Review Plaza Mayor lounge at Madrid airport terminal 4. Nice view, but too small

Madrid airport's T4 is the home of Iberia, here starts the airlift to Barcelona and all other intra-EU flights, here is the Premium Lounge Dali of the Spanish carrier and not much else such as precisely this independent lounge operated like many other lounges in Spain by AENA.

Access

This lounge serves all premium passengers from the major airlines operating at this airport and terminal.

Access is also gained by presenting a Priority Pass card, paper that can be obtained gratuitously included in the monthly fee of the American Express Platinum. In this case thanks to the Prestige card you will be entitled to unlimited admissions for two people. Even the paper Amex Gold among the benefits has the priority pass, but it is the basic version and includes only two annual accesses.

Location

It is located on the business floor, the same as the gates, go down the escalator past security and follow the signs, it is right after McDonalds.

The lounge

Conceptually is very similar to that of Barcelona, the difference is the size is too small for an airport like Madrid, indeed Is even smaller than the lounge in Barcelona, but there are 4 others there No.

The advantage is that it overlooks the outside. Too bad the view is only partially of the runway and almost entirely of the back of the terminal.

The windows, however, let in a lot of light, and that to me is a difference-maker in terms of the lounge.

Opposite the glass wall is the buffet area, paradoxically disproportionate to the rest of the lounge. In between various types of seating, but size forces queuing at the entrance and quota access, and I visited the lounge on a Monday afternoon in early May that was not in peak season.

Various types of seating, an area with work tables and little more is all that this lounge offers.

However, there is one thing that has practically disappeared in Italy, and that is the newsstand with lots of newspapers offered to guests.

Food & Beverage

As mentioned, the size of the buffet area is much more generous than what would be logical to expect given the size of the rest. So much occupied space that however does not necessarily mean a gargantuan buffet like King Charles III's wedding banquet.

There is an offering of cold cuts, cheeses, a vastness of different types of bread, but there is nothing hot. There is a refrigerated display case with few things and messy.

Then there is the alcohol corner, which is very generous, both in terms of wines and more challenging drinks. To better manage alcohol there is a savory buffet, which is really generous.

Finally, there is a quadruple display case with drinks and some  ready-made sandwiches. Everything here is very neat and stocked, a contrast to the rest of the offerings.

In conclusion

If in Barcelona, the lounges are spatial, the situation here is decidedly inferior. Small and crowded with far less of a proposal than would be logical to expect. The alternative is the official Iberia lounge., but to enter you need OneWorld status or a business class ticket with the Spanish airline

• Priority Pass