REVIEW: I visited Sri Lankan Airline’s Serenediva business class lounge at Colombo airport so you don’t have to

During my recent visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka I had the chance to visit the Serenediva lounge, Sri Lankan Airline’s business class lounge for travelers not flying business class on their own metal but gaining access through a status (in my case, that was the OneWorld Sapphire status).

While Sri Lankan Airlines does have a flagship lounge called Serendib, we got referred to the Serendiva lounge instead (I got a quick look inside the Serendib lounge and don’t think that it is much better). The Serenediva lounge is right next to the Emirates Lounge, with both a bit hidden away on another floor with minimal signage.

Serenediva Lounge sign (© Christian Bloss)

Once you turn to the right, you can see the sign for the lounge. It is a bit irritating as there is a kind of reception desk which had a bit of a queue - however, I figured out that this was for the sleeping rooms that can be booked and which are presumably independent of the Serenediva lounge.

Check-in was uncomplicated and I was able to bring my wife as a guest due to my status. Once inside, you are greeted to what might be the most depressing international lounge I have ever seen. Mind you that this is Sri Lankan Airline’s home airport! The 4 pictures below basically show you the entire lounge which is just one slightly bigger room without any windows.

The furniture seemed to be a bit of a non-matching mess and the harsh white light and marble-styled tiles did not help create any even slightly comfortable atmosphere. Additionally, it did not help that the lounge was fairly crowded, so finding a seat was difficult. Strangely, there was also a TV hanging in the lounge playing full-length movies at quite a loud volume.

Depressing atmosphere at the Serenediva Lounge (© Christian Bloss)

Let’s talk about amenities then. Besides the TV, you get a few magazines and a dedicated lounge WiFi which was fortunately reasonably fast. Additionally, there were international power plugs in a few spots (no USB ports, however).

The rest of the lounge room was filled with a small bar area and the buffet. For the bar area, it was basically self-service and at least they had a local beer in stock. You can never go wrong with that!

The food however was vile and I had a few bites of the pasta and the nuggets before deciding that it would not be worth risking the anger of my stomach.

Besides a few warm dishes, there were some cold cuts, sandwiches, fruits and cakes. On top of that, you can get tea and coffee.

Pasta with tomato sauce - Serenediva Lounge (© Christian Bloss)

Furthermore, there were some soft drinks and juices available.

Drink selection at the Serenediva Lounge (© Christian Bloss)

As the lounge was part of this larger complex where you can book a room with a bed, the restrooms that were shared with that area included some lockers and also showers. That was a welcome surprise, as the showers looked surprisingly modern and clean. Unlike the showers, however, the rest of the restroom did not look like a space you want to spend more time inside than necessary.

Overall, Sri Lankan Airline’s Serenediva lounge is a depressing and forgetful lounge that I can only recommend you visit if you want to grab a quick beer or coffee. The atmosphere is sad, the furniture drab and the entire space feels messy.

I wish I had better things to say about it and I can at least assume from my quick glance into Sri Lankan Airline’s main lounge for business class passengers (Serendib lounge) that that one is a bit better (you get windows, for example. Daylight!).

If you were considering arriving at the Colombo airport early to spend some time at the lounge, scrap those plans. You are better off enjoying something else, really anything else in that time.

Serenediva Lounge entrance sign (© Christian Bloss)