Virgin Australia has opened their highly anticipated new Adelaide ‘lounge of the future’, featuring a bespoke design by Brisbane’s WMK Architecture and an enhanced menu.
Today (February 23, 2021), Virgin Australia announced the grand opening of their all new ‘lounge of the future’ in Adelaide. Designed by Brisbane’s WMK Architecture, the 283-seat Virgin Australia Adelaide Lounge completes the airline’s network of seven domestic lounges. All future domestic lounge refurbishments will follow the fresh and new design thinking displayed in Adelaide. True to the Virgin Australia brand, the space creates a warm, authentic and inviting environment for frequent flyer guests. The lounge features a breeze block feature wall upon entry with canopy ceilings and ceramic tiling, leading guests into the large light-filled space, with bright greenery and Australian sustainable furniture.
In Today’s announcement, Virgin Australia’s CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said,
“We are continuing to write a new chapter at Virgin Australia and we’re incredibly focused on creating great experiences for our guests. We know our capital city lounges are highly-valued by our frequent flyers and we’re reimagining the experience in a very Virgin way. Not only is the new Adelaide Lounge the best airline lounge at Adelaide Airport, but it’s fun, relaxed, and a place that everyone will feel welcome and comfortable. We plan to make significant investment in our lounges over the next few years. The new lounge we’ve unveiled today will be the foundation for the Virgin aesthetic and experience we will roll out across the network.
“Enhancing our lounge experience is one of many changes we are making for our guests. This adds to the announcements we have already made signaling a deeper investment in technology to improve our customer experience, refreshed on-board catering to be announced soon, great bonus Points and Status match offers for our Velocity members, cheaper fares, and extended flexibility to change bookings.”
Virgin Australia’s Adelaide Lounge features a Coffee Bar by day that converts to a wine bar in the evening, as well as the Cellar Door Hub, a feature space for South Australian wineries to offer seasonal wine tastings. The lounge also includes separate dining areas with diverse functionality, which have been built adjacent to the foodservice stations, and offer large social tables as well as banquette seating for a more private dining experience.
The Lounge has distinct seating areas including The Library, The Gallery Lounge, The Sunroom and The Long Stay. The Library is a dedicated work area that features PC workstations, printing facilities, power outlets and desk lamps. Adjacent to The Library is the Gallery Lounge, which is designed for guests who want to chill-out and features lounge chairs and a large flat screen TV. The Sunroom offers an array of cozy seating arrangements, providing the perfect space to sit comfortably with a loved one, friend or colleague. The Long Stay area is closely situated near the foodservice area and is tucked away from the main entrance, providing an inviting environment with a wide variety of seating options.
Also commenting on the new Adelaide Lounge, WMK Architecture’s Director, Russell Grady, added,
“In true Virgin Australia style, we’ve really elevated the playful elements in signage, furniture and vibrant lighting features, adding pops of color and energizing moments, to enrich the lounge’s natural material palette. It’s a venue that’s delightfully Virgin and provides frequent flyers with a warm and relaxing space when they fly. The Lounge will provide travelers with an inspiring experience, conveying a sense of informality and ease; a place to pass time in true comfort and ease.”
Coinciding with the Adelaide Lounge grand opening, Virgin Australia also launched a fresh new guest menu which features a selection of sandwiches, salads, wraps and healthy snacks, all prepared onsite. The new menu will be implemented across the airline’s network of lounges in the coming weeks. A first for any Australian airline, Virgin Australia has also launched a trial of a food ordering system that offers guests end-to-end table service. Starting in Adelaide and Melbourne, guests can now order food and beverages directly to their seat or table by scanning a QR code and placing an order on their personal device. The technology not only provides a seamless table service experience, but also minimizes contact points.
Virgin Australia Lounges are now open in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth, with the seventh and final domestic lounge, scheduled to open in Perth next month.
Source: Virgin Australia