This is my review of ‘The House’ lounge at Melbourne Airport Terminal 2.
It has been nearly a year since Etihad’s premium lounges in London, Sydney and Melbourne were rebranded as ‘The House’, and management taken over by No1 Lounges, an independent premium lounge operator.
At the time Etihad pitched the launch of ‘The House’ as an upgrade for passengers. The airline promised better food and a more extensive range of non-alcoholic drinks, wines and cocktails from the start.
Etihad also indicated some lounges would be refurbished to add more space, better showers and new amenities such as quiet reading rooms.
The fear of some frequent-flyers was that the rebrand was primarily a cost-saving measure that would see the quality cut and more crowded lounges once it became possible to pay for entry.
Earlier this year I reviewed The House at London Heathrow, the first Etihad lounge to be rebranded. I was genuinely impressed by some of the changes No1 Lounges has made.
The layout of the London lounge has been altered in a way that actually makes it feel less crowded even at peak times. The à la carte menu has been improved and the staff were all very friendly and attentive.
First impressions
My first visit to the Melbourne lounge had been in the week it had originally opened back in 2016. At the time Etihad was pulling out all the stops to make a great impression. And they succeeded.
The lounge was undeniably gorgeous with a very contemporary design and sweeping views of the tarmac. It looked and felt very premium. A local mate living in Melbourne quite accurately described the lounge as being more like the lobby bar of a luxury hotel than an airport lounge.
The food and drink on offer were also excellent. There was an extensive à la carte menu as well as a fresh buffet. The wine list was pretty decent and the bar offered a unique collection of cocktails. And of course, this being Australia barista-made coffee.
A recent weekend dash to Melbourne provided the opportunity to return and see how the Melbourne lounge had changed since No1 Lounges had taken over. I was curious to see if ‘The House’ was still as impressive.
How has ‘The House’ changed?
The first impression is that nothing much had changed. The entrance to the lounge still features the very distinctive Etihad branding. I was warmly greeted by two staff, one in Etihad uniform and the other in that of Virgin Australia.
I had arrived over three hours before the evening flight to Abu Dhabi. The lounge was busier than I expected.
It turned out most of these guests were passengers on a Virgin Australia flight to Auckland. Members of Virgin Australia’s lounge programme are able to access ‘The House’ in Terminal 2 when travelling on flights to New Zealand.
The lounge emptied soon after the flight was announced and never really got very busy again after that.
A major attraction of this lounge is the sheer capacity and the variety of different seating configurations. There are armchairs, bar stools, lounge-style seats, swivel chairs and dining tables.
Whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple or in a group there is going to be somewhere suitable to sit. The amount of space meant that even at the busiest point the lounge retained an air of calm.
À la carte dining
There is something about à la carte dining that feels quite premium and I was pleased to see that this has been retained at ‘The House’ in Melbourne.
The menu was a little smaller than I recall from my previous visit. There were a total of only six items to choose from. Interestingly, there were no sweet options on the menu.
I ordered the Chicken Muskhan wrap, the braised beef burger and the cheese plate. to finish. The waiter suggested a glass of a local Cabernet Shiraz. I was a bit wary as the Vivino rating for the wine was a little mediocre. I took the waiter’s advice which turned out to be spot on and enjoyed a couple of glasses.
While the selection was small everything was freshly prepared, nicely presented and more importantly tasted very good. I left the lounge feeling more than satisfied which is what you need before a 13-hour flight.
The sad buffet
The self-serve buffet was where my high expectations hit a brick wall. The buffet is really the low point of this lounge. The selection available was tiny and rather unappealing.
There were only three bland-looking salad items on offer. This made me very nostalgic for the delicious Arabic meze that had been a feature of the buffet when the lounge first opened.
There were two main options available, chicken in sauce and a stir-fried style beef dish with rice to accompany it. Both the chicken and beef were well flavoured but luke-warm. The dishes were only occasionally replenished throughout the evening. There were long periods with one or other not available.
Vegetarians were also out of luck unless they really liked rice and salad leaves. There were no vegetable sides and no main vegetarian option either.
The only sweet option was a chocolate caramel slice. This seemed quite poor considering there were no sweet options on the à la carte menu. The handful of slices available quickly ran out and there was quite a long gap before they were replenished.
Facilities at ‘The House’
The other facilities available at ‘The House’ are what you would expect in an international premium lounge:
- A good-sized shower room stocked with L’Occitane products.
- Decent-sized children’s playroom with a small collection of toys, books and stuffed animals. I suspect this may eventually become the quiet reading room that has been mentioned as a possible addition to the lounge.
- Male and Female Prayer Rooms
- Selection of local and international newspapers and magazines.
Who can access ‘The House’ in Melbourne?
I was travelling in Economy on this trip and had access to ‘The House’ due to my status as an Etihad Gold Guest member.
There are four ways to get access to ‘The House’ in Melbourne:
Premium passengers on Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia
- First and Business Class passengers flying on either Etihad Airways or Virgin Australia are able to access the lounge for free.
Etihad Guest or Velocity status
- Etihad Platinum Guest and Gold Guest passengers get complimentary access for themselves and one travel companion.
- Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum and Velocity Gold get access for themselves and may also guest one adult and two children.
- Member of the Virgin Australia Lounge programme can access the lounge and guest one adult and two children when flying to Australia.
Lounge network memberships
‘The House’ in Melbourne participates in four airport lounge programmes including:
- Priority Pass
- Dragon Pass
- Lounge Key
- Lounge Club
There is a slight catch with all four of these programmes. Entry is not free. Cardholders have access to the lounge but must pay an upgrade fee of AUD $20. This is paid directly to the lounge on entry.
Pay for entry
It is possible to pay for entry from No1 Lounges. In advance, it will cost AUD $80 for three hours. This compares to AUD $90 on the door. Each additional hour costs $25. Children between 2-11 are charged half price.
Lounge Highs
- The lounge is spacious and still looks as stylish as the day it opened.
- The à la carte menu may be short but every item was well presented and tasted delicious.
- USB power points throughout the lounge. You’ll never be short of power for a phone or tablet.
Lounge Lows
- The limited buffet range
- The power points only take Australia plugs. You’ll need an adaptor for your laptop.
Overall
Overall, ‘The House’ in Melbourne remains a very pleasant space to spend an hour or two before a long flight. If I did not have access I would happily pay for entry. The fear of some frequent-flyers that it could become overcrowded appears to have been unfounded. ‘The House’ in Melbourne compares very favourably with ‘The House’ in London.
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