Definitive review of the Pearl Lounge at Abu Dhabi

I wasn’t a fan of “non-airline” lounges until now.

Lounges can be hit or miss. With the price of entry increasing, “paid-for” lounges (often used by airlines at their outstations) can feel like poor value for money when compared with eating in a restaurant. As airports improve their food and drink offerings, it’s even more challenging for lounges to prove their worth.

We were on a mega-trip that took in Qatar’s First Class and Business Class lounges in Doha, as well as Etihad’s lounge at London Heathrow. We flew out to Abu Dhabi in The Residence. In the middle was a flight out of Abu Dhabi with Qatar. Qatar has no lounge at AUH, so we were given access to The Pearl Lounge.

Abu Dhabi Airport has very few lounge options at the moment. The Pearl is the only option after security unless you’re flying with Etihad. If you are flying with the official carrier of Abu Dhabi then you can access their Business or First Class lounge.

Where is the Pearl Lounge located?

Abu Dhabi has just one terminal (Terminal A) after the airport closed down the two original terminals and consolidated to a brand new one in October 2023.

That new terminal was a long time coming. Construction started in 2017, then the opening was delayed multiple times. It felt like it would never open, but then suddenly last year the grand opening was announced. It’s a stunning airport.

The Pearl Lounge is located in Terminal A departures. To reach the lounge just turn left as you go through security, and follow the signage past the shops. You’ll then make another left turn, then head up the escalators to the lounge.

This is the same way to get to the AUHotel, in fact they share the same floor and escalator. The nearest gate to the lounge is D43.

It’s actually two lounges.

The Pearl Lounge is a catchall lounge for a number of airlines and lounge cards, and entry gives you access to one of two areas. They are so different that it’s really two lounges in one.

As you enter there’s a lounge area, with sit down dining tables and self-service food to your right. This is what I’m going to call the basic lounge. It’s tastefully decorated, but was quite busy when we arrived, and it was pretty noisy. It did not feel premium, at least when we were there. We did sample the food from there, and it was perfectly acceptable, but it was more on par with your typical US lounge.

The second lounge (for premium passengers) is more of a super-sized terrace. As you enter the lounge it’s straight ahead of you. This area sits outside of the main lounge structure, and it was infinitely better than the inside lounge.

If you’re given access to the terrace, then you can go into either lounge. It does not work the other way around, so getting access to the premium lounge depends on which airline you’re flying, your lounge access card or whether you buy entry.

There’s a shared set of bathrooms between the lounges. They were modern and very clean. The toilet area also houses the showers.

Who can access The Pearl?

The Pearl is operated by Plaza Premium. There are a few different ways you can enter:

1. Flying on an airline in a class that gives you access. We flew Qatar First (Regional business) from AUH to Doha to gain access.
2. Paying for access – Three hours of access costs £56 for adults, £37 for children (up to 12 years)
3. Via a lounge card or membership scheme:
   • Priority Pass
   • Lounge Key
   • Dragon Pass
   • Dream Folks

Opening Hours

As you’d expect in a Middle Eastern airport, the lounge is open twenty-four hours a day. You are limited to three hours for each stay, so this is not a lounge where you can spend the night. Next door is the AUHotel, which is better for longer stays. Costs are £92 for six hours, £115 for twelve hours or £148 for 24 hours.

The Pearl Terrace

While the inside (non-premium) lounge was busy, the outside terrace was very quiet. When we arrived, around 12 noon, there were no more than 10 people in a space that could easily hold a hundred (both lounges combined will hold up to 500 people). When we left, it was no more busy than when we entered.

Despite being “outside” (you can hear the noise of the main terminal), it was quiet and serene. It was a beautiful, thoughtfully designed space. It’s also huge, so the various seating options are nicely spread out.

There are many different types of seating, so it is well-suited to individuals, couples, families, and groups. The terrace has quieter, more private areas, and some seating closer to the entrance has foot stools. There are more relaxed, lounge-style seating, and there’s also seating better suited to eating at. It really does have a great mixture of seats and zones.

There’s a bar in the centre of the terrace. It also doubles as a self-service food station.

Food and Drink at The Pearl

If you’re sat in the “premium” terrace part of the lounge, you have three food options. You can dine from a limited but interesting menu. When we were there in the afternoon, it had five options. There are also three food options for breakfast.

There’s two self-service food areas: on the terrace there are a couple of open fridges that have sweet and savoury options. The choice isn’t huge but it’s slightly elevated compared to the main lounge.

Within the main lounge you have a larger self service food bar; there’s hot and cold options, as well as deserts. There’s a wide choice of options covering most continents. There;s also a self-service coffee machine.

We had already eaten, and we had plans to eat at Doha, where we were connecting to a flight to the Maldives. We ate light: a coffee, some small desserts and then a fruit juice. The server took our drinks order, and we helped ourselves to a small cake and muffin. Everything we ate and drank was decent.

Other facilities in The Pearl

For a third-party lounge The Pearl has a good set of facilities. There’s ten shower rooms that you can access, and there’s meeting rooms.

There’s also an on-site spa. This offers a range of treatments, from seated neck and shoulder massages, to hot stone and full body massage.

The costs are quite reasonable: a 15-minute neck and shoulder massage is £32, whilst 45 minutes is £64. For a full body massage, the costs are £75 for 30 minutes or £129 for sixty minutes.

There’s also a prayer room in the lounge, and a luggage storage facility next to the reception area. The lounge does have it’s own wifi.

There are no flight announcements in the lounge. There are screens so it’s easy to keep track of the status of your flight. This is also a very cold lounge, at least when we were there. I lasted about an hour before I started to feel quite chilly.

Conclusion on The Pearl

This lounge was a nice surprise. Sitting “outside” in the airport really takes away the claustrophobic nature of travel, akin to the terrace at the Concorde Lounge at Heathrow or the Qatar Garden Lounge at Doha airport.

We entered, thinking it would be a room to sit in while we waited for our flight. What I found was a beautiful space with some decent (but not outstanding) food options and good service from the staff.

Would I pay £56 for entry? There are a lot of food and drink options in the airport, and in the afternoon the airport was very quite. If you’re looking for somewhere to park yourself and get some food or drink then you can probably have a nice experience and spend less by going to one of the restaurants.

If I was on a long journey and got value from the showers, or getting a massage, then it’s worth it. Although it’s a pay-for-entry lounge, it is not the same as most European or US lounges. It is much better.