Dan Lounge

Dan Lounge – Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) Concourse C

The Dan Lounge at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport in Concourse C is one of the two lounges operated by the DAN hotel chain. A sister lounge, identical in design and amenities, is located in Concourse B. The Dan lounges serve all full service airlines (except El Al which operates its own lounge) and welcome members of various lounge access schemes. With such broad access rules and only so much real estate, expect them to be busy.

Checking in may take time – there is occasionally a line stretching outside the door. In some cases, the agents painstakingly photocopy boarding passes.

Dan Lounge TLV design

The lounge was fully renovated and redesigned in 2014, and features an open floor plan with a seating area in the center and a dining area in the back by the buffet. Seating options include comfortable armchairs, café style seating, and bar-style seating within the dining area. The décor features earth and neutral colors along with a peace theme: the word “Shalom” is translated in multiple languages in a mural like setting. Floor to ceiling windows offer views on the tarmac and let plenty of natural light in. Hardwood and marble floors foster a cozy and elegant vibe, though the noise of the chairs screeching against the marble floor is painful.

Dan Lounge – Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) Concourse C

Speaking of noise, the background music may not be to everyone’s taste, and the constant loud announcements in the lounge are particularly obnoxious. Throw in the volume of conversations, and you’re in for a less than relaxing experience.

Power outlets are few and far between — you’ll find them along the walls, but unfortunately not in the central seating area or in the dining area. Surprisingly, even the high tables, which are well suited for laptops, don’t come with built-in power outlets. We’re not sure how Dan hotels neglected to resolve the power outlet situation when remodeling in 2014.

Dan Lounge TLV amenities

The buffet, located in a rather cramped area, offers a simple selection of snacks, salads, dips, yoghurt, and sweets — nothing of much substance for an international departure lounge. An espresso machine is available, along with a barebones soda and wine selection. The staff is often a bit slow to clear cups and plates, which gives the lounge a poor appearance at a first glance.

Dan Lounge – Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) Concourse C

While complimentary Wi-Fi is available, it is often slow and unreliable. If you can, try to use the airport’s own free WiFi network, but the signal may be weak inside the lounge.

The Dan Lounge severely lacks in the bathroom department. It does not feature showers, which is unfortunate on those sweltering days when one may enjoy refreshing themselves prior to boarding a long flight. But the real issue is the awkward bathroom design – in lieu of the traditional male/female sections, the lounge is equipped with a mere three gender neutral stalls. Lines are therefore pretty common.

Perhaps in an attempt to mitigate crowding, stays are limited to two hours in theory, although enforcement is lax, if at all possible.

Dan Lounge TLV bottom line

Overall, the Dan Lounge at Tel Aviv airport is a basic facility which falls short of delivering any real services of amenities. While the design is pleasant, the Dan lounge is unremarkable at best, and painfully crowded at worst, especially on holidays when one of the two sister clubs is closed. At peak times, you might be better off sitting in the concourse where faster Wi-Fi is available. It’s unfortunate that Ben Gurion airport is not investing in better clubs, since passengers departing from Tel Aviv are strongly encouraged to show up early in anticipation for thorough security checks, and may occasionally end up having to wait for their flight a substantial amount of time.