Review: Huge KLM Crown Lounge 52 Amsterdam (Non-Schengen)

Background:

I had a Delta One ticket from Amsterdam (AMS) to New York (JFK), and with that flight, I was able to visit the KLM Crown Lounge 52 on the Non-Schengen side of the airport. I was excited to visit the lounge as I had never been to a KLM Lounge before.

Location and Access:

The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is located past security in the Non-Schengen area of the Main Terminal. It is in Lounge 3, between Piers E and F. You’ll see clearly marked signs for “Lounge 52” across the airport. My Delta flight was leaving from Pier E, so it wasn’t too far away. The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is open daily from 04:45 AM to 10:00 PM.

Access is complimentary with same-day travel on a KLM-operated flight or an international SkyTeam-operated flight for

• Business Class passengers;
• Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members plus one guest
• SkyTeam Elite Plus members plus one guest.

If you’re not one of the above, you can also buy a pass for EUR 65.

My Visit:

I entered the lounge at around 9am on a Monday morning, and from the terminal, escalators will whisk you up to the lounge. I loved the iconic KLM Blue Delft Houses displayed. You can also find the houses decorated across the lounge, and they are just too cute! I hope to fly KLM in business class one day so I can have a blue house of my own.

The main level was pretty packed. The lounge is huge, and so I spent a good amount of time trying to walk through all the parts of the lounge. With the 2019 updates, the lounge now covers an area of 6,800 square meters (73,000 square feet) with about 1,000 seats, plus 200 in the Blue Restaurant and Bar.

Next, I noticed that lockers were also available, and I really wish more lounges had this. Rather than lug around my carry-on for the morning, I simply stored them. They are really easy to operate from a touch screen where you are given a map of the available lockers, then you set a PIN code for it.

Food:

The lounge is split over two floors, with the main floor being divided across the “City” where you can eat and drink. There is a buffet with some options like fruit, cold cuts, meat, bread and pastries. It operates in a circle, and there is also a Heineken Themed Bar, as well as a full-service barista bar for coffee.

Next up you have the “Polder” area which contains plenty of seating for lounging around.

The coolest part of the lounge aesthetically was the Dutch Mountain, which actually resembles a mountain. It is also practical as it gradually connects the first and second floors with stairs and showcases vintage KLM artwork.

Amenities at the “Sea”

On my way to the Sea, I passed a room that contained 2 pods for Virtual Reality which seemed cool.

Also, the lounge offers sleep cabins that can be reserved. For 3 hours, it would be EUR 49.50 or 12,400 Miles and for 5 hours it would be EUR 75 or 18,800 Miles. They feature a queen-sized bed, a personal sink and a 33-inch TV.

Shower rooms were available in the lounge, and there was a kiosk that you could go to in order to make a reservation. The kiosk didn’t work for me, so I talked to an attendant that was taking sleep cabin reservations and she helped get me a slot immediately.

I was assigned Shower Room 1 and was a bit surprised that it did not have a toilet. All the other shower rooms I have been to at lounges normally have a toilet as well as a sink or shower. Nonetheless, it is nice to have a shower room to freshen up. Soaps were provided by Rituals, and the room also comes with a toothbrush kit, shower cap and comb.

Top Floor: Blue Bar and Blue Restaurant

On the top floor, you have the Blue Bar and Blue Restaurant. Currently, the Blue Bar is open and has a menu with both complimentary and paid options. They serve alcohol, coffee and light bites. Bites range from a KLM House dessert to a Charcuterie Board and they range from EUR 9 to EUR 17 (or 2,250 miles to 4,250 miles). I saw a decent selection of complimentary wines, but paid alcohol options are around the EUR 7 to EUR 15 range.

They had a smaller pastry buffet up here, so I grabbed a croissant and decided to lounge across the hall where the Blue Restaurant used to be. The Blue Restaurant sadly closed during the pandemic, but during peak hours (7am to 4pm) you can use the area for seating. This area was quite empty, so I decided to spend most of my time here during my visit. There were restrooms up here, as well as on the main floor too.

Additionally, there is also an outdoor patio in both the Blue Bar and Blue Restaurant areas. Unfortunately, both of them were closed during my visit.

The Verdict:

Overall, I truly enjoyed my visit to the KLM Crown Lounge 52 at the Amsterdam Airport before my flight back to New York. The plentiful amounts of seating and amenities offered were high points, while I do feel the complimentary food options could have been more extensive. Perhaps I should try visiting during lunch or dinner to see how those meals compare.

Have you visited the KLM Crown Lounge 52 at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport? 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!