Since my airport stop was for more than three hours I decided to try both Lounges available at the Fiumicino airport, Leonardo Da Vinci. The first, "Le Navi", is located in the main terminal and the other "Giotto" in the G terminal catering mainly to overseas destinations.
The G terminal lounge or more specifically the Giotto lounge is way bigger than the Le Navi even though Le Navi caters for 7 terminals (A,B,C,D,E,F,H)
The experience started with Le Navi, where I arrived at an early hour taking the needed time for pictures and noticing the details:
- The white and gray chairs are becoming old and looking darker with use. - The food choice is very limited to croissant and some sweet bread. The quality is below average. - Coffee and drinks are available only upon request from one hostess who's job is to serve as well as clean tables. This means she is always busy. - There is no fridge or self service area in this lounge to pick any biscuits, soft drinks or refreshments. You would have to ask for your alcoholic beverage, soft drink or coffee. - This small lounge is divided into two floors without any shower. - The sofas are individual ones that are relaxing for short periods of time and for normal sized people. If the lounge welcomes more than a hundred and twenty people you would have to sit on the floor. Installing some family couches is important for those heavy weighted visitors. - There is only one 32inch mini LCD TV in the whole lounge with only four chairs in front of it.
A free 1mb speed Internet is offered free of charge to all guests.
It was time to take the shuttle train connecting the terminals together. I walked more than a kilometer to find this lounge. Not even one sign directs you to it. The lounge is located underground in front of gate 12. This one is much bigger than Le Navi with a completely different approach. The colors, lights and individual leather chairs choices are different.
Again concept issues that can make it a hundred times better:
- Only one bar serving drinks and coffee. - Here you can find a self service fridge containing only water and sparkling water. The MEA self-service fridge is one of the best around the world. - Soft drinks are served in very normal cracked glass cups from a 1.5 liter bottle. A great way to minimize cost. - It is big indeed but feels like a labyrinth. Orange plastic facades separate the different sections and rooms. You enter into a corridor and start walking around from one small room to the other. I hope you're not claustrophobic. - WiFi internet is not available is small corner rooms. - Here you can shower. It's a nice and big bathroom to refresh before or after long trips. - Food is the same. Mini sandwiches like most lounges around the world. Being one of the major airports around Europe was expecting much better from The Leonardo Da Vinci.
