Where to spend your time at SJU
By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
I love San Juan. Its airport? Not so much.
Luis Munoz Marin International has been around since 1955, and it shows, with dated décor, low ceilings, and a labyrinth of dim corridors that connect the terminals.
And while improvements are currently in progress, the construction only makes it even less attractive for the millions of passengers who transit through the Caribbean hub each year.
I usually escape the concourse chaos in American Airlines’ Admiral’s Club in Terminal D.
But I’ve let my membership lapse now that American Express has opened its swanky new Centurion Lounge at my home airport, Miami International. So, during a layover at SJU last week, I was particularly pleased to stumble upon another sanctuary, one I never even knew existed.
Secreted in Terminal C, The Lounge is easy to miss. Walk past Gate C23, past Pinkberry (yum!) and down the corridor; take a sharp left at the end and you’ll see the signs for the “Sala VIP”/Avianca Lounge. Take the elevator to the third floor and you’re there.
Open since last October, The Lounge is a retro-modern haven that offers complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks; all-day snacks (including those delicious cheese-filled Puerto Rican pastries, quesitos); and, WI-FI.
There are computers and a printer so you can work on the fly; a TV room and a kids’ play area; a quiet (cell-free) area; and – what I’m pretty sure is a first for any Caribbean airport – a sleeping room.
Softly lit and outfitted with seven leather chaises (each with its own thoughtfully placed double power outlet), it’s the perfect space to catch some zzzs between flights (as I did), or just to recline and relax as you gaze at a panorama of the planets projected onto the ceiling.
The Lounge, which opens daily at 6am, is part of the Global Lounge Network, and access is complimentary for Priority Pass and Diners Club cardholders; for Star Alliance Gold members; and for first-class passengers on Avianca, Copa and United Airlines. Otherwise its $27 per person, and children under 12 are free.
I’m told that The Lounge will open at MIA before the end of this year. And while I’m not sure that it’ll come close to the plushness and convenience of my beloved Centurion, I’m willing to give it a try.