What visitors say about the TPE lounges — including the complaints
We sell passes to these lounges, so our opinion is worth exactly what you would expect. This page summarises what independent reviewers wrote after visiting, complaints included, with links to the originals. None of it is ours, and we have not edited out the bad parts.
Where this comes from
Three published first-hand reviews, all naming their author and their visit date:
- Keishi Nukina, KN Aviation — Oriental Club Lounge, November 2023
- Nick Kembel, Taiwan Obsessed — Oriental Club Lounge, November 2025, late-evening departure
- Shaun Robertson, This Life in Trips — Plaza Premium Lounge, Terminal 1 Zone D, mid-2024
We did not pay for any of these and we have not asked anyone to change what they wrote. Links to all three are at the bottom of the page.
Read these as snapshots, not as specifications. Each is one person, on one day, at one hour. The same lounge on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and on a holiday evening is not the same experience — and as you will see below, two reviewers two years apart described noticeably different lounges.
Oriental Club: what reviewers found
Food is the consistent strength
Both Oriental Club reviewers rated the food highly, and both singled out the same dish. Nukina praised the buffet variety and the live cooking station, where he had mushroom noodles; the spread he described included hot dishes, dim sum, a salad bar, cold appetisers and Asian desserts. Kembel picked out the local Taiwanese cooking, the beef noodles in particular, and noted that vegetarian and vegan options were available.
If food is your main reason for wanting a lounge, this is the one both reviewers pointed at.
The drinks are the recurring gripe
Nukina's main criticism was the bar: beer, but not much else in the way of alcohol. Kembel had a more specific problem — the draught Taiwan beer tap was malfunctioning during his visit and pouring mostly foam.
Showers were fully booked for both of them
This is the single most consistent finding across every review we read. Both Oriental Club reviewers found the shower slots gone. Nukina noted they were fully booked; Kembel said the same and warned that limited availability could disappoint people counting on one.
The lounge has two shower rooms. That is the entire supply for everyone inside. If a shower matters to you, register at the desk the moment you walk in — not after you have eaten.
Crowding depends entirely on when you go
Nukina arrived to a lounge that was mostly empty, and although it filled up later, he reported plenty of seats throughout. Kembel, arriving for a late-night departure, described it as severely overcrowded at peak and said he took the last available spot.
Same lounge, opposite experiences, and the difference is the hour. The late-evening departure bank is when Taoyuan lounges fill.
Going at a peak hour? Tell us your flight time when you enquire and we will say honestly whether the lounge is likely to be busy.
Ask usWhere the reviewers disagree
This is the part most summaries leave out, and it is the most useful part.
The sleeping area. Nukina, in 2023, described a dedicated sleeping area with daybeds and recommended it for longer layovers. Kembel, in 2025, said there were no reclining chairs and that the lounge was unsuitable for sleeping during a layover.
The gym. Nukina found a small gym with exercise equipment. Kembel reported it closed at the time of his visit.
Both accounts are presumably accurate for their dates. The lounge's own materials still list a sleeping area and fitness equipment. What that means practically: if you are choosing this lounge specifically to sleep or to use the gym, ask at the desk before you commit — and do not treat either as guaranteed. On the quiet side, Kembel did describe the overall atmosphere as quiet and relaxing, so the disagreement is about the furniture, not the noise.
Kembel's bottom line, despite his complaints, was that the lounge was worth the money for a budget-minded traveller wanting somewhere comfortable before a flight — while acknowledging it would not satisfy a serious lounge enthusiast.
Plaza Premium: a critical review
Robertson's review of the Terminal 1 Zone D lounge is the least flattering of the three, and worth reading precisely for that.
What he liked: the refreshed decor, the quiet compared with the terminal outside, the range of seating — armchairs, semi-private pods, communal tables — and the shower facilities, which came with towels and basic amenities.
What he did not: quite a lot. He found the pod seats either occupied or still waiting to be cleaned, and one corner uncomfortably cold. On food he was blunt: the beef noodle soup was decent but the wider menu lacklustre, and he named chicken nuggets, onion rings and Vienna sausages as evidence. The salad bar he called sparse, the desserts disappointing. Drinks were limited, with no spirits, and the coffee machine did not meet expectations.
His conclusion was that the lounge was a mixed bag and that he would not recommend paying for access, suggesting the adjacent quiet area instead.
That is one reviewer's verdict on one visit, and it is a harsher judgement than the Oriental Club received from either of its reviewers. We are including it because you should have it before you decide, not after.
The patterns worth acting on
- Food: Oriental Club, clearly. Both of its reviewers praised it; the Plaza Premium reviewer specifically did not. The made-to-order beef noodles come up in both Oriental Club reviews.
- Showers: book on arrival or forget it. Every reviewer who wanted one found the slots taken. Two rooms is the whole supply.
- Timing beats lounge choice. The gap between an empty lounge and a full one was down to the hour, not the brand. Late-evening departures are the crunch.
- Drinks are thin at both. Beer yes, spirits largely no, and one reviewer had a broken tap. If a proper drink is the point, adjust expectations.
- Facilities change. Two reviewers two years apart disagreed about a sleeping area and a gym. Confirm anything you are counting on.
What we would tell you
If food matters most: Oriental Club, and walk past the entrance area to the quieter seating further in.
If you want a shower: either lounge has them, but register at the desk on arrival. This is the one piece of advice every review supports.
If you are flying late at night: expect a crowd. Oriental Club and Plaza Premium Zone D are the only two open 24 hours, and both draw the late bank. Hot food at Oriental Club also stops at 22:30, so a very late visit means a reduced spread.
If you specifically want to sleep: ask at the desk before you rely on it, given the disagreement above.
If you are only going for a quiet seat and Wi-Fi: any of the five will do that, and you should simply pick on hours and price.
Tell us your date and party size
Single-entry lounge passes from US$20 per person. We reply with a price and a payment link. Final price confirmed when you contact us.Frequently asked questions
Are these your own reviews?
No. Every observation on this page comes from an independent reviewer who published it under their own name, and we link to all three originals. We sell passes to these lounges, so our own opinion would not be worth much to you.
Which lounge has better food?
Both Oriental Club reviewers rated its food highly and both named the beef noodles. The Plaza Premium reviewer described that lounge's wider menu as lacklustre. That is two voices against one, on different visits, so treat it as a lean rather than a verdict.
Can I count on getting a shower?
Not unless you register at the desk as soon as you arrive. Every reviewer who wanted a shower found the slots already booked. The Oriental Club has two shower rooms in total.
Is the Oriental Club good for sleeping between flights?
Reviewers disagree. A 2023 visit described a dedicated sleeping area with daybeds; a 2025 visit reported no reclining chairs and called it unsuitable for sleeping. The lounge's own materials still list a sleeping area. Ask at the desk before relying on it.
When is the lounge least crowded?
Daytime. One reviewer arrived to a nearly empty lounge in the afternoon; another found it severely overcrowded on a late-night departure. Avoid the evening departure peak and public holidays if you can choose.