Lounge Shower Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge, FRA Z Concourse

i’m not going to lie — i was excited about seeing the new lounge since, well, it’s new(ish) and we didn’t get a chance during last year’s Star Alliance MegaDO.

i was, however, disappointed in the showers. they reminded me of some Ibis hotels i’ve stayed at. the curvy interior looks fancy but underneath the style is a very basic product.

ease of access and location: i thought this time i’d be adventurous and try to find the showers myself instead of asking around. of course i walk all the way to the far end of the lounge (not small) before turning around and seeing signs pointing towards the front. they’re right after the service desk on the left. sign in and you will be assigned “a cabin”. there wasn’t anyone there so i pressed the doorbell button on the desk — i’m not sure if it actually did anything (i didn’t hear a bell?) but she came after a bit. there is a wireless beeper system (like at restaurants) if there is a line.

the “cabin” is a bit hard to photograph because it’s actually a relatively small space that S-curves as you go back, hiding the toilet behind a narrow wall and the shower behind a larger one.

there is ample room, thanks to a bench, for all your stuff, and there is a folding luggage stand hung on the wall behind the door.

the goods: towel-wise, there is a hand towel hung by the sink, and a hand towel (i used on the floor) and a bath towel hung by the shower. they still had a relatively new feeling to them (i.e., somewhat plush).

zip amenities. NOTHING, not even a bottle of lotion. alls you get is a hairdryer. typical Lufthansa mounted soap and body wash/shampoo dispensers.

i wish i could write more, but umm, there’s nothing to write about. like i said, pretty bare-bones.

shower:

perhaps the only luxury here is a rainfall shower head, but unfortunately it’s placed right over the drain, so you have to literally stand on the drainage indentation (it’s one of those long and wide strips) when you use it. it’s not necessarily uncomfortable, just strange. i don’t know why they couldn’t have positioned the drain closer to the wall, but oh well. also you can’t have your cake (making it rain) and eat it (use the regular/handheld shower head at the same time) too — the controls only let you choose one or the other.

Make it rain!

there is a shelf built into the wall for your own products. the water was nice and hot with great water pressure, although it had sort of an industrial smell. i am not sure if it was the water itself, the cleaning chemicals they use, or just leftover new-construction smell, but it was faint-yet-noticeable.

cleanliness and state of facilities: certainly no complaints. seeing as how this entire lounge is less than a year old, everything is still in great shape and looked clean.

overall rating: 3 out of 5. i want to say this is subpar for what i would expect for a large airline in a new hub lounge, but i’m trying to rein in my lofty Lufty expectations. the rainfall shower head was a nice change from the norm, but execution was poor with it being right over the drain. what really killed it, though, was the lack of amenities. i didn’t see any indication you could even request a toothbrush or lotion or a razor. i suppose that may be a way to get people in and out faster, and i guess it could have been worse — at least the lounge itself is decent.

honestly, it’s not a bad shower — it’s largish, gets the job done, and it looks nice. there’s just nothing special about it. as long as you manage your expectations, it’s all good.