Note: This lounge is currently closed for any form of entry and the review is based on a previous experience.
On my long flight from New York to Singapore on Emirates, I had the chance to stop at Dubai International Airport (DXB). Compared to its Middle Eastern peers, DXB is one of my favourite airports given its large number of airport lounges.
For this trip in particular, I’ve only had 1.5 hours between my flights and I’ve even got to switch terminals. Therefore, I didn’t have a lot of time to explore more airport lounges and could only visit the lounge nearest to my departure gate.
This is our full review of the Dubai Terminal 1 Concourse C Marhaba Lounge.
Basic Information
First founded in Dubai, Marhaba is primarily an airport services company. It provides various value-added services in airports around the world. There’s even a Marhaba Airport Lounge in Singapore’s Changi Airport!
Within Dubai’s DXB airport alone, there are 5 airport lounges operated by Marhaba. In this review, we’ll specifically talk about the lounge located in Terminal 1 Concourse C.
The Marhaba Lounge is open 24 hours 7 days a week.
Location
The Marhaba Lounge in Terminal 1 Concourse C is between gates C23 and C25 after security. DXB is a large airport, so you should set aside more time if your departure gate is far away.
As of the time of writing, the Emirates flight bound for Singapore departs from gate C23. This is extremely lucky as you’ll be able to spot the plane and boarding process from within the lounge.
How do I Access the DXB Marhaba Lounge
| Common Access Methods |
|---|
| Priority Pass, DragonPass, LoungeKey |
| Purchase lounge pass from Marhaba |
The most common way to access the Marhaba Lounge is via lounge membership programs like Priority Pass, Dragon Pass and Lounge Key. These are programs which you’ll receive as part of many credit card benefits. You can find out more about accessing airport lounges via credit cards with our post here.
Alternatively, you can purchase hourly passes for the lounge starting from AED 185 (S$67.75) for 2 hours. This is a fairly steep price to pay compared to other paid lounges. We usually don’t believe that airport lounges are worth the prices they charge.
Regardless of the access method, you can only stay in the lounge up to a maximum of 8 hours.
The Experience
The Marhaba Lounge is a decent lounge to spend your pre-departure time in. It is spacious and has several seating areas for guests. Despite that, during my visit at 9 am, the lounge was packed and I spent a bit of time looking for an available seat.
There were areas with couches for a more relaxed experience and a dining area with sit-down tables and chairs close to the buffet setup. The lounge interior was brightly lit with natural light due to the large windows that faced the airport runway.
While the Marhaba Lounge doesn’t come close to premium business class lounges like the Qatar Premium Lounge in Changi Airport, it is definitively mid when compared to many airport lounges we’ve visited throughout our travels.
Internet
The WiFi speed in the Marhaba Lounge was fast, even when there were a lot of guests during my visit. At a download speed of 166 Mbps and an upload speed of 105 Mbps, you should not face any issues streaming 4k videos or taking video calls.
Food and Drinks
The lounge offers a small buffet area that mainly serves small finger foods and a couple of proper hot foods. Perhaps as a result of my morning visit, most of the small casual food was sandwiches and bread. The hot trays contained scrambled eggs and potato wedges.
Not the widest variety when it comes to food options, but should probably be good enough for most as a breakfast.
Shower Facilities
If you’re in transit from a long flight, you’ll be glad to know that the lounge offers shower facilities to its guests. However, there is a separate charge for the usage, regardless of your entry method.
Final Thoughts
Dubai DXB Terminal 1 Concourse C Marhaba Lounge
Summary
The Marhaba Lounge is a basic and decent airport lounge to relax in before your flight and it does not try to be anything more.
The lounge has a modest breakfast selection that will barely do the job of filling up your stomach. It does not offer any special complimentary amenities that make your short stay in the lounge any better.
You’ll be fine visiting this lounge during your transit if you do not have much time. But if you have more time, we recommend checking out other lounges in the airport that are much bigger and offer much more when it comes to food and experience.
