Lounge Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Penang International Airport (International Departures)

Plaza Premium Lounge is the only airport lounge available at Penang International Airport in the International Departures area. With 2 hours to spare before my AirAsia AK1729 flight, I decided to head to the Plaza Premium Lounge for some drinks and snacks while waiting.

Being the only airport lounge in Penang International Airport (International Departures), the Plaza Premium Lounge hosts all airlines that provide a lounge service for premium customers. Head up the escalator to the Plaza Premium Lounge.

The Plaza Premium Lounge cannot be missed as it is just at the top end of the escalator.

I checked in to the Plaza Premium Lounge at the front desk with my Priority Pass.

Heading in to the Plaza Premium Lounge, the front lounge chair section was reserved for Singapore Airlines customers only. How friendly.

The rest of the lounge offers seats catering for dining.

Each power socket contains 1 3-pin, 1 2-pin, 1 USB, and 1 USB Type C point.

The buffet area is immediately in front of the entrance.

The buffet line starts off with a cold shelf of basic salad, cake, jelly, and fruits.

Canned non-alcoholic drinks are available from the refrigerator.

A selection of coffees, teas, Teh Tarik, and Milo are available, along with infused water, cold, and hot water.

There is a hot buffet line with simple mains of a western carb, Asian carb, 1 meat, and 1 vegetable.

Hot pots of porridge and dessert are available at the end of the lounge.

There is also a small window for orders of a la minute bowls of noodles, of which on my day of visit, Curry Laksa was offered.

The window was low and small, and I couldn’t see the chef when he spoke to me. A bit impersonal, but also a bit of Ichiran vibes.

Cutlery is available from the buffet line.

To start my first dinner, I had a Curry Laksa with Bee Hoon with a can of Green Tea.

The Curry Laksa was exactly as it is described – curry. I couldn’t taste much lemak in it as how it would have been done in Singapore. Perhaps this would have been more memorable if Penang Laksa was offered instead, since this is Penang after all.

I went for the hot buffet line next, and I took 1 of every item available. I got a Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Rendang Chicken, and long beans.

The rendang went well with Aglio Olio pasta which is a life lesson. The long beans, however, were overly oily, almost like a sauce made up of oil only.

I didn’t go for seconds as I was saving my stomach for my second dinner on board AirAsia.

The AeroBar is located at the far end of the Plaza Premium Lounge.

Unfortunately, only Carlsberg beer is included in the lounge visit, and all other alcohol options are chargeable. This does not offer much value out of a Priority Pass lounge visit if compared to lounge options around the world, but as Plaza Premium Lounge is the only lounge available in Penang International Airport (International Departures), I guess it’s take it or leave it.

Beer can be ordered directly from the AeroBar or from a wait staff. A cold glass is provided to go with the can of beer.

And thankfully, unlimited cans of beer are included, though collected 1 by 1.

The toilet in the Plaza Premium Lounge is clean but basic, with no special amenities to shout about. Showers are not available.

After most Singapore Airlines customers left the Plaza Premium Lounge for their flight, I asked a lounge staff if the area was still reserved, and he replied that I could move there if I wanted to.

This section of the lounge is much more comfortable for lounging with drinks, if not having food from the buffet.

A power socket set is provided between individual seats.

Conclusion

The Plaza Premium Lounge at Penang International Airport (International Departures) looks impressive based on its interior design, but unfortunately, the offerings of food, drinks, and toilet fell short of my expectation of a Plaza Premium Lounge, especially since I’ve tried other Plaza Premium Lounges around the region.

The mains offerings from the buffet line were quite basic with 2 carbs, 1 meat, and 1 vegetable, which is arguably less choices than a Cai Fan stall. Alcohol was also limited to only Carlsberg beer from a can.

Seats were also less than ideal when Singapore Airlines passengers were in the Plaza Premium Lounge, as all other airline passengers were restricted to dining tables for seats, even if not eating. Some tables also do not come with power sockets, arguably quite important for business travellers, but also for travellers in general, especially with the advent of electronic gadgets such as mobile phones needing to be charged.

And perhaps the biggest downer after a full day in Penang, showers were not available.

If you are a frequent flyer with a Priority Pass visit limit, you may wish to reconsider visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge at Penang International Airport (International Departures), especially if you know that you will want to use lounges at bigger airports in other cities during the validity year. If your visit count is expiring, then sure, expend your visit here at Penang.

However, if paying cash for your Plaza Premium Lounge Penang International Airport (International Departures) visit at RM194 for 2 hours, I don’t think it will be worth the value.