Hello! This follows my review of the Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge 1.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport is one of the two Vietnam Airlines hubs. Being its mainstay, it is no surprise that the airport is home to not one, but two Vietnam Airlines lounges. Of the two, Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge 2 is the most recently renovated. Notably, Vietnam Airlines does not have separate lounges between elite members and Business Class, which can be a good thing or not, depending on how you see it!

Lounge Access Rules

Identical to the rules of the Lotus Lounge 1, the Lotus Lounge 2 is accessible to SkyPriority passengers flying on a SkyTeam member airline. In that sense, passengers flying in First Class or Business Class on a SkyTeam airline like China Airlines or Korean Air are eligible to access this lounge. Furthermore, SkyTeam Elite Plus members (like FlyingBlue Gold and Platinum) are also entitled to access it. As far as I was aware, there is no possibility to purchase access to the lounge.

Location

Unlike the Lotus Lounge 1, the location of this one isn’t as straightforward. After going past the immigration and security checkpoints, turn right heading towards the direction of Gates 19 to 27. Following a few duty-free shops and Gate 19, there will be a corridor with a not-so-prominent sign pointing to the Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge 2. Head on in through the door and take the staircase or lift down one level to the Lounge.

Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge 2

Right by the staircase landing is the lounge’s reception desk. Whilst I came from the other Lotus Lounge, my boarding pass still had to be scanned twice as I entered the lounge. Regardless, the lounge reception attendant didn’t bat an eyelid and invited me in.

Across from the reception desk is a small display featuring two model aeroplanes, as well as Vietnam Airlines’ wide array of inflight magazines. I’m honestly very impressed with the airline’s commitment to written media since there are five separate inflight magazines each month – four of which are available at this lounge! Next to this is are a few small lockers for luggage, which looked much nicer than those at Lotus Lounge 1.

Lounge Seating and Amenities

Like Lotus Lounge 1, this lounge consists of one room, only a bit smaller. Being the most newly renovated, the lounge feels a lot fresher and more modern. The lounge seemed to get its design inspiration from the colonial design of old Saigon, which I found to be quite charming! Notice that the floor tiles cleverly feature the Vietnam Airlines lotus logo, which didn’t seem very obvious at first sight.

Sofa Seating

The lounge consists of three rows of different styles of seating, most of which incorporate well-padded sofa chairs. Along the windows is a row of sofa chair pairs facing each other. I would say that this is the most ideal seating for travellers travelling together, as it is a lot more intimate than the other seating options. The warm-lighted floor lamps only made the space feel even cozier, which is a nice touch. Here, there are power outlets just under each chair, similar to what you’d expect on board.

Individual Seating

Running along the centre of this lounge are several solo chairs equipped with a small side table. These sofa chairs are separated by a partition that’s just high enough to give a reasonable amount of personal space and privacy. Like the ones by the windows, these chairs are well-padded and comfortable to sit on. There are power outlets next to every seat, which I really appreciated.

Dining and Bench Seating

Finally, there are a number of seating appropriate for dining and working. These seats alternate between a long sofa bench and relaxed dining chairs and are equipped with dining tables. On each end of the lounge are also communal tables that can double as a desk, complete with power outlets.

Business Centre

Along the wall at the far end of the lounge four Business Centre cubicles equipped with a personal computer on a tabletop. These seats look very cozy despite its function as a Business Centre, a lot nicer than the ones at Lotus Lounge 1.

Massage Chair

Behind the staircase near the entrance, there is a single massage chair that is free to use. Unlike the one at Lotus Lounge 1, this one is a lot more secluded, making it probably ideal to use. Despite that, I didn’t see anyone use it during my long visit, perhaps by design of how secluded it is!

Lounge Wifi

Identical to the offering at Lotus Lounge 1, the lounge uses the airport’s sole common lounge wifi network aptly called ‘Lounge’. The network is accessed by one simple password pasted on the tabletop all over the lounge. The internet speed was fine and encompassed the entire lounge except for the shower/toilet area.

Shoeshine Machine

Interestingly, near the Business Centre cubicles is a single shoeshine machine. I haven’t seen one in a long time, and didn’t I see anyone use it, but I guess the provision is nice enough?

Dining

The dining option at this lounge consists of a buffet spread located along the interior wall and at the centre of the lounge. Whilst the hot food options were more-or-less identical to the Lotus Lounge 1, there are a couple of Western dishes available here. The hot food are placed on bain-maries/chafing dishes and are hence mostly warm. Amongst the options during my visit included: congee, beef pho, stewed beef, Vietnamese fried noodles, veal sausage, savoury sticky rice, couscous, stir-fried vegetables, and tofu.

By the interior wall of the lounge, there is also a selection of cold foods like, spring rolls, bread, cold cuts, salad, cut fruits, and a few Vietnamese cakes and desserts. The drinks selection is also located along this wall, which I find to be very decent.

Similar to Lotus Lounge 1, there is a selection of soft drinks and water in the chiller and a few more from the dispenser. Alcoholic drinks included beer, four kinds of wine, and four bottles of liquor. There is also orange juice, tea, and coffee. Nicely enough, the coffee machine actually worked in this lounge and had decent-quality coffee.

Toilets and Shower

Hidden behind a partition near the reception desk is the washroom area. Unlike the dark-looking toilets of the Lotus Lounge 1, this one felt a lot nicer and was similarly spotless. Understandably, the toilet also feels a bit smaller but still features bidet-equipped toilet seats.

Wedged between the women’s and men’s toilets is the sole shower room of the lounge. Despite having only one shower, I didn’t see it being used very often, probably because most passengers are flying point-to-point rather than transiting. The room features one shower stall and a sink, similar to the offering at the KLM Crown Lounge 52 in Amsterdam Airport Schipol. Again, this shower also looks much nicer compared to the ones at the other lounge. The toiletries came in ceramic bottles and were of mediocre quality.

Overall

Overall, I think the Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge 2 is a reasonable improvement from the Lotus Lounge 1. Whilst the amenities are mostly the same, this lounge feels a lot fresher and has furniture that I think is a lot more comfortable than the other lounge. Despite that, these improvements probably caught on with the airline’s clientele, as I found this lounge to be a lot busier than the Lotus Lounge 1.

Read more from this trip here!