ANA lounges are not my cup of tea! I love their food and drinks but it is always way too crowded. I have been to both the Narita and Haneda Lounge multiple times but it is always packed full to the brim which makes it uncomfortable. It also takes a huge amount of luck to score a shower suite, something that I value greatly, especially in transit. Sometimes, it got so crowded that I decided not to review the facility as I couldn’t get good pictures of the facility. This time around I am back in Narita to check out the Suite Lounge. It is my first time here and I had access to this premier facility on account of flying First Class on Singapore Airlines. Let’s see how the ANA Suite Lounge in Tokyo Narita match up! Will it be disappointing as well?
Access Requirements
The ANA Suite Lounge is open daily from 7am till the last departure. This should cover all ANA and Star Alliance flights. This is subject to changes, depending on the flight schedules. Currently, all ANA / Star Alliance First Class customers, Solitaire PPS Club members and ANA Diamond Service members are allowed access to the lounge. Typical access rules for guests follow.
Arrival & Location
The ANA Suite Lounge is located in No.5 Satellite near gate 53. The lounge is located one level above the main terminal. You can find clear signage leading to the lounge. It is a short walk away after security. You will find the reception counter after heading up. The lounge shares the same entrance with ANA Lounge and you will be accorded access after presenting your boarding pass or membership card. The Suite Lounge is much more private and less crowded than the ANA Lounge. Do note that the lounge is quite a walk from the gate that SQ usually uses for SQ 11. Do take some time to make the trek over.
ANA Suite Lounge Narita
The Suite Lounge is located behind a glass door and you enter into the main space after a long entranceway. The decor was all right. It felt slightly dated. The lounge mainly consists of couches around the area. It is quite exclusive with the use of partition. There is also some seating by the side of the window which boosts a great view of the tarmac and the planes. I got in right during sunset and caught a spectacular one in the lounge. Here are some pictures of the area.
There is also a quiet corner or sleeping area which consists of three sleeping pods. These recliners will come in handy during transit to catch a nap eye.
The business centres offer some cubicle type seating. They come with a printer and a monitor. This will be a good place if you need to get some last-minute work done.
Toilets and Showers
I did not get to use the shower suites this time around. I shall share some pictures and thoughts from my previous visit. Both the ANA Suite Lounge and ANA Lounge share the same facility. The suites are spacious and great to use. This is provided if you can score one. There are times when there are 50 people ahead of me and the waiting time is close to 10 hours. There are a total of 10 shower suites which isn’t enough. The suites are well-maintained and clean. All sorts of amenities and towels are provided. There is even a Dyson hairdryer.
Food and Drinks
If I remember correctly, ANA used to offer some sort of ala carte dining in the Suite Lounge but this is no longer available these days. Refreshments now consist of a small buffet counter as well as some hot dishes that you can order and collect at the noodle bar. This is the same concept as the ANA Lounge but with more premium dishes and selections. By the buffet counter, you can find some snacks, chocolates, breads and nigiri. There are also some packaged sandwiches and a salad station.
The main food items will be from the noodle bar. You can find the menu here. I always enjoyed their signature ramen. That is restaurant quality.
The Gyudon and sushi were decent but not overly amazing. The most disappointing dish was the Hamburger Steak, this was pure disgusting.
Drinks-wise consists of Sake, Champagne, Wines, Spirits and a classic beer machine. There is also cold green tea and a soda fountain.
For desserts, you can find a Haagen-Daz fridge stocked with mini tubs of vanilla, strawberry and cookie & cream ice cream.
Conclusion
The ANA Suite Lounge offers better catering and much more needed privacy from the ANA Lounge. It still doesn’t feel First Class. It is more of a business-class lounge to me. This is rather disappointing given that this is one of their flagship lounge at their home hub. It certainly requires some polishing. They should also bring back the ala carte dining. The same goes towards the shower facilities. Have a priority line or reserve some exclusive suites for First Class passengers. Very much lacking when compared to other first-class products in the world. Heck, even some business-class lounges are better than this! ANA! You can do better!
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