I Visited Riyadh Air’s Hafawa Lounge Riyadh: WOW, What A Stunner!

Hello from Saudi Arabia, as I continue my review trip. The main reason I came to Saudi Arabia is to try Riyadh Air, which is the most well funded and ambitious airline start that we’ve seen in a very long time (admittedly it helps to be owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund). The airline finally launched commercial operations as of a few weeks ago, and I’ll be flying the airline in business class from Riyadh (RUH) to Madrid (MAD).Prior to the flight, I had the chance to check out the Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. It’s rare to seen an airline offer a true flagship lounge experience at the time of launch, so that’s remarkable in and of itself.However, Riyadh Air really knocked it out of the park with this lounge. This will unarguably make my list of the world’s best business class lounges, and in terms of lounge aesthetics, I think this might just be on Cathay Pacific’s level (which is the ultimate compliment).While I’ll have a full review soon, I’d like to share some initial impressions of this 2,000 square meter (21,500 square foot) lounge, which has the capacity for 370 guests. The Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge has gorgeous designThe Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge has great food & amenitiesBottom line The Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge has gorgeous designLike I said, this is just an initial impressions post, so I’ll save most of my commentary for the actual review. Let me start by sharing several pictures of the lounge space, to give you a sense of the design.Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge escalatorsRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge entranceRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge design elementsRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge dining roomRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge barRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge experience suiteRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge seatingRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge bathroomFor a little context, the lounge is broken up into multiple themed areas, based on whether one wants to rest, socialize, dine, or enjoy immersive digital experiences. Across the board, the design is intended to draw inspiration from the landscape of Saudi Arabia. The attention to detail in this lounge is among the best I’ve seen anywhere, and that even includes the lighting, the ambient music, easy access to a variety of charging ports, etc. This is clearly one of those lounges where every single detail was considered in the design.I should also mention that for the time being, this lounge is a complete oasis of calm, given that Riyadh Air is just ramping up operations. This lounge was obviously designed for an airline with a lot more planes than what Riyadh Air currently has. In a world of overcrowded lounges, that’s quite lovely!The Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge has great food & amenitiesThe Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge has a food selection that rivals the best business class lounges out there. There’s an expansive buffet, which in and of itself would be a solid selection, with both hot and cold options. We’re talking mostly individually plated cold options, plus eight hot options that I found to be very high quality.Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge buffetBut that’s only the beginning, as there’s also an a la carte dining selection, which I found to be really high quality. Guests can order as much as they want, and are encouraged to have a three course meal. Given the late night and early morning flights departing the Middle East, it’s a great way to dine on the ground, so you can sleep onboard.Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge a la carte diningRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge a la carte diningRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge a la carte diningThen there’s a cafe area, with barista coffee, tea, and sweets.Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge cafeRiyadh Air Hafawa Lounge iced latte & sweetsLastly, there’s the bar area, serving some pretty imaginative mocktails, including the signature “Lavender Haze.”Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge signature mocktailYes, let me acknowledge that the lounge is “dry,” so there’s no alcohol. Obviously for many people, alcohol is an important part of the lounge experience, so that’s less than ideal. A nice glass of wine or a negroni would’ve elevated this lounge experience even more.Beyond the great food, the lounge has some other solid amenities, ranging from private quiet rooms (each is its own room with a door)…Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge quiet room…to massage chairs…Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge massage chair…to well designed shower suites.Riyadh Air Hafawa Lounge shower suiteBottom lineRiyadh Air launched operations in recent weeks, and has already opened its flagship Hafawa Lounge at Riyadh Airport. I must admit, this is easily one of the best business class lounges I’ve been to, in terms of design, amenities, and food. If the onboard experience is remotely as good as this, then I’m in for quite the treat…What do you make of Riyadh Air’s lounge?