The Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney is exceptional. And while I could easily end the review there, it’s necessary to talk about the dramatic contrast between the super-exclusive premium lounge and the more stock-standard Virgin Australia Lounge directly beneath it. That’ll be the primary focus of this Virgin Beyond Lounge, Sydney review.
So what’s the Virgin Beyond Lounge? It could be slightly confusing to some travellers since this is an invite-only lounge that not even passengers flying Business Class or holding Velocity Platinum status have access to. It’s part of the airline’s remodelling VIP offering, which is a series of largely unpublished perks for passengers who go “beyond” status, with access mostly by invitation from CEO Jayne Hrdlicka or other higher-ranking officials within Virgin Australia.
How did I get access? Well, for the purpose of this profile. It’s unlikely something I’d ever experience again, which is a shame given my few hours spent at the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney certainly upped my standards of what I expect from a premium airport lounge. And compared to this, most of them fail to pass the buck.
Read on for our full Virgin Beyond Lounge, Sydney review.
Virgin Beyond Lounge, Sydney Review – Table Of Contents
Location
If you do happen to be on the guestlist for the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney then simply go through the regular entrance for the standard Virgin Australia Lounge in Sydney Domestic T2. By now, anyone who has been through Sydney’s largest domestic terminal will know exactly where that is. As soon as you clear security, the Virgin Australia Lounge entrance is via large automatic doors to your right.
And the Virgin Beyond Lounge is just above that. All you’d need to do is head up the escalator and either scan your Beyond membership card on the reader or your boarding pass. Given my access wasn’t via either, I had to buzz through and say my name. A receptionist checked the list and then told me to come through, with the glass doors sliding open and leading to a long hallway that felt like an office.
The hallway helps add a touch of exclusivity to the lounge, making it feel like the space is buried deep in the terminal. Compare this to the rather chaotic Virgin Australia Lounge below, where reception opens up into a large space that’s almost always packed full of status-holding Velocity members and their guests.
The winding white corridor leads to a double wooden door, behind which is the Virgin Beyond Lounge. And it pops with much more colour and personality than the entrance would have you believe.
Design
The first thing you’d see upon entry, aside from the friendly reception greeting you by name, is the slightly curved frosted glass covering each private pod, which has two seats facing each other and a timber cabinet in between with extendable dining surfaces. You’ve got multiple outlets here for devices and a largely private feel, despite one side of the pod is completely open.
These pods, which double as workspaces, mark the first zone in the L-shaped Virgin Beyond Lounge, presenting several small nooks for passengers who want to just sink into those high-backed leather armchairs. The lighting is bright without being garish, but each pod features lighting controls so you can slightly change the ambience according to the time of day.
The other, larger, zone features a bar and an open lounge area with differently sized and shaped areas. The lounges themselves are supremely comfortable, but some are perhaps a bit too wide and large – you sink as soon as you sit on them. The colours work very well, with contrasting brown and mahogany sets to pair well with the bright timber walls.
Lamps hang from the ceiling to help with the ambience, although the lounge is framed by big, clear glass windows so pulls in plenty of natural light during the day while offering great views over to Botany Bay. A private dining area for larger groups sits to the side, doubling as a meeting room.
The design successfully builds a soft, gentle and incredibly premium feel. I’d say it’s one of the nicest airport lounges I’ve been in, both across international and domestic terminals.
Food & Drink
Restaurant-quality food is given from the a la carte menu. From the grass-fed steak sandwich and superfood salad through to the roast vegetable ravioli and an excellent tiramisu. Fresh produce matters here, which only those who regularly pop into First Class lounges would experience.
There is a separate breakfast and lunch menu, although anything can be ordered on any day of the year. There’s also an extensive tea menu and a nice selection of wines favouring Australian classics like Arras Brut Elite Cuvee, Hardy’s HRB Chardonnay and St Hallett Butcher’s Cart Shiraz. Barista-made coffee is also accessible with a La Marzocco sitting behind the bar.
My roast vegetable ravioli was one of the best dishes I’ve had in an airport lounge while my colleague had the hearty steak sandwich and had no complaints. The most impressive, however, was the beautifully balanced tiramisu, even besting a lot of the tiramisu I’ve tried in restaurants around Sydney.
Amenities
The bathroom area is stylish with several large shower suits that are long and narrow. In each of these white-tiled bathrooms, you’ve got high mirrors, a spacious shower and bathroom products from Appelles Apothecary. Many lounges I’ve been to that have shower suites can feel rather cramped, whereas this feels like the type of bathroom you’d find in a nice apartment or a luxury hotel.
While I personally didn’t need to use the shower – I visited in the afternoon before a flight to Bali via Brisbane – I know how much space matters when it comes to feeling refreshed between flights. Now if only this was an international airport lounge.
Who Has Access?
As above, members must be invited by the airline itself, so unfortunately a lot of readers won’t actually experience the Virgin Beyond Lounge, which is also in Melbourne and Brisbane with vastly different colour schemes. A flyer can dream though, right?
There’s no buying a Beyond Lounge membership and Virgin Australia is known to be quite strict with access. It helps keep things nice and private for guests who actually have access. When I went, there were only around five other people in the lounge. I would imagine seeing this lounge at capacity is very, very rare.
So who are Beyond Lounge members? Typically, they have been chosen from the airline’s most loyal guests and you’d typically find people here that are in business, travel, politics, music and sport. Most people here would be CEOs, so it gives you an idea of what kind of person Virgin Australia needs to cater to here.
If you do have high status, it’s worth speaking to your Virgin Australia contact to check whether or not you can gain access.
If you want year-round, unlimited access to the standard Virgin Australia lounge whenever you head on through Sydney Airport you may want to consider the AMEX Platinum Card.
Verdict
The headline really says it all. If only they were all like this. The contrast between the regular Virgin Australia lounge and the Virgin Beyond lounge couldn’t be more egregious. One is chaos, and one is a bastion of calm.
Virgin Beyond Lounge, Sydney Review – Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get into the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney?
As with all three Virgin Beyond Lounges in Australia, access is on a strictly invite-only basis.
Are there showers in the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney?
Yes, you have a few spacious shower suites near the reception area.
What is the food like at the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney?
You can expect restaurant-quality food from the Virgin Beyond Lounge in Sydney, from an excellent steak sandwich to an even better tiramisu.
