Background
After landing on my EVA Air flight from New York, I had about 4 hours before my connecting flight was to depart to Seoul on Asiana. So, I headed to the EVA Air Infinity Lounge to snack, have a shower, and relax.
Access & Location
The EVA Air Infinity Lounge is one of 4 lounges EVA Air operates at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). To access the EVA Air Infinity Lounge, you need to be flying EVA Air Business Class, or Star Alliance First/Business Class. All EVA Air flights depart from Terminal 2 at TPE, and the lounges are all in the same area one level above the concourse right after security.
Current hours of operation for the Infinity Lounge are from 4:30 AM to 11:30 PM. The Infinity Lounge shares an entrance with the Star Lounge, which is for Star Alliance Gold Members. Also for Star Alliance Gold Members plus Infinity MileageLands Sliver members, the Club Lounge is available. Lastly, there is also the more exclusive Garden Lounge, which is only for the top-status EVA Air Infinity MileageLands Diamond Members.
Entering the EVA Air Infinity Lounge
Upon entering, the lounge shares a check-in desk for the Star Lounge on the left, and the Infinity Lounge on the right. Those with access to the Infinity Lounge can also visit the Star Lounge, and when the Infinity Lounge is at capacity, they recommend you to visit the Star Lounge. On my return flight, this was the case and I spent time in the Star Lounge. While the Star Lounge has more seating and a solid buffet selection, I still prefer the Infinity Lounge more as it feels more boutique and calm. The only thing I enjoyed more about the Star Lounge was that it had Haagen Dazs Green Tea Ice Cream whereas the Infinity Lounge has Movenpick (and no Green Tea!). Here’s my review of the Star Lounge if you’re interested.
Business Center & Lockers
As you enter the lounge, there is a business center to the right, as well as lockers to store your bags so you don’t have to keep an eye on them/find space for them when you’re seated in the lounge. There is also a baby-changing facility.
Lounge Seating
Continuing down, there is seating on the left, with a large row of desk-like seats along the windows overlooking the terminal, and also high-backed single sofa-style chairs.
Then you reach an area with a circular wall design with tables and seating for two. Inside the circle, there are more seats with tables, as well as cool individual pods. I parked myself at the individual pods for most of my visit. The pods had a lamp, as well as a USB and power outlet for charging.
The lounge isn’t big by any means, so it can definitely reach capacity. In terms of crowding, when I entered around 9:30 AM it was quite empty, but it got crowded all of a sudden around 10:30 AM. Then right before I was leaving at 12:30 PM it was empty again. So it seems to have waves of crowds.
Then for my return flight to SFO, when I visited around 6 PM, the lounge was very full so they recommended I use the Star Lounge instead.
Dining
The food selection at the EVA Air Infinity Lounge consists of a large self-serve buffet area. My visit was during both breakfast and lunch, so I got to see both.
During breakfast, there are dim sum options, sausage, pastries, and more. Interestingly they even had hot dogs.
For drinks, there was a fridge that included canned soft drinks and juice boxes. There was also a coffee machine, a cold and hot water dispenser, and a self-serve bar area with a selection of liquors and wines.
It wasn’t entirely a drastic difference between breakfast and lunch, but I did notice that they brought out a Braised Beef Noodle Station at lunch, a Taiwanese staple. And, they had a boba station during lunch as well.
I had a bowl of the Braised Beef Noodle Soup before leaving the lounge, and it was great!
Other buffet options included a noodle dish, cabbage, meatballs, and more. I found the food to be tasty, but the presentation was a bit lacking.
Lastly, there was a Movenpick Ice Cream freezer that had four flavors. But if you prefer Haagen Dazs (or love the Green Tea flavor like myself), I’d head over to the Star Lounge for ice cream.
Shower Rooms & Restrooms
The restrooms and shower rooms are to the right of the long hallway when you enter. There are 4 different shower rooms, which you can ask for access at the reception desk. They gave them interesting names: Metro Forest, Smile Zone, Fantasy Flow, and Star Drops.
All were available when I wanted to use a shower to freshen up after my 17-hour flight from New York, and I was handed a keycard to Metro Forest.
The Metro Forest Shower Room was quite large, with a sink, toilet, and large shower.
At the sink, there were also a variety of amenities such as slippers, a comb, a toothbrush, a shower cap, cotton swabs, tissues, and two hairdryers. The only complaint I had was that there was no hand soap at the sink, so I had to bring over the shower gel from the shower.
The water pressure was great, and there was a showerhead, wand, and three jets too. This was probably one of the best airport lounge showers I’ve used! Toiletries were provided by L’Occitane and in the shower there was shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel.
There are also bathrooms near the shower rooms, and the men’s room has numerous stalls, urinals, and sinks. It was pretty clean during the times I visited.
The Verdict
Overall, I think the EVA Air Infinity Lounge at TPE was a fine lounge to relax in before my connection. For a business class lounge on a five-star carrier, it is a bit lacking in terms of the seating/space and food presentation. But, I did find the shower rooms to be quite nice, and the food selection tasted good and had a lot of options.
Have you visited the EVA Air Infinity Lounge in Taipei (TPE) before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
