AIRPORT LOUNGES BEST PLACES

THE CLUBHOUSE, LONDON

Upper -class passengers have been known to arrive at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 3 for a flight several hours before departure just to make the most of all the facilities at the Virgin Atlantic lounge, it's hard to know where to start, there is so much on offer in the Clubhouse. The real standout is the cuisine and service. There is a waiter-service, a la carte restaurant, with an all-day menu of dishes sch as a full English breakfast. The spa offers a wide range of treatments, and now there's even a hairdressers. The lounge has a games area equipped with Sony Playstations and there is a quieter rooftop garden overlooking the runway.

KRISFLYER GOLD LOUNGE, SINGAPORE

Singapore Airlines lounge area on Level 3 at Changi Airport is designated to make the best use of the natural light, with a lovely outdoor area overlooking aquariums and tropical foliage. The designers have fone for a mix of caramel-coloured marble and timber on the walls, high ceilings, lots of glass and a sense of space. There is Wi-Fi throughout, and within the SilverKris Lounge for business passengers there is a large buffet dining area and a business centre. For first-class passengers, the Gold Lounge is designed as a more intimate space complete with fine dining, a bar and shower facilities, and it is decorated with local artworks.

THE WING, HONG KONG

As the name suggests, Cathay Pacific's The Wing takes up a whole section of Hong Kong International Airport and incorporates both the first and business lounges in a 4,500sqm haven of tranquility and luxury spread out over the sixth and seventh levels of the airport. The open-air facility, decked out in a mix of wood and granite, is flooded with light and overlooks the terminal. It includes four restaurants and an 24m bar, aptly named the Long Bar. The business area is hardly shabby, with a delicious noodle bar, but it's the First Lounge that really sets the bar high: there is fine dining in The Haven restaurent; a library area for quiet time; and the Cabanas, a spa with private cabins where you can have a bath and a quick nap before your flight. LA PREMIERE LOUNGE, PARIS

This new facility at Gaulle airport, is more like a luxury Persian Hotel than an airport lounge because the Air France crew who cater to your every need have been trained by experts fro one of Paris' most famous hotels, Hotel Plaza Athenee. The lounge is relatively small and Air France wants to keep the feel of an exclusive boutique-style hotel. You are met and escorted to the first-class lounge,where someone will take care of all those annoying check-in formalities. There is an a la carte restaurant, a bar, a work area and a spa with shower facilities. Staff are on hand to deal with every request and the finishing touch is the limo ride from the lounge to the plane where the crew greets you.

ETIHAD LOUNGES, ABU DHABI
Etihad finally has lounges befitting the airline, in the airport's newly opened Terminal 3. The Diamond First Class Lounge is 855 sqm and has space for 200 passengers. It operates a full-service, a la carte restaurant, with meals prepared in an open kitchen and a preflight dining option that allows you to go straight to sleep when you board. The lounge is stylishly kitted out with designer furniture and includes a TV area, alibrary, a computer and games room, a viewing deck over the airport, a spa treatment room and even a small cinema. Business passengers also get a new lounge and a spa treatment room with an express service for time-pressed execs. There is also a smoking room, an increasingly rare space in air travel.

PREMIUM TERMINAL, DOHA
Qatar Airways has gone an entire Premium Terminal for first and business passengers. It's open 24/7 and features a concierge meet-and-greet service, which means you don't have to endure the usual tedium of queuing at chick-in -- it's all done for you. It has separate business and first-class lounges both with fine dining. First has bedrooms, should you require a sleep before you flight. There is also an Elemis spa with shower rooms, jacuzzi, sauna and massage facilities, a nursery, games room, conference and meeting rooms with a staffed business centre, and a medical center. My only slight quibble is that you are bused to your plane rather than walking straight.
EMIRATES FIRST CLASS LOUNGE, DUBAI

To describe this as a lounge is slightly unfair. Together with the business lunge, it is in fact an entire councourse, which includes seating areas styled in Arabian, Mughal and Asian themes. Staff are everywhere, catering to your every need: whether it's to send a fax, book a meeting or install your kids in the play area. The lounge includes a spa, a business center and two conference rooms. There is also a kid's play area, but the most impressive element of the lounge is the food. Passengers have a choice of a la carte dining, various juice bars and buffet-style restaurants, with a vast range of local and international cuisine. The food here is prepared while you wait. The breakfast buffet even offers freshly prepared omelettes.

BRITISH AIRWAYS TERRACES LOUNGES, LONDON

British Airways has pulled out all the stops with its lounge complex in T5 at Heathrow Airport. The three-tiered structure, which takes ip most of the west side of the terminal and can hold up to 2,500 people, consists of three lunges: The Concorde Room, First and Club. The Concorde Room features 10 original seats from the plane in the boardroom. First has private suites which you can pre-book for a day hire, a small dining area, an Elemis spa, a cocktail bar and a viewing platform. The Club lounge is on the top floor and the views are stunning. There are three self-service dining areas, 170 workstations, three bars and small cinema. The airline also has an extensive art collection that hangs on the walls.

THE SWISS SENATOR LOUNGE, ZURICH

The SWISS Senator Lounge at Zurich airport features three lounges in one, for Business, Miles and More (its loyalty club), and one for first-class passengers. All have been finished with limestone walls and expensive deisigner fittings. The first class lounge, which has Wi-Fi thoughout, includes a library and a restaurant, as well as rooms where you can freshen up before your flight. There are also several meeting rooms and work areas. The airline also offers a limo service to the plane. But it's the super chic smoker's lounge that gets my vote. It has a Cuban-style cigar bar where you can smoke a selection of Havana cigars - all of which are sold at duty-free prices.

GULF AIR LOUNGE, MANAMA

The first class section of this stylish lounge area at Bahrain International Airport has a couple of very nice touches - a private majlis in traditional ARabic design; and the airline's on-board chefs will create a personal menu for you drawing from local or European dishes. The rest of the lounge is shared with business passengers and includes a number of rooms such as the business center complete wuth Mac computers, a family section that includes a playroom full of xboxes and shower facilities. The airline has even extended its sky nanny service from the plane to the lounge to help you entertain the kids.