checkpoint, but luckily, we encountered no delays.

San Juan Airport has two lounges listed on Priority Pass: one in Terminal A and another in Terminal C, both simply called “The Lounge” and both part of the Global Lounge Network. Since our flight was departing from Terminal A—JetBlue’s main terminal—we opted for that location.

Finding the lounge can be tricky. The directions on the Priority Pass app aren’t the clearest, but here’s a tip: after passing through the Duty-Free store (you have to; there’s no choice in this), take a left at the split. The Lounge is just outside the store exit.

First Impressions: A Cramped and Uninspiring Space

Walking in, we were greeted by a friendly agent who quickly processed our Priority Pass entry. The check-in area felt more like an extension of the main lounge rather than a separate space.

The main lounge area was small, with nearly every seat occupied. Note: I don’t like showing pictures with other guests in them, but it would be impossible not to, as most of the seats in this room were taken. 

The food options were displayed along a single wall, although nothing stood out. Interestingly, the lounge was still decorated for Valentine’s Day, even though our visit was more than a week after the holiday. I guess they wanted to keep the love going.

Beyond the main room, a narrow hallway led to two small additional spaces.

The “Lounge” Area: A few well-worn chairs, some leftover water bottles and coffee cups from previous guests, and a carpet with stains I’d rather not think about.

The “Workspace”: If you consider a desk and four office chairs a workspace, then sure—this was a place to work.

Forget about amenities like showers—this lounge doesn’t even have its own restrooms. If you need to use the bathroom, you’ll have to leave and use the ones in the terminal.

Food & Drink: A Letdown

Since our layover was short, I didn’t have time to try the lounge’s QR-code-based food ordering system. Drink options? We grabbed two cans of Diet Coke. That was the extent of our impact on the lounge’s resources.

Verdict: Not Worth the Visit

This was easily among the least inspiring airport lounges we’ve ever visited. In fact, we would have been better off sitting at our gate—the terminal had more space, better natural light, and a far less claustrophobic feel.

Now, I’m someone who actually enjoys airport lounges, and even I found this one disappointing. But you don’t have to take my word for it. My wife, who doesn’t really care about lounges to begin with (as you might remember from the one review she wrote), was still underwhelmed. That says a lot.

I suspect The Lounge stays in business primarily due to Priority Pass fees. Since Priority Pass Select members don’t pay per visit, there’s no harm in checking out a lounge—if only briefly. However, every entry still earns the lounge a fee, regardless of how long a guest stays.

While I hesitate to call any lounge the absolute worst, this one is a strong contender. I’ve read that the Terminal C location is somewhat nicer than this lounge, so that might be a better choice.

A glimmer of hope? An Escape Lounge is set to open soon in Terminal B, giving American Express Platinum cardholders another option besides the underwhelming locations run by The Lounge.

Final Thoughts

Not all airport lounges are created equal. Some provide an oasis of comfort, while others—like The Lounge at SJU—make you wonder why you bothered stopping in at all.

If you’ve been to The Lounge at SJU, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you agree it deserves a spot on the “worst lounge” list? Or have you visited another lounge that was even worse? Let me know in the comments!

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