Review Monteverdi lounge at Malpensa, no longer "the saddest in Europe," but it could have been done MUCH better
Those who read TFC often have gotten to know me, I don't worry much about sweetening my reviews, I like to be [...]
MXP
Recommended by TFC
Those who read TFC often have gotten to know me; I don't worry much about sweetening my reviews, I like to be 100% honest when I travel at my own expense. On lounges then I am particularly critical because they have become over the years a key part of the trip and for me are an important environment to work in and not just have a drink.
On TFC I have reviewed more than 100 of them and many of the ones I visited in 2023 I have not yet published, Today for the first time I am posting a new review of a lounge that has already been reviewed and the reason is simple: it was renovated and recently reopened.
Location
The lounge remained where it was, or in the pier dedicated to Schengen travel, impossible to miss since it is at the end of the bridge connecting the main terminal and the body housing the gates.
Access
The methods of access have also remained unchanged, you get in if you travel premium with a number of companies that have agreements with SEA, which is the management company of Milan's airports, and with cards such as Priority Pass and LoungeKey
Renovated interior
The hall has been closed more than two months, generating much discontent among travelers who found themselves without a lounge accessible via priority pass from April to mid-June, other airport lounges were in fact either inaccessible or located in the non-Schengen zone.
Of course one could have chosen an off-season period to do this work, but in any case one would have displeased someone anyway. The style is that of the lounge at Linate, but the result is not as pleasant and functional as Leonardo Hall.
Furniture aside, the biggest and best news is the brightness of the lounge.
In the redesign, a way was found to illuminate the hall with, even, natural light. Of course, huge windows were not opened on the runway, but more simply reclaimed openings in the ceiling that let in a little bit of outside light, little is still better than nothing.
The impression, however, is that in the rush to open since the closure lasted longer than expected, we have forgotten the logic behind the sessions. It almost seems as if, once the masonry and lighting work was completed, it was decided to place the seats at random, without a rational reason.
Even some design choices that are pleasing to the eye are, in my opinion, not very functional in terms of space "stolen" from possible seating. What is missing is a logical order, an arrangement of a bar area, where you can eat, with comfortable tables. One more oriented toward relaxation, it is a huge open space, there are no elements that divide the space creating less noisy areas.
In a lounge, one looks for convenient and easy-to-use amenities, such as trivial power outlets, perhaps plugged directly into the seats, tables that offer wireless charging, phonebooths where one can isolate oneself from the chaos to make a call without being disturbed. There is none of that in this lounge.
Completely renovated the buffet area, but it is the service that matters, and at the catering level, no changes have been made, sure we are on a terminal dedicated to short- and medium-haul flights, but a pinch more offerings would not hurt.
In conclusion
A nice putty and wig operation, but essential things are missing especially in an open space lounge like this. The dining area is nice, the rest is very sloppy, and the middle seats lack power outlets.
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