Posted by Madrid airport can seem a bit daunting to navigate as a first-time visitor — especially if you are making a connecting flight between different terminals. Luckily, heavy signposting around the airport should guide you in the right direction — it certainly helped us on our last visit to this airport last month. What makes transiting through Madrid airport particularly good, however, is its range of pre-departure lounges on offer.
Hidden among the duty free section in terminal 4S is the Iberia Velázquez Premium Lounge — we stopped here before making our next connecting flight. Read on to find out our thoughts on this Oneworld member lounge.
Ratings Rundown
| Seating | 8/10 |
| Food and Drink | 8/10 |
| Facilities | 8/10 |
| Ambiance | 8/10 |
| Service | 6/10 |
| Overall % | 76% |
Seating
The lounge is super spacious and was fairly empty when we visited, meaning there was plenty of space to sit. The seating varies from dining sets, coffee tables, sofas and arm chairs — so lots of options to choose from. The seating is in good condition and well-maintained, which is surprising given many of the seats are made of fabric.
The nice thing about the dining sets in this lounge is that there are usually power sockets by the table, unlike in other lounges.
Seating rating: 8/10
Food and Drink
The food in this lounge is served buffet-style from two main cafeteria areas (both serving the same thing, just on different sides of the lounge). We arrived during breakfast, so there was a choice of cold options (yogurt, fruit etc.) and also hot items (bacon, eggs, tomatoes etc.) available. The food looked good, but there was nothing particularly stand-out on offer.
There is a wide selection of drinks in this lounge, with drink stations dotted around which are equipped with Lavazza coffee machines and fully stocked fridges. There is also some fresh juice near the food counters — the pineapple juice was particularly tasty.
Interestingly, there is a dining area/restaurant hidden towards the back of the lounge but when we visited it was dark and didn’t look like anyone was serving here.
Food and drink rating: 8/10
Facilities
The lounge has a good range of facilities available including showers, a resting/sleeping area and a play area for children — there are also digital newspapers on offer.
Facilities rating: 8/10
Ambiance
The lounge is bright and vibrant, with the iconic Iberia red a statement color featured throughout the lounge. There are also large windows that provide loads of natural light, creating a roomy, spacious and lively space. While the vibrancy of the lounge is very different to what you might expect in more low-key and minimalist luxury lounges, we quite enjoyed the atmosphere — it certainly wakes you up ready for a morning flight.
Ambiance rating: 8/10
Service
Since we did not get to try the restaurant, there was limited opportunity to really experience any sort of service. The staff at the lounge check-in desk were very friendly though.
Service rating: 6/10
Summary
Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience in the Iberia Velázquez Premium Lounge — it is a super open and roomy space, with a bright and lively ambiance. While it may not fit the ideal of luxury for some travelers, it is a pleasant lounge that we look forward to returning to.
Luxury Jetsetter 
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