Lounge Shower Review: Star Alliance Lounge, LAX

first off, i need to say that the new Star Alliance lounge here (= the very nice new Tom Bradley International Terminal) is amazing, especially for a lounge in the US. bigger than the old one with better food (and an outdoor terrace that’s sadly closed up due to weather tonight), i had some high hopes for the showers here.

sidebar i’m not sure why, but there seem to be a lot of new employees who don’t know star alliance lounge procedures so if you know you have access to the lounge but are denied, be sure to press them on it. also, i’m overhearing lots of explaining of how things work by employees to others, so beware. i’m sure it will get better in time, but at least to me, this is one of the best lounge experiences i’ve had domestically.

ease of access and location: the lounge itself is a bit complicated to find, despite being given a map when i checked in with EVA. after you go through security, go out to the main shopping area and find the elevator near the Armani store. go to the sixth floor. the showers are located straight ahead once you enter the lounge, all the way at the end before you exit to the terrace. if there is no attendant, press the service button located on the desk to page him or her.

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The waiting area for the showers, though it appears they also have a beeper system so you can roam around the lounge while you wait.

the shower area was pretty much *crickets* when i got there around 7:30. there’s a log book and it seemed to be pretty popular during the Swiss flight that left about the time i got there.

i was placed in room number 1:

IMG_2313it is quite spacious. there are hooks with hangers as well as a small stool (not shown) to put stuff on (or sit, i suppose). i wouldn’t have minded a bit more counter space, though, for m things.

the goods: soaptopia brand liquid soap by  the sink as well as in the shower along with shampoo and conditioner. (it smells quite nice and refreshing.)

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unfortunately there are no amenities like a toothbrush kit or a comb, or even lotion. there are a hairdryer and plug available, though. what i really liked was that you have tons of towels available, in three sizes. i don’t know why, but they were ordered small, large, medium top to bottom so i ended up using a large towel on the floor instead of a medium.

shower: it’s pretty no-frills with just a single knob and shower head. (i know, right?). IMG_2317

beware, though, the handle. i thought it turned in both directions, but no. while it worked fine, i think you’re only supposed to turn it counterclockwise to turn it on, passing through the cold to the hot to select your temperature. if you go the other direction it works, but the way it felt led me to believe it’s wrong and only turned clockwise because someone forced it previously.

what i didn’t like, though, was the water pressure. there was none! then i remembered the sign i saw:

IMG_2326FINE THEN. when you put it that way, i feel like a jerk for wishing the shower was more powerful. oh well. just be mindful that it’s very low-flow, and there’s nothing you can do about it. at least the hot was hot and stayed hot.

when you’re done, just pop your used towels into the basket in the drawer under the sink. easy-peasy.

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Why yes, those are my Hello Kitty shoes for my Hello Kitty flights!

cleanliness and state of facilities: the lounge has only been open a handful of weeks so everything was still nice and new, and they seem to be doing a good job of maintaining it so far. i was very pleased to find the ventilation worked really well. at no time did it get humid or steamy in there.

overall rating: 3.5 out of 5. i want to give it a 4 so badly (if only because it’s shiny and new) but i can’t because of the lack of amenities and counter space. add in a small table (there’s ample room), a bottle of lotion, and a toothbrush kit and that half star is easily yours.

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A random last picture for y’all.

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