Bogotá's El Dorado lounges: which to choose and why

For international departures from Terminal 1 the name to remember is the El Dorado Lounge, opposite gate A8. It accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass, Diners Club, Visa Airport Companion and paid entry, and has something the others do not: a cinema, a games room and free entry to the Gold Museum exhibition. Younger children get in free, and the maximum stay is generous enough to cover a long layover.With the same card you can also enter airline lounges. The Copa Club, near gate A6, opens in time for the first morning flights and sells the day pass to those with no other entitlement. The LATAM Sala VIP, on the third floor opposite gates 34-35, has showers and stays open until late at night, but allows a shorter stay. Those flying Avianca, the home airline, have a separate offering. The Avianca Lounge International welcomes business passengers, Star Alliance Gold holders and holders of eligible American Express cards, with a hot buffet of Colombian and international cuisine, a full bar and showers; it also sells timed entry. Higher up is the Avianca Diamond International VIP, beyond passport control at the end of the corridor, reserved for those travelling in Business Insignia or holding Elite Magno or Diamond status: it has workstations, showers and a spa area. For domestic flights the airline has the Avianca Lounge Domestic. On domestic flights those with Priority Pass or DragonPass can count on The Lounge Bogotá, in Concourse D, with a children's play area and conference rooms; those departing from Terminal 2 find instead the Harmony Lounge, also open for a fee. If the aim is to sleep, it is worth looking beyond the classic lounges. Wait N Rest, near gate A13 and the Zona R food court, offers soundproofed rooms with a bed, open day and night and adjustable for light and temperature; with Priority Pass the holder and one guest get a limited time, then you pay by the hour. Sleep Oasis offers hourly cabins in the public area, before check-in: it is useful for those who arrive very early or wait for a connection without wanting to go through the checkpoints straight away.

To recap: for an international flight with Priority Pass the El Dorado Lounge is the richest in entertainment, while the Copa Club and the LATAM Sala VIP are valid alternatives depending on the time and the need for a shower. Those flying Avianca in business or with a high status stay in the airline's lounges. For domestic flights there is The Lounge Bogotá, and to really sleep, in a room with a bed, Wait N Rest.