Jan 10, 2015, 2:41 am
Last edit by: starflyergold
Lounge Location
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
Couches throughout the lounge.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
You can only use them only if you are connecting to/from a longhaul Turkish Airlines flight (8+ hours) AND your layover is between 4 and 7 hours.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
TK's Flagship IST *G Lounge [2015 onwards Master Thread]
Mar 15, 2017, 9:27 pm
#467
formerly known as Eyal Wizner
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Maplewood , NJ
Programs: Turkish air, Miles & More, ELAL
Posts: 51
is possible to book in advance a resting room in the lounge ?
also, can I have a massage in the lounge ?
also, can I have a massage in the lounge ?
Mar 15, 2017, 10:13 pm
#468
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
As for the private room, your question is answered in the FAQ above.
Mar 15, 2017, 11:12 pm
#469
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,348
There is a roaming massage therapist who goes around the lounge to give 10-15 minute neck and shoulder massage to guests. Not easy to find him and get on his waiting list. It's done on an informal way - I couldn't find a way to sign up for this service. One time I approached him and was rebuffed with a curt "I'm busy and there are others waiting" before he walked away. However, an hour later, he did find me and offer me his service.
Apr 4, 2017, 8:49 am
#470
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
Hello, I haven't been to the lounge in about a year and was wondering if there were anything new in regards to the food options? Or is it the same stuff as what has always been out there?
Apr 4, 2017, 10:59 am
#471
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: North Yorkshire
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 74
I got to try the lounge for the first time yesterday and was a bit underwhelmed. I was there for about three hours from 09.30. Upstairs was quite busy, downstairs less so, and that is where we stayed after putting our hand baggage into the very useful lockers.
The decor is very bland and brown and beige. Although not so opulent, it reminded me of some of the all-inclusive hotels in Antalya, which have very little character and even less style. My wanderings took me first to the coffee station - really nice coffee and even better cold and warm cakes, especially the strudel and curd tart. Turkish cakes are always excellent, never too sweet. And of course I added a few pieces of Turkish delight to my plate - very sweet, of course!
We had had a good breakfast on our domestic flight, but saw others in the lounge enjoying a Turkish breakfast (cheese, olives, cucumber, tomato, etc) and fried eggs or omelettes. There was a very good salad station if you like ready-made salads, and at about 11.30 lunch service began. Grilled chicken, beef meatballs, vegetables, all freshly cooked. This is plain Turkish cuisine, no fancy stuff. The manti (Turkish pasta) station also opened up. Again, tasty basic stuff.
We also found an olive table, some nice nut offerings, a herbal tea station, and the simit (cross between a pretzl and a bagel) cart was regularly filled with freshly made simit. Beer seemed to be limited to Efes, wine mainly Turkish, and I didn't check the spirits, sorry!
No one was playing on the golf simulator or the racing car track and the best thing for me was that the lounge was quiet - not even anyone on the pianos!
Our seats were comfortable, you could put your head back to sleep, but not your feet up. A pleasant enough place to spend time, but the best lounge in the world? In my limited experience I'd like to think there was better.
The decor is very bland and brown and beige. Although not so opulent, it reminded me of some of the all-inclusive hotels in Antalya, which have very little character and even less style. My wanderings took me first to the coffee station - really nice coffee and even better cold and warm cakes, especially the strudel and curd tart. Turkish cakes are always excellent, never too sweet. And of course I added a few pieces of Turkish delight to my plate - very sweet, of course!
We had had a good breakfast on our domestic flight, but saw others in the lounge enjoying a Turkish breakfast (cheese, olives, cucumber, tomato, etc) and fried eggs or omelettes. There was a very good salad station if you like ready-made salads, and at about 11.30 lunch service began. Grilled chicken, beef meatballs, vegetables, all freshly cooked. This is plain Turkish cuisine, no fancy stuff. The manti (Turkish pasta) station also opened up. Again, tasty basic stuff.
We also found an olive table, some nice nut offerings, a herbal tea station, and the simit (cross between a pretzl and a bagel) cart was regularly filled with freshly made simit. Beer seemed to be limited to Efes, wine mainly Turkish, and I didn't check the spirits, sorry!
No one was playing on the golf simulator or the racing car track and the best thing for me was that the lounge was quiet - not even anyone on the pianos!
Our seats were comfortable, you could put your head back to sleep, but not your feet up. A pleasant enough place to spend time, but the best lounge in the world? In my limited experience I'd like to think there was better.
Apr 4, 2017, 11:31 am
#472
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
But.. it's a lounge you can enter with any (cheap) *G status, with any business class flight.. I don't know many status/C lounges which are better overall. In a few aspects, certainly. But overall? I'd not say so, it still holds a very good spot. And since Erdogan went all nuts, it's quite a bit less full than it used to be.
Apr 4, 2017, 11:34 am
#473
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,662
I don't think anyone ever claimed it's the best lounge in the world, though.
But.. it's a lounge you can enter with any (cheap) *G status, with any business class flight.. I don't know many status/C lounges which are better overall. In a few aspects, certainly. But overall? I'd not say so, it still holds a very good spot. And since Erdogan went all nuts, it's quite a bit less full than it used to be.
But.. it's a lounge you can enter with any (cheap) *G status, with any business class flight.. I don't know many status/C lounges which are better overall. In a few aspects, certainly. But overall? I'd not say so, it still holds a very good spot. And since Erdogan went all nuts, it's quite a bit less full than it used to be.
Apr 4, 2017, 4:47 pm
#474
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 706
I heard the food quality there dramatically decreased. I will be there next month, will report back.
Apr 5, 2017, 11:36 am
#475
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,348
If true, this must have been a very recent change. I was in the lounge several times a couple of months ago (Jan & Feb) and did not notice any decrease in food quality or variety. Pretty much the same as in the last few years.
Apr 5, 2017, 12:29 pm
#476
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 926
I don't think anyone ever claimed it's the best lounge in the world, though.
But.. it's a lounge you can enter with any (cheap) *G status, with any business class flight.. I don't know many status/C lounges which are better overall. In a few aspects, certainly. But overall? I'd not say so, it still holds a very good spot. And since Erdogan went all nuts, it's quite a bit less full than it used to be.
But.. it's a lounge you can enter with any (cheap) *G status, with any business class flight.. I don't know many status/C lounges which are better overall. In a few aspects, certainly. But overall? I'd not say so, it still holds a very good spot. And since Erdogan went all nuts, it's quite a bit less full than it used to be.
Apr 5, 2017, 12:52 pm
#477
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 706
I love the food in the TK lounge and have also been a regular visitor there since opening.
Apr 5, 2017, 1:10 pm
#478
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 926
Sorry my bad! Though I wouldn't mind some seasonal variations and more examples of the local cuisine. More variety and creativity could be added without increasing the costs. I have seen Mr. Dogudan (Owner of Do&Co) doing inspection rounds on two different occasions. I hope he doesn't lose his genuine enthusiasm and energy for his co-venture with TK. Safe Travels!
Apr 13, 2017, 2:08 pm
#479
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,235
Anyone know if they have Champions League football on the wall of tellies downstairs? And do the little header boxes accept regular 3.5mm headphone jacks?
Apr 13, 2017, 3:16 pm
#480
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
I am very partial to a Cointreau but it seems to have disappeared from the bar.