Lounge Review: Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife

Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife is the only airport lounge at Tenerife South Airport. It is located one level above the gates, but as the airport is rather small, you won’t have to walk for too long anyway. The Sala VIP Montana Roja itself is okay for spending some time prior departure, but as most Spanish lounges, it also leaves a lot to be desired.
Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife is a real melting pot when it comes to the composition of passengers. While you mostly see business travelers in other airport lounges, at Sala VIP Montana Roja there are only a few people which seem to travel for business mainly.

It’s not really worth paying extra to access Sala VIP Roja Tenerife
Most people entering the lounge either pay cash or use PriorityPass. As far as I could see, we were among the only people which entered the lounge through our frequent flyer card.
As there are not many Business Class seats in airplanes starting at Tenerife South, there are also not many premium passengers in the Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife.
Seating in the Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife
When entering the lounge, you may have high hopes of a very bright and airy lounge, but the large window front actually makes only parts of the lounge bright.

The main area of the lounge comes with several armchairs
There are three parts of which one is located next to the buffet that is a very dark area, one next to the lobby where at least the window seats are in a nice setting and a third portioned off area which was closed during our stay in the lounge.

There’s also a dining area next to the buffet

There’s also a third area, which was closed when we were in the lounge
It seems that this part is only opened when there are a lot of guests. The seating itself is rather worn out and the design is definitely anything but modern.

The view is most likely the best thing about the lounge
The chairs next to the buffet feel really cheap, while the armchairs (all facing each other which makes it somewhat bothersome) look like they are several years old.
Buffet in the Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife
The buffet of Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife again is typical for Spanish lounges. Like in all airport lounges I’ve been so far, there were mainly packaged snacks.

Snacks at the buffet
These include noodles, salads and some kinds of tapas (all cold). There were also several yoghurts and puddings in a fridge.

Cookies and other sweet items
Moreover, there were some fruits to be found next to some cookies and croissants which didn’t look especially tasty. Last but not least, there was some toast and also a few chocolate and muesli bars.
The drink selection was okay, but the alcohol didn’t exactly look very expensive. However, I don’t really care about alcohol in lounges, so that’s okay for me.
Entertainment in the Sala VIP Montana Roja Tenerife
There was a decent choice of different entertainment options in the Sala VIP Montana Roja. These included two computers in a dark corner of the lounge, televisions, a few newspapers and several magazines. While this may sound quite good, it actually wasn’t.

The choice of newspapers and magazines is average at best
The computers were ancient, the television from the 20th century and the choice of newspapers and magazines was limited to Spanish editions. In a lounge with mostly international passengers, this is truly disappointing.
Bottom line Sala VIP Montana Roja
I don’t expect a lot when spending time in a Spanish airport lounge. The Sala VIP Montana Roja is a very good example for my low expectations. While the view was truly nice, the seating was worn out and looked rather cheap. The buffet had a decent choice for a European lounge, but was really no highlight when it comes to quality or taste.

There’s also a business area with very old computers
The entertainment choice may be just fine for Spanish speakers, but for everyone else, it was just rather non-existent. If you have lounge access on Tenerife anyway, you may spend some time at the Sala VIP Montana Roja, but if you have to pay for access, I can just advice you to better save the money!
Curious what the world of lounges has to offer in comparison?
Good advice
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Thanks 🙂
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How is the rest of the airport?
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Hey Anisha, the airport is fairly okay. Nothing spectacular, but totally fine for a relaxed departure after holidays. We’ll also release an airport guide in a few weeks, so stay tuned for this one 🙂
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