Review: Plaza Premium Lounge, Muscat International Airport, Muscat, Oman

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On our way out of Muscat, Oman, we were offered access to the Plaza Premium Lounge at Muscat International Airport. The Plaza Premium Lounge group offers a large selection of world wide lounges at airport across Canada, Europe, Asia and India. They partner with many credit card memberships and are also a member of Priority Pass. We took a stop through their Muscat location on our way to the United Arab Emirates courtesy of Ethiad Airways.


This post is one chapter on our second Round the World trip via Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Poland. This trip was redeemed through Air Canada’s Aeroplan and through Starwood Preferred Guest (Marriott Bonvoy) loyalty programs. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: Plaza Premium Lounge, Muscat International Airport, Muscat, Oman


Checking into Etihad Pearl Business Class:

On arrival at the Muscat airport, we underwent a baggage screening on entry and checked in with Etihad at a general first and business class desk. Boarding passes were issued and a lounge invitation to the contract Plaza Premium Lounge was provided. Overall the airport general hall was pretty chaotic. There were also photographs of the Sultan of Oman figured prominently throughout the building.

Etihad Pearl Business Check In
Pictures of the Sultan Featured Prominently Throughout the Departures Hall

I enjoyed the authentic dress that everyone was wearing in Oman. It was much more traditional than the neighbouring United Arab Emirates where many where wearing western dress.

Traditional Abbeya’s and few Western Travellers Like Us
Traditional Dress

Upon checking in, we were provided a lounge invitation to the Plaza Premium Lounge in Muscat, Oman. We collected duty free at a very large hall and returned to the Plaza Premium Lounge. Plaza Premium has a rather odd collection of locations, Singapore, Vancouver, Muscat and Hyderabad. This is the “number two” lounge here at Muscat with the flagship lounge being occupied by Oman Air.

Plaza Premium Lounge Invitation

Accessing the Plaza Premium Lounge:

There are several ways to access the Plaza Premium Lounge.

The Plaza Premium Lounge accepts reservations for entry on it’s website. The reservations are split into blocks of time ranging from two, to five hours and are priced at the time of writing at $29 USD for two hours or $42 USD for five hours.  

The Plaza Premium Lounge network also partners with several credit cards to provide access. This includes many credit cards worldwide, which include DragonPass, LoungeKey, LoungeClub, Priority Pass and the Club. You do not need to make a reservation while using these systems. 

For North American Card holders, the lounge is also part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which offers a suite of lounges available for access with it’s premium American Express Platinum and Centurion Cards. Access can be granted by presenting one of these cards.

Today’s access was provided by voucher issued from Etihad Airways.

Inside the Plaza Premium Lounge:

There was a long line up today of seventeen people to get into the lounge in a somewhat cumbersome entry process. This place seems to be part of every partner airline and credit card membership as based on the sign outside the door.

Plaza Premium Lounge Muscat, Oman
There are many ways to access this lounge

It was a bit of a dark space but thankfully it had attached washrooms given my delicate condition. The lounge itself did not have any exterior windows or other natural light, thanks to its inner facing orietnation.

A Spacious Place with the traditional Plaza Premium Loungers
Plaza Premium Loungers

Food and Beverage:

There was hot food and beverage available during our visit. I have found given the custom of lounges in the Middle East that they generally appear to be well catered and stocked with food, unlike our North American counterparts that generally just offer a room to hang out in and work on wifi, prior to any flight.

Breakfast Eggs, Halal Sausages and Beans

My Thoughts on the Plaza Premium Lounge:

The Plaza Premium Lounge in Oman was a perfectly functional place to hang out in prior to our flight. It offered loungers and a spacious place to wait prior to any flight. Aside from it being a little bit dark, it was nice to be able to stretch out a little bit prior to embarking on our journey back to the United Arab Emirates.


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