Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport – ISG Lounge Review

When traveling, it’s nice to be able to do it comfort. So, with programs like the Priority Pass, just about anyone can access a lounge worldwide. And, it doesn’t matter what airline or what travel class you’re on.

So, the only thing you’d have to do is be prepared to buy a lounge pass. And, it’s available at over 1,300 airport lounges in over 600 cities worldwide.

Yet, when Paul and I were flying from Istanbul with Qatar Airways Business Class… we were going to fly out from the Sabiha Gökçen Airport. And, with these business class flights, we were expecting to have access to an airport lounge.

Thus, I had assumed that we would have access to a lounge with Qatar Business Class. Yet, sometimes when assuming things it doesn’t end up as expected.

So, I double-checked the Qatar Airways website to see what lounge we could use at that airport. And, on the Qatar Worldwide Lounges webpage… I discovered that the airport lounge we could access was the LGM Lounge.

Then, having done a little bit of research about it… we didn’t have high expectations about this airport lounge in Istanbul. That’s because many of the reviews weren’t that positive.

So, when we arrived at the Sabiha Gökçen Airport, we had a drama while we were checking in. And, we’ll have to tell you all about our check in and our Qatar Airways Business Class experience… in another blog post soon.

Yet, in this blog post… I’ll take you inside the airport lounge at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. But, there is a twist…

The Airport Lounge At Sabiha Gökçen Airport

So, when Paul and I were having our shocking experience at the Qatar Airways check in counter for business class… I thought I’d double check with the Qatar Airways staff member, which airport lounge we could use.

Then, he told us that we could use the ISG CIP Lounge. So, this was different to what was on the Qatar Airways website… where it was showing as the LGM Lounge. Yet, it wasn’t a big deal, we were just glad to be able to get on the flight!

And, after our check in process with Qatar… they handed us a complimentary lounge pass each to use at the ISG Lounge.

So, we were hoping that this lounge would be decent enough, and better than the one I’d read about.

And, hopefully it’d be better than hanging out for a couple of hours or so in the main airport areas!

The ISG International CIP Lounge At Sabiha Gökçen Airport

So, after going through immigration and the security check points… we found a sign for the ISG Lounge. And, after a few turns around some corners, it was only a few minutes walk.

There’s not really a huge sign for it out the front of the lounge… so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for it.

So, this is what it looks like outside the front of the ISG CIP Lounge… with the glass sliding doors.

Then, after entering the ISG Lounge, there was a large counter.

And here, the staff member asked for our boarding pass… as well as the pass that we were given at check in from Qatar Airways. And, it was this pass would give us complimentary access to the ISG Lounge.

So, the ISG Lounge is also part of the Priority Pass Program. Thus, anyone could access this lounge as they could buy a pass to get in.

Inside The ISG CIP Lounge

So, after we went through the formalities of validating our entry into the lounge… one of the first things I noticed was that there was a sliding door for The Terrace.

So, when I had a look through the glass doors, it looked like it was an area for smoking.

Then, after this was a big blue terminal, which looked like this…

So, it had several different compartments, and by the looks of it… I think it was a charging terminal for various devices maybe?

Then, as we headed on down the corridor…

On the right was a small seating area with tables and chairs…

And, opposite that seating area were the toilets. In the toilet area, there was one cubicle for males and a separate one for females, but no showers. The toilets were relatively clean, which was good.

So, towards the main lounge area… was a big glass display area with fake bamboo-like trees in it.

Then, after walking in the main ISG Lounge area… on the right was a stand with several magazines and newspapers.

Near here were many seating areas… and in some sections there were electrical sockets to charge up devices.

Yet, one of the first things we noticed was that it was a little dirty… with food all over the tables and on the floor.

But, within about 15 minutes the cleaners came around to clear the areas, clean and tidy up.

So, the ISG Lounge had many tables and chairs and seating area.

And to our surprise, it actually felt spacious and comfy even when it was busy. Then, in comparison to the Dubai Emirates Business Class Lounge, that was an interesting experience.

To find out more about our Dubai Emirates Business Class Lounge experiences, CLICK HERE.

Free Wifi At The ISG International CIP Lounge

When we were entering the lounge, the staff member gave us a small piece of paper with a wifi code. So, this was to enable access to the free wifi they offered in the lounge.

And, after having logged in, we did a wifi speed test. Thus, the download wifi speed was 9.78 mbps and the upload speed was 9.60 mbps.

So, it wasn’t the slowest speed we’d encountered at airport lounges, but it wasn’t the fastest either. Yet, it did the job when we needed to use the wifi.

The Food And Drinks At The ISG CIP Lounge

So, when we arrived at the ISG Lounge, it was in the morning. Thus, when we looked around the food area… it looked like they were serving a breakfast spread.

Yet, the first section included a range of drinks and some nibbles. And, the drinks on offer included coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, beer, and wines. Plus, the great thing was the beer were cold.

So, it looked like the beer that was on offer was the local Efes beer, which tasted fine. This was only in draft form.

Then, as we wandered around further… the food section included soup, cereals, and a variety of breads and pastries.

Plus, there were black and green olives, cherry tomatoes, cheese and sweets.

So for Paul and I… our breakfast consisted of cold beers and a good spread of healthy food. Plus, being cheese pigs, we piled on the thick blocks of cheese that were on offer!

So, in a way we were surprised at the food options, which was positive.

Thus, for us it was a great way to start our experience at the ISG Airport Lounge. And, it was surprising that it was pleasant… and there was enough food to support our needs.

Yet, we didn’t want to eat too much… because we were saving space for our Qatar Airways Business Class flight from Istanbul to Doha.

The lunch time change over

Then, when it hit around 12:00pm, we noticed that the food had changed over to a lunch time spread.

And, the differences in food included… a hot food warmer with meat, dessert type bite sized treats, a cous cous dish, and a couple of different bean dishes.

So, by this stage we didn’t want to have any more food so we could save space for Qatar Airways. Thus, unfortunately we can’t comment on the lunch time food spread. Yet, it did look appetizing.

So, while Paul and I have experienced many airport lounges in our time… In the end, the ISG Lounge was surprisingly fine.

Yet, while the food offerings weren’t extensive, it definitely suited us. Plus, it was comfortable to relax here, rather than amongst the hustle and bustle in the airport itself!

Have you been to the ISG Lounge at Sabiha Gökçen Airport? And if so, what were your experiences like?

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Note: All of our reviews and comments are our opinions and no-one else’s. Even if we receive complimentary goods or services we share our opinions honestly.

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