After arriving in Houston via our United flight from Dallas, and checking out the American Express Centurion Lounge, we headed over to the KLM Crown Lounge near our departure gate
Location
The KLM Crown Lounge is located in Terminal D, across from gate D8, which makes it easily accessible for passengers departing on international flights.
Hours of Operation
The lounge is currently open from 6:00a to 9:00p daily, covering the majority of international departures from the airport.
Entry Requirements
We had access to the lounge thanks to our business class tickets on Qatar Airways. Both Qatar and Emirates use the KLM Crown Lounge as their contract lounge in Houston. The lounge is also accessible to SkyTeam elite members traveling on international flights as well as Priority Pass members.
For those looking to access the lounge via Priority Pass, please note that there is a 3 hour limit and access may be restricted due to capacity constraints, especially between 3:00-5:00p as Air France and KLM flights depart during this time.
The lounge agent checked our Qatar boarding passes and quickly admitted us into the lounge. She also informed us that our inbound aircraft from Doha was delayed and therefore our departure would be slightly delayed.
Layout
The lounge was on the smaller side, with a seating area on one side and the food and beverage area on the other. In the main seating area there were sets of chairs facing one another with side tables attached. There was also a table with four chairs located in the middle of the seating area which would be good for a larger group.
On the opposite side of the lounge, near the food station, there were a few café style tables available. Though much smaller than the IAH Centurion Lounge, this one was much quieter which was nice. Also, though there were no exterior views, the lounge did overlook the ticketing hall which made it feel more open than the Centurion that lacked any sort of view.
Food and Beverage
We knew that a feast awaited us onboard but I still went over to check out the food selection for the sake of the review. The buffet area was located in the center of the room and was built around a large support pole. The ‘buffet’ consisted of a tray of finger sandwiches and assorted cheese as well as couscous and green salads. The descriptions of the items were basically non existent as ‘Sandwich’ and ‘Green Salad’ doesn’t give you much to go off of. n Baskets of potato chips and cookies were also available.
On the back side of the food was a beverage cooler with sodas and juices. There was also a bar that had wine and some mid-tier liquors. It appeared to be a self-serve bar but there was a sign asking that you allow a lounge employee to serve you.
Separate from the main area, there was a table set up against the wall with some packaged fruit, snack mix and infused and regular water.
Summary
This lounge wasn’t anything special, but it was quiet and provided a good place to wait before our flight. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this lounge, it was fine for a short time before boarding our flight.
