Airport Lounges Are The Epitome Of Luxury, But This Major Southern Travel Hub Proves Not All Live Up To The Hype

For the weary traveler, airport lounges are an open-armed beacon of luxury and light. Promising respite from airport chaos and scruffy, zombie-eyed normies slumped in their seats at the depressing departure gates, airport lounges are where you'll find the toniest of travelers dining on gourmet food, swilling top-shelf cocktails, and reveling in peace and quiet at their own private, tech charging stations. Of the 57 million travelers who pass annually through Florida's busiest airport, Orlando International (MCO), the majority will never see the inside of Club MCO, one of the airport's seven lounges. According to travelers who have, the uninitiated should count their blessings. While many airport lounges are considered the epitome of luxury, this major southern travel hub's Club MCO proves that not all live up to the hype.

Club MCO has a 3.1 rating on Tripadvisor with 70 one-star reviews, which is six more "terribles" than its 64 five-star "excellents." Reviewers call out the airport lounge for being a cramped, underwhelming letdown without a shred of luxury to it. A particularly damning condemnation of Club MCO kicks off a recent Opinion piece on the decline of airport lounges in The New York Times: "After 20 minutes of standing around, we gained entrance to what looked like a breakfast buffet at a budget hotel: beige walls, tired carpets and a small selection of food that looked far less appetizing than the options at Bahama Breeze, the wonderfully tacky, Caribbean-themed restaurant in the terminal. Sipping on a weak gin and tonic, and picking at a sad cup of gummy bears, I had to ask myself: Why exactly was I so desperate to be here?"

The best airport lounges in the world pamper guests with everything from caviar tastings and Michelin-star menus to spas filled with luxury products and private suites awash in fine art. While not every lounge is this opulent, the bar is set high. Only those in possession of elite credit cards and Priority Pass memberships have access. In other words, people with money and high expectations.

Club MCO, which operates two separate lounges in Terminals A and B, seems to be giving luxury-craving guests a masterclass in why travelers should avoid airport lounges altogether. Reviews posit Club MCO fails on many fronts, particularly its food offerings. One Tripadvisor review, entitled "Appalling Don't Do It," excoriates the lounge and its buffet: "It was hot, rude staff, the food choice was none [sic] existent, gummy bears, stale pretzels or some grim looking chicken slider or a small salad that you wouldn't risk before a long-haul flight." Travel writer The Points Guy was a bit more measured. "The rest of the food looked like it would work in a pinch but wasn't something I would seek out."

Further off-putting for guests are hefty wait times to get into the lounge along with noise, messiness, and tattered furniture and carpet. The bathrooms horrified one Reddit user who couldn't get out of the lounge fast enough. "I'm glad to have a spot to grab snacks but I couldn't sit there for more than 30 min before I felt gross in the Club MCO Gates 1-29 location. It's so grungy, the bathroom was just a step above a gas station bathroom." Yikes! For a swanky alternative, beeline it for the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 3, which boasts a 4.6 Google rating out of over 3,200 reviews.