Having somehow made it to Zurich with our connection intact, thanks to a three hour mechanical delay on our connecting flight, we headed over to the KLM Crown Lounge 52 to wait for our updated departure.
KLM Crown Lounge 52 Location
The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is located in the Non-Schengen departures area near the F Gates. The signage throughout the airport is easy to follow and we made the long walk over from the C Gates. Just follow the signs for Airline Lounges and Lounge 52.
The entrance is distinctly marked with a wall of glass with KLM’s signature Delft houses along it. There’s an escalator that leads up one level from the concourse to the reception desk.
KLM Crown Lounge 52 Hours of Operation
The lounge is currently open from 4:45a to 10:00p daily, covering virtually all of KLM’s flights from the airport.
KLM Crown Lounge 52 Entry Requirements
The lounge can be accessed for free by KLM Business Class passengers on Standard and Flex tickets as well as Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers. Elites can also bring one guest free of charge. The lounge can also be accessed for a fee on a space available basis. Flying Blue Silver members receive a 25{1156934895e85f9f14ac88e0f3c9c84d6f1238f43fb02f35cf06259982fe45e1} discount on the entry fee.
The friendly lounge agent checked us in with a quick scan of our boarding passes. Given the fact that Schiphol had four straight days of cancellations due to weather, I was very impressed with the overworked lounge agents who were attempting to help frustrated customers with their travels. They were going above and beyond which didn’t go unnoticed.
KLM Crown Lounge 52 Layout
The Crown Lounge 52 is KLM’s flagship Business Class lounge at Schiphol and spans over 70,000 square feet spread across two levels. The lounge features a variety of seating areas and had something for everyone. From dark, quiet spaces to relax and work, to multiple bar areas along with an outdoor terrace to unwind.
Upon entering the lounge and checking in, you can either go left into the lounge or do a 180 and head towards the rear where the buffet is located. There is an opening over to the right but this was blocked off during our visit. The space was still open, but you had to walk through another part of the lounge in order to get to it. We managed to grab a couple of seats along the windows near the entrance and I went out to explore the lounge.
To the left, upon entering, was a large seating area that had a variety of tables, chairs and couches. This space was close to the buffet and downstairs bar so it was quite busy.
Past this area was an elevated section that was a bit quieter in the corner of the lounge and was separated by one of the beverage stations.
This space had some standard lounge seating along with some high backed chairs that overlooked the ramp and had some great privacy. The back corner had the entrance to the showers which could be reserved by an agent. Due to all of the delays and cancellations, these were completely booked during our visit.
There was a row of semi-private nooks along the wall though it was still fairly exposed to this part of the lounge as it faced out. Apologies for the blurry photo, I inadvertently had my phone in portrait mode so it didn’t capture properly.
Separating the front and rear of this side of the lounge was the beverage station as well as a full service bar that was Heineken branded.
In the rear, closest to the buffet, were more cafe style tables and high top tables.
Additional seating was located further from the buffet area, closer to the center of the lounge near the escalators.
Along the back wall was a display case that held each of the KLM Delft houses that have been handed out to long-haul Business Class passengers over the years.
Next to this display were the restroom entrances. Lockers are also available for use while waiting in the lounge.
Crossing past the escalators, the opposite of the lounge was quieter than the chaos near the buffet. The forward section on this side was one large room with a variety of seating. It felt brighter and more open than the left side of the lounge as there wasn’t a buffet area blocking the light from the windows.
The back corner had a few nooks with some seating and an oddly placed, very large photo on the wall. There was also a secondary bar that wasn’t open during our visit.
Across from the secondary bar area were a few rows of communal, high top tables. Along the wall there was another set of semi-private booths that functioned as workstations.
Finally, rounding out the lower portion of the lounge was a row of high backed chairs against the window. While these chairs technically overlooked the ramp, there was a jet bridge blocking a portion of the lounge.
