Open 24 hours a day, the Serendib Lounge is SriLankan Airlines’ flagship facility at its hub in Bandaranaike International Airport. Named after a historical monicker for Sri Lanka, the lounge is the best at the airport by a long shot. It is dedicated for use exclusively by Business Class passengers travelling on the carrier. Other passengers with lounge access are directed to the much inferior Serenediva Lounge, instead.

Lounge Access Requirements

The Serendib Lounge welcomes Business class passengers departing or connecting on SriLankan Airlines flights only. The lounge is not a typical oneworld lounge, and as such, doesn’t follow oneworld lounge policy. This policy is similar to that maintained by the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounges in Doha and the British Airways Concorde Room in London. Passengers departing on a oneworld flight holding Sapphire or Emerald status are welcomed at the Serenediva Lounge instead.

Location

The Serendib Lounge is located on Level 1 Departures Level at Bandaranaike International Airport. If you’re departing from Colombo, clear immigration and head up one floor on the escalators. You’ll find the lounge to the right of the escalator landing. If you’re connecting in Colombo, find the Buddha statue at the terminal’s fork. Walk to the right of the statue, where you’ll find the Serendib Lounge.

Serendib Lounge

After entering through the imposing bronze double doors, I was greeted by a pair of friendly lounge agents at the reception. I provided my invitation, which I received at check-in, and was promptly invited to use the lounge. On this occasion, I received access by virtue of flying SriLankan Airlines Business Class to Singapore.

I’ll note that there is a selection of local magazines by the reception desk, alongside and interesting guest comment book on a lectern next to it. Sadly, SriLankan no longer publishes an inflight magazine.

Seating

The seating area in the Serendib Lounge is arranged in an L-shape, featuring endless rows of tan leather armchairs placed facing each other. The lounge wastes no real estate, with seats placed well next to the entrance and uncomfortably across from the reception desk. In fact, the seats are so densely packed that it would certainly feel uncomfortable and stuffy during busier hours.

Looking elsewhere, the lounge does receive a significant amount of sunlight; this is thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows covering an entire side of the room. For one, this is certainly a treat to aviation enthusiasts, considering the clear views of the various planes parked at gate and taking off and landing at the runway in the distance.

The lounge itself, however, does come across as ageing and tired. Outside the cluttered, ornate decor of the front desk and the awkward duty-free display across it, the space feels rather uninspiring and unattractive to an extent. White some columns and walls are covered with scenic photographs of Sri Lanka, others are completely devoid of decor. Furthermore, I thought of the mishmash of parquet flooring, brown walls, red carpeting, and tan armchairs, to be, err, an acquired taste.

Despite the undoubtedly outdated interior of the lounge, the space remains well-maintained and adequate for short stays. Regardless, I do find the rarity of power outlets to be a regrettable omission on the part of the lounge, especially considering the significance of personal electronic devices at this time and age.

Dining

Occupying a small section in the centre of the lounge is the dedicated dining area, featuring about a dozen dining tables seating between two to four. The dining tables are complemented by a sizeable buffet spread and a tended bar, which I found to be quite nice.

Much like the main lounge area, the seats and tables are tightly arranged close to each other. This certainly would make the space feel very stuffy were the lounge to be a lot more crowded. Disregarding the cluttered decor and dense arrangement, the seating works well both for dining as well as substituting for work desks.

Bar

The Serendib Lounge features a tended bar, featuring a range of complimentary alcoholic drinks. Located across the buffet spread in the dining area, the bar has a good selection of wines, spirits, and beer. Most impressive was the provision of Champagne – a rare sight in many Business Class lounges. During my visit, Champagne Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut was on offer – the same served on board in Business Class!

Food

The lounge’s sizeable food spread is located at the back of the dining area, composed of a large, self-service buffet. Spread between two sections, the dining options include a variety of hot and cold food. In particular, the dishes on offer feature a nice variety of Sri Lankan, Indian, and Western dishes. These dishes are basically the same as those you’d see in the Serenediva Lounge, although with more options. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Drinks

In addition to the alcoholic drinks available at the bar, a range of hot and cold soft drinks were also available. In particular, there were a pair of coffee machines and a nice tea selection from Jaf Tea, in addition to bottled water and a choice of fruit juices. Furthermore, tonic water, soda water, Coca-Cola, ginger ale, and milk were also available in the chillers behind the bar counter.

Quiet area

Running parallel to the dining area is the Quiet Zone, which is a small relaxation space and napping area. Featuring six recliner chairs, each equipped with a personal reading light, the space is separated from the rest from the lounge with a glass wall. While the blue lighting and glass wall makes it difficult to nap, it remains a nice amenity for longer layovers, nevertheless.

Toilet

A gender-segregated restroom is available at the far end of the seating area, close to the dining spread. Bright and soaked in sunlight, the facility is both clean and dry, all of which I appreciate. A few toilet rooms are available within, each equipped with a handheld bidet as is common in the region.

Shower

A pair of showers are also available at the Serendib Lounge, located within the precinct of the toilet. Each room is equipped