This post continues the series of posts on the flights, lounges, safaris, and hotels from the trip to Kenya in May 2022. I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) after a relaxing flight from Atlanta, Georgia. Check out the previous post for a look at the stylish Delta One suite, a business class seat with a door.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, a Delta SkyTeam partner, would provide my ride to Nairobi. But I had a couple of hours to kill at Schiphol before that flight. KLM’s Crown Lounge 52 was the ideal place.
Long time readers know I’ve reviewed this lounge previously. Those posts are here and here and tell the story of this lounge in detail. This lounge replaces and surpasses the former KLM lounge that was hopelessly overcrowded and becoming outdated. It can accommodate 1,500 customers and has everything you could ask for in a business class lounge and more.
First, some basics. KLM Crown Room 52 is the lounge for non-Schengen flights (destinations outside the EU). It is located on the main pedestrian walkway, Holland Boulevard, between Concourses E and F.
Every passenger on a KLM flight or an international flight operated by a SkyTeam airline has access. Business class passengers, Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers and one guest can visit for free. Others must pay €65 (about $68 at today’s exchange rate). Flying Blue Silver and Explorer members get a slight discount. In part due to the liberal access policy, this lounge has always been crowded when I’ve visited.
Lounge features include:
- WiFi access,
- showers,
- lockers,
- sleep cabins,
- a quiet area,
- work areas,
- an entertainment area,
- an outside terrace (sky deck),
- and a large buffet
The lounge occupies two floors.
A Michelin-starred chef is in charge of the a la carte restaurant, blue. The restaurant was closed due to Covid but should reopen soon.
Access the outside terrace from the bar on the second level.
The most impressive architectural feature is the stairway.
The stairs evoke memories of Fallingwater, a house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania in 1935.
The buffet is free. It offers a wide variety of dishes to supply accommodate just about all tastes and dietary restrictions. Click on photos to enlarge.
KLM gives customers multiple options for finding a suitable place for work or relaxation.
KLM’s Crown Lounge has one a feature that I’ve never seen in a lounge — a virtual reality room.
The booths are made by Sensiks, an Amsterdam-based company that created sensory reality pods that add wind, smell, sound effects, vibration, and heat fluctuations to virtual reality videos. The pods were not operating because of Covid. I tried them on other visits and they are worthy of the term “virtual reality.”
KLM provides 20 shower rooms for its guests. The rooms have no toilets but are more than adequate in all other respects. Having showered in Atlanta, I didn’t take time from enjoyment of the lounge to shower.
Overall Impression
KLM Crown Lounge 52 is one of the best business-class lounges going. Stunning architecture, an a la carte restaurant with a starred chef, buffet service that is much improved in quality and variety, a plethora of comfortable seating arrangements, modern workstations and worktables, ramp and runway views, and a hip Sensiks virtual reality room elevate what used to be a hopelessly overcrowded and outdated lounge to the top of the class.
Belated best wishes for Father’s Day and Juneteenth and happy first day of summer for readers in the northern hemisphere and first day of winter for people in the southern hemisphere.
On a nonstop biz KLM flight from USA, arriving early AM, am I allowed access to KLM lounge on arrival to freshen up? Nice post, btw.
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As a business class passenger you can definitely enter KLM Crown Lounge 52 if you are connecting to another flight after arriving from the US. If AMS is your final destination, I think you will have to go through customs and immigration after disembarking without entering general concourse area. Thanks for reading the post. Let me know if you have other questions.
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How inviting. Every detail. 🌹
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Glad you found the post interesting. This lounge makes layovers a pleasure.
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A lovely peak inside the KLM Crown Lounge, John. The stairway is amazing and the gin filled canal houses are a lovely gift. The lounge is beautifully designed with such great attention to detail, comfort and a cozy vibe. I find it fascinating that you can eat a Michelin-star chef prepared meal.
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Hi Leighton! It is fascinating that blue is overseen by the chef who runs the Michelin-star restaurant in the Rijksmuseum. I’ll have to splurge and try the cuisine at blue one day. Thank you for commenting.
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wow looks very impressive! Only been to a handful of lounges in my life and this one is better than all i can remember easily! The best I can remember is Emirates in Dubai (not sure which one it was 2006). The design is very modern, spacious and love that you can go outside and see the planes on the tarmac and doing their things there without a pane of glass between you and them!
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It looks amazing John. Feels like a high end hotel. Love Fallingwater!! Such an incredible design! 💖
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The lounge is like a hotel. I’ll have to try a sleep pod next time, if they are open. Hard to believe that Fallingwater was built almost 100 years ago.
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That looks like a good plan. Will look forward to your report!
Built to last and incredible architect alright. Such a cool water feature! 💖
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Building a house that resembles a waterfall over a waterfall — genius.
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ingenius is right!!! but you may never get to travel then.. lol
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This lounge is beautifully designed, it really makes taking a flight a delightful experience! Thank you for sharing, John.
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KLM did a great job with this lounge. I appreciate your reading and commenting, Blanca.
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Nice, post, John. Not being a world traveler, I (Kellye) would be walking around in awe of this amazing lounge! There’s so much to see and do there, it would be hard to leave. But if Kenya was on my agenda, I would definitely leave. Love those little houses filled with gin! Thank you for sharing.
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Sometimes it is hard to leave a nice lounge when I’m flying in coach. The canal houses are a great idea and one of the best things about KLM. There is a large community that buys and trades them.
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What a wonderful collectible!
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All other things close to equal, I’d choose a KLM flight to add to my canal house collection.😊
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Looks like a great place to hang before a flight! Also in your first picture with the escalator, those poles around the entrance to the escalator drive me nuts. I feel like they were everywhere in Paris/London. I know they have a purpose, but I didn’t like it haha
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You have sharp eyes.😄 Poles are a bit of a pain. They want to keep carts of the escalators. (Maybe a sign could work instead.) I wouldn’t mind being annoyed in Paris or London. 😃
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Haha you know life is good if you’re in Paris/London and the biggest annoyance is those poles! Luckily we only travel with carryons so those poles weren’t a problem. Although I forgot about the UK liquid rule and that really humbled me throwing away half my toiletries.
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I’ve had problems with security at Heathrow. Once my whole suitcase was dumped out on a table in front of everyone. Talk about an invasion of privacy. I avoid connections at LHR and haven’t visited England in years.
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That basically happened to me. I didn’t realize how strict they were and every nook and cranny was searched. They count contacts as liquids so I had to make the choice of seeing or keeping my lotions.
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Yikes! I bet you were very relieved to get onboard and enjoy the Delta One Suite.
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I remember the lounge as it used to be a few years ago. The current improvements look impressive by comparison.
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You can appreciate the difference. The old lounge was okay. It just got to be too crowded. The first time I saw the new lounge I was shocked. Well done KLM!
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Very interesting dear.
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Wow! Interesting post, as always. Thank’s for share, John.
I love the little houses! Looks so nice, cozy and food delicious.
Have a wonderful day!
Elvira
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The miniature canal houses are faithful reproductions of actual houses in Amsterdam. I have several but am saving the Bols gin for some unspecified special occasion.😊 Thanks for reading Elvira. Happy first day of summer.
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Wow! They must be beautiful!
You do well to sabe the gin for a special occasion. So You Will enjoy it more. 🙂 A pleasure visit your blog. Always learn something. Thank’s, John.
I went to Amsterdam when I was like eleven years… Almost yesterday. LOL
Sorry for my sense of humor.
Happy first day of summer as well!
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Ha ha! If you say it was just yesterday, no argument from me. 😊
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Ha ha! Always a gentleman. Thank’s! 😊
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