After exploring the downstairs portion of the lounge, it was time to check out the upstairs. The 2nd floor of the lounge can either be accessed by the escalators at the center of the lounge or a large, staggered staircase with built in seating on the right side of the lounge. This was one of my favorite spaces in the lounge as it was relatively quiet and featured a variety of airline memorabilia.
The variety of nooks felt secluded while also providing views out over the lower level of the lounge. The majority of the memorabilia was held in glass cases throughout.
At the top of the stairs was another seating area off to the left near the windows as well as a seating bench straight ahead. The space along the windows was blocked off for Flying Blue Ultimate members. This portion of the lounge stayed relatively empty due to the distance away from the entrance and buffet, making it a good spot to relax if you want some quiet.
Turning to the right, you enter the upstairs bar area. This space had a few booths along the wall as well as high top tables and plenty of bar seating. Specialty drinks were available here for a fee along with the standard bar service.
Across the bar, near the windows, was another large seating area with couches and seating that was good for large groups to meet.
From this space there is a door that leads to the outdoor terrace. The terrace has some seating options and provided great views out over the ramp. I even managed to spot the Boeing 787-9 that would be taking us to Austin later in the day.
Finally, across the upstairs area from the bar is the in-lounge restaurant, Blue. The restaurant is not free for lounge passengers but does have an elevated menu available at a somewhat reasonable cost. Since we were visiting between lunch and dinner, the restaurant area was empty.
Food and Beverage
Though the KLM Crown Lounge 52 is quite large, there is only one buffet for the entire lounge so the space can get quite crowded. Fortunately, the staff was hard at work restocking everything in the buffet area. We visited the lounge during lunchtime, so that was the food on offer.
The main food and beverage area is located on the first floor of the lounge and is laid out in a circle around the core of the area. The food setup is located on the back side and had a variety of pastas, fruit, pastries, cold cuts, and soups. There was also pizza, lasagna, and a large salad bar on offer. While the selection was decent, it was underwhelming for a flagship airline lounge.
Moving around to the side was the bar, which was Heineken branded. Heineken beer was on draft along with a selection of wines and spirits.
Finally, completing the circle, there was a beverage station that had a selection of coffee and tea. There was also a water dispenser as well as a Coca-Cola machine available.
There was also a coffee bar with a barista that could make a variety of drinks. The coffee bar isn’t open all of the time so it was nice to have the option to grab a cup from the machine.
For those that want an elevated experience, there is a restaurant on the second floor that serves some elevated options with table service. We didn’t eat here during our visit to the lounge however. More information on Blue can be found here.
Atmosphere
The lounge was extremely crowded during our visit. I’m assuming that this was due to days of delays and cancellations that had crippled Schiphol Airport in the days leading up to our arrival. We managed to find seats and as the afternoon went on, the lounge started to clear out to the point it was fairly pleasant. Even when the lounge was full, there were enough seats available if you knew where to look. I’m looking forward to revisiting the lounge during our next trip through Schiphol and hope to find it less chaotic.
Summary
KLM’s flagship Crown Lounge 52 at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is massive and has something for everyone. Though the lounge was packed, everyone was respectful and the lounge was relatively quiet. The food and beverage selection was a little underwhelming but it is still a nice place to wait for your flight.
In This Trip Report
- Introduction: The Black Forest and a Trip Across Switzerland
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AUS-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 25 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM Cityhopper E190 EuroBusiness (AMS-FRA)
- Frankfurt to Badenweiler via Deutsche Bahn
- Park Hotel and Spa KATHARINA Badenweiler
- Exploring Badenweiler
- Badenweiler to Montreux via Swiss Federal Railways
- Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, Autograph Collection Montreux
- Exploring Montreux
- Montreux to Zermatt via Swiss Federal Railways
- Chalet Hotel Schönegg Zermatt
- Exploring Zermatt
- Zermatt to Zurich via Swiss Federal Railways
- Neues Schloss Privat Hotel Zurich, Autograph Collection
- Exploring Zurich
- A Day Trip to Liechtenstein
- Marhaba Lounge Zurich (ZRH)
- KLM B737-800 EuroBusiness (ZRH-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 52 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AMS-AUS)
