Review: Review: Virgin Australia's exclusive Sydney Beyond Lounge
Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Airport
T2 . Domestic Airport
Guild
There isn’t any
Flight company
Australian Virgin
Cabin class
Business
Notes
The good one
- Beautiful design and inviting feel
- Premium guest bathroom amenities
- Impressive view across the asphalt
ugliness
- Premium Lounge entry is still closed
X factor
- la carte dining and drink list quality
- Intuitive service, like a five-star hotel
introduction
Virgin Australia set high standards for itself when its premium status tier and invite-only lounge – formerly known as The Club – relaunched as ‘Beyond’ in April. As a member or guest, you now expect an experience that truly goes beyond the traditional lounge.
After having had the opportunity to spend a few hours in the exclusive oak and leather lounge in Sydney Airport Terminal 2 while waiting for a flight, I’m happy to say it lived up to its name and hype… though perhaps not in the way you might expect.
The light-filled lounge enjoys impressive views over Botany Bay and the international terminal.
Where it could be bigger and more flashy, Virgin has stepped back, creating a very refined experience, almost like an executive lounge in a top hotel. It’s intimate and personalized from the moment you arrive, and most people won’t even know it’s there.
Locations & Impressions
Privacy and discretion are the name of the game in this premium hangout, which is directly above and accessed via a separate entrance to the main Virgin Australia Lounge. No signage or velvet cords, just a sliding glass door and an entry marked ‘Private’.
The secret VIP-only lounge is hidden behind a flashy door marked ‘Private’.
While still closed due to staff shortages at the airport, the Sydney Lounge Premium Entry also has a special entrance for those lucky enough to be on the guest list. After a security check, there is a leather-covered staircase that leads you to the check-in desk.
Once inside, it is immediately obvious that Virgin Australia Beyond is no ordinary airport lounge.
The Virgin Beyond Sydney lounge has seating for up to 91 guests, with Chester leather chairs and a dining table for four.
Flooded with light, the space is divided into zones. There is a cozy nook separated by a curved frosted screen where guests can chat privately, as well as an open-air lounge area, dining arrangement for four and a bar area for when you want to socialize.
Each element has a premium feel, from the abstract patterned rug and emerald leaf-shaped tiles lining the bathroom entrance – specially imported from Italy – to the high-sleeved leather chairs, featured in the main lounge and in a private corner for two.
Then there is the view. It’s only one level up from the regular Virgin Australia lounge, but it makes a huge difference, with impressive views over Botany Bay and Terminal 1.
The Virgin Beyond lounge is located directly above Virgin Australia Sydney’s main lounge.
The lighting is similar to the cracked ceiling panels downstairs, with subtle downlights around the perimeter of the lounge and the addition of a caramel chandelier that draws your eye upwards.
The oak and leather-covered walls give the room a warmer and more inviting feeling.
Combined with the wall treatment, this room gives a warmer and more inviting feel.
Access
Virgin Beyond is an airline invite-only membership tier. Exactly who gets the invitation and when is a closely guarded secret. In the past, it was allegedly a mixed bag of politicians and government officials, along with celebrities or those with significant expenses with airlines.
Few travelers get the chance to step beyond these sliding glass doors.
Chatting with the staff, I learned that the football and rugby coaches are also regular invitees, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the life of luxury while the players use the main room downstairs.
Outside membership lasts 12 months, with access reviewed and updated annually.
There is no buffet here, with Virgin opting for breakfast and an all-day la carte menu.
Apart from lounge access, other facilities include:
- 12 months annual membership for primary members with option to also nominate spouse/partner for Beyond membership to enjoy the same benefits
- Access to Beyond Lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
- Dedicated telephone concierge service for making or changing bookings
- 4 x free upgrades from Choice and Flex fare to Business Class every year
- 1 x free Velocity Gold membership for main member executive assistant
Beyond Lounges is open to members seven days a week, one hour before the first flight of the day, and closed at the last boarding. The Sydney lounge has a capacity for 91 guests.
Eat
There are no buffet tables or dining tables in this lounge (and no DIY toast service either). Instead, guests can look forward to an a la carte menu with breakfast and all-day options, plus a list of Australian and New Zealand wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks.
The drink menu includes a small but premium mix of beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
The waiter, or host, adjusts dining recommendations according to how long you are in the lounge.
Guests can pull up chairs at the bar if they want to socialize.
After finding my seat, my lounge host Mario introduced himself and brought a copy of the menu, offering me a welcome glass of Champagne, sparkling water and some toasted nuts for a snack as I browsed.
Among the highlights are the grass-fed steak sandwich with caramelized onions and pickles; superfood salad with brown rice, beets, broccoli, grapefruit, and pecans; grilled salmon with salsa verde; and the chef’s sandwich of the day, plus a selection of cheeses.
A wide variety of dishes are available in the premium lounge.
For breakfast, there’s an omelet of the day, plus pastries, fruit, berry, and cocoa granola, and a custom-designed breakfast option that includes eggs to your taste with options like bacon, spinach, sausage and mushrooms.
Barista coffee and fresh juices are also available.
I opted for pasta with grilled chorizo, zucchini, cherry tomato sauce and marjoram pesto, followed by pistachio pavlova with whipped mascarpone and rhubarb ginger jam. Both were delicious and full of flavour, with garlic bread to complement the spicy pasta.
This spicy pasta dish tastes better than it looks.
The steak sandwich is another winner, with some truffle fries served on the side making for a more substantial meal.
Grass-fed steak sandwich with caramelized onions and pickles.
Based on my food choices, Mario preceded my wine selection, brought a small bottle of the 2017 Peppoli Chianti Classico and offered a taste before returning with more.
The service is intuitive but not pushy, as you would find in a silver service restaurant.
Work
For those traveling on business, this lounge has a private seating corner covered by a curved screen.
Privacy pods dotted around the lounge provide private space for guests traveling together.
Each has two leather lounges, plus a comfortable bench with power outlet and a sliding desk that provides a handy workspace for receiving some important emails. It’s not the most comfortable desk to work at, so a dining table that’s right for you to lie on may be a better choice.
The main lounge area is tailor-made for several people to gather, with armchairs radiating from the low coffee table, and the four-person dining arrangement makes a comfortable base for a work lunch.
When it’s time to work, the winged desk can be shifted out of the main bench space.
This would be a fantastic place for travelers short on time to meet, work, and then fly home, rather than head to the city office (though you all need to be Beyond members to enter).
A meeting room and a private office can also be booked before or on the day of the trip.
Large meeting rooms can also be booked in advance.
Relax
The ability to freshen up while you’re traveling is always appreciated.
The Beyond Lounge features a stylish bathroom area for guests, with vertical leaf patterned tiles decorating the entryway making you want to reach out and touch it. It’s a very luxurious feel to the bathroom, showing that it’s not just an afterthought.
From tiles to toiletries, all bathrooms have a very premium feel.
Inside, you’ll find tall mirrors and white scale-like tiles that line the walls, wooden and glass curtains in a swirling burlap design, and soft towels and Appelles Apothecary toiletries.
Decision
The name ‘Beyond’ is the right name – and I wish mine was on the permanent guest list.
While Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are currently the only cities that have a dedicated Virgin Australia Beyond lounge at the moment, it would be a great addition to another major capital city.
The design is whisper-quiet, but thankfully featuring a subtle background soundtrack to set the mood, it’s a very serene and inviting space. The perfect sanctuary away from the bustle of the main lounge and the terminal beyond, and I would happily return again and again.
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