Where is the Marhaba T1 Lounge Located?

Marhaba Lounge operates in two locations at Singapore Changi Airport with a presence both in Terminal 3 and Terminal 1. In today’s review we are visiting the later which is located airside after immigration. Once clearing outbound immigration you can find the Marhaba Lounge directly above the Departure Transit Lounge. Once through immigration take the escalator take the escalator up to level 1 where you’ll find the lounge opposite the ‘Crystal Jade La Mian Xiang Long Baobab Restaurant.

Who Can Access the Marhaba T1 Lounge and When is it Open?

The Marhaba Lounge at Terminal 1 is open daily between 6 am and 1am meaning that whilst it will comfortably cater to most flights it is not going to be open before every departure as Changi Airport operates 24/7.

Entry to the lounge is currently available to members of various lounge pass schemes and is the default lounge offered to business Class passengers of various airlines such as Air France, Air China, Fiji Airways, Japan Airlines, Finnair, KLM, Myanmar National Airlines and Xiamen air

Paid Lounge access (only available via Lounge Buddy @ S$57)

Priority Pass Members

Lounge Key Members

DragonPass Members

Business Class Passengers of select airlines

Lounge Design and Seating

Overall the Mariana Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 expresses a comfortable and relaxing ambience the moment you step into it. Overall the lounge is largely rectangular and narrow in its design with seating capacity for up to 247 passengers which was far from reached at the time we visited mid afternoon. Immediately behind reception you will find the dining and drinks stations and then there is a long seating area leading towards the rear of the lounge. Seating options in the lounge are fairly standardised with comfortable arm chair seating (in a range of different colours) being complemented with small benches either between or in the front of seats. Near the food and beverage stations there is however some dining tables and some bar -stool like seating which may be more suitable for work or otherwise getting a quick bite to eat or drink.

At the rear of the lounge you also find several more high tables in addition to what looks like a private working space which presumably can be hired out. Here you’ll find a sink area with a coffee machine and water dispenser for your convenience and this may be another good area for working on a laptop seeing the lounge does not have a business centre.

Overall in terms of ambience, the lounge is largely dimly lit offering a quiet and peaceful feel to it and whilst there is no views of the tarmac on the left hand side as you look back towards reception offers views of the terminals 1 internal food court whilst on the right offers views of outdoor planted courtyard which is nice.

Food and Beverage

Self Service food and buffet

Overall you can find very decent food and snack options at the Marhaba Lounge which can all be located immediately behind the reception area of the the lounge. The lounge’s self service buffet offers a decent range of hot food which during our time of visit included hot dishes such as Japanese Beef Curry, Sweet and Sour Fish, Chicken Rendang, Paneer Mutter Masala, Spaghetti Agilo Ilio and Japanese Steamed Rice. Accompanying these more substantial options were also a range of salads, soups, sandwiches, pastries ,fruits and even deserts among others. Overall it is certainly likely you’ll find something here to snack on or even for a decent feed.

Self-service drinks station

Overall the Marhaba Lounge provides a reasonably satisfactory range of complimentary drinks which you don’t have any offical limits too unlike some other Priority Pass Lounges in Singapore. Whilst the range or quality of drinks is not what you would see in most airline branded business class or first class lounges at Changi, you can nonetheless have access to a range of soft drinks, juices,teas, machine made coffee, several beers (which seem to all be Asahi and Tiger at Priority Pass lounges in Singapore!) and several white and red wines, in addition to some standard spirits.

Service and Staff

Due to the largely self service nature of the lounge don’t expect the same high staffing levels of some of the airline operated legacy lounges. Upon arrival expect to be greeted by reception staff who will efficiently confirm your eligibility to access the lounge. It pays to have your boarding pass, passport, membership or credit cards or any other documentation which might prove your access eligibility.

Customer facing staffing is largely limited to the reception area. Service staff did well to regularly replenish the food and drinks options whilst cleaning staff were spotted often sanitizing and clearing tables and keeping the amenities in good condition. Good work to the folk at the Marhaba Lounge here!

Lounge Amenities

Overall the Marhaba Lounge ticks most of the right boxes in terms of providing the amenities that you would expect from a reputable airport lounge. Unfortunately one down side is that there is no dedicated business centre in this lounge which might distract its appeal for business and working travellers. On the flip side the lounge does have toilet facilities and four unisex shower which seemed to be well maintained and kept cleanly. One thing that the lounge does well with is its easy access to charging ports which are accessible to almost every seat and are universal in kind. Reading literature is also available too and free wifi which however wasn’t noticeably any quicker than Changi’s already very decent public wifi.

Summing-up

Overall the Marhaba Lounge at Singapore Changi Terminal 1 offers a pretty solid all round experience especially as a Priority Pass Lounge. Whilst there are certainly things it could improve in some regards especially in the ammenities department overall with its comfortable seating, good range of food and beverage options and relaxing ambience this lounge is well and truly worthy of consideration for a visit amongst the crowded and competitive Changi Airport lounge market!

Be sure to check out my Qantas flight review between Singapore and Perth which features a visit to this lounge on the day that i reviewed it