Lounge Review: Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

Situated near the capital city, Denpasar, the international airport of Bali bears the name of the national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai, serving millions of tourists and locals as a vital transportation hub. The airport has undergone quite a fair bit of changes over the years with the introduction of new dining options in the transit area. When flying out of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), there is a high chance that you will be directed to the Premier Lounge which is a contract lounge that most major airlines utilise.

Interiors
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

As a Singapore Airlines PPS Club member, I have access to the Premier Lounge regardless of my cabin of travel. While the lounge is decent enough for a short stopover, the space is actually quite dark, and the F&B options are extremely limited. There used to be a T/G Lounge (part of the Priority Pass network) which is situated right next to the Premier Lounge and while this has unfortunately closed after the pandemic, there is a brand new Concordia Lounge that is now occupying that same spot. As far as I can remember, the Concordia Lounge in the International Terminal was never part of the Priority Pass network on my last three visits but when I visited Bali in July 2023, I noticed that Priority Pass members can now access it for free - I have unlimited access with The American Express Platinum Card but there are quite a handful of credit cards in Singapore that will provide complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges.

Natural Daylight
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

As far as I know, the Concordia Lounge in the International Terminal is the only airport lounge that is accessible to Priority Pass members - the Premier Lounge used to be part of the network but it is currently not participating in the program. As such, the Concordia Lounge was actually pretty busy during my visit (despite it being in the day) so I had some trouble taking photos. It is definitely worth noting that the Concordia Lounge does not serve any alcoholic drinks (paid or otherwise) at the time of writing - this seems like a low-hanging fruit and something that they might eventually offer but if you wish to enjoy a free glass of beer or wine, the Premier Lounge is where you need to be (assuming you have access). Additionally, the Concordia Lounge also does not have any shower facilities - something that I do not expect most travellers to care about in Bali since there are not many flights with long layovers.

Self-service Buffet Area
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

While the T/G Lounge used to have a ‘live’ cooking station where travellers can order pasta from, this has been removed completely in the Concordia Lounge. You will notice some similarities between the previous lounge and this space but I would say that the Concordia Lounge is a lot nicer to be in compared to the Premier Lounge next door - especially with the abundance of natural daylight during the day. There is a small but decent selection of food in the lounge but most of the popular items (e.g. samosa and fried chicken fingers) are always out of stock - these are also not replenished in a timely manner, and they are generally snatched up the moment they are refilled.

Barista Style Coffee
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

While alcoholic drinks are not offered in the Concordia Lounge, there is a beverage station where barista-style coffee can be ordered (without incurring any additional charges). I had a double espresso which was freshly extracted upon order and noticed that teabags were also provided here. If you are after carbonated drinks or a bottle of water, there is a small minibar located underneath one of the self-service buffet counters.

Different Seating Configurations
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

I do like that the Concordia Lounge has different seating configurations that cater to different groups of travellers - since I was on my own, I settled into one of the comfortable armchairs with a coffee table towards at the back of the lounge.

High Table
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

There were strangely two WiFi networks that travellers may connect to - both of them works well without a hitch (which is fantastic since I have had issues with roaming on this trip) and there is even a high table towards the middle of the lounge where you will find universal power outlets for you to charge your devices. Airport lounges at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) are not great but I think the Concordia Lounge is definitely ahead of the Premier Lounge in many ways.

Perhaps it was due to the natural lighting but the food over at the Concordia Lounge looked a lot more palatable than what is typically offered over at the Premier Lounge. There is a small but reasonable selection of hot food on one side, as well as lighter bites on the other side. Fresh fruits, juices, and infused-water are also provided on top of the regular canned beverages which I thought was a pretty nice touch.

Hot Food
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

Since I came directly from the Holiday Inn Bali Sanur (which was surprisingly nice and I will definitely write a hotel review sometime soon) after breakfast, I was not exactly hungry but wanted to try the food so I can write a slightly more comprehensive report. Expect to find mostly Asian dishes from the hot food section but there was also some penne paste and mixed vegetables from the buffet spread. While the food does look like something straight out of my residential college about a decade ago, it was actually decent enough to be eaten.

Bubur Ayam
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

I love bubur ayam so I was pretty thrilled to see it on the buffet spread but unfortunately, it was served cold (maybe they forgot to turn the heat on?), did not have all the right condiments and also did not have the right sambal next to it which I thought was a bit of a missed opportunity. Bali and Indonesia is home to amazing food and they should really try to showcase more dishes through the airport lounges.

Natural Light and High Ceiling
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

The Concordia Lounge at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) is quite possibly my favourite airport lounge in Bali right now. While I have been to the Garuda Indonesia Business Class Lounge back in 2018, I cannot quite remember what it was like - it was also super crowded during my visit so I did not manage to take any photos. KLM operates a decent Business Class product between Singapore and Bali with reasonable fares in Business Class (which gives you access to the Garuda Indonesia Business Class Lounge) but the flight timings typically do not work for me.

Light Bites and Snacks
Concordia Lounge (International Terminal) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS)

The Concordia Lounge is the only lounge under the Priority Pass network at the moment and while it does not serve any alcoholic drinks and does not have shower facilities, the abundance of natural light and contemporary design makes it a pleasant-enough space for travellers to rest up before their flights out of Bali. Even though I generally fly with Singapore Airlines between Singapore and Bali (and have access to the Premier Lounge next door), I would very much rather spend time in the Concordia Lounge unless it is way too crowded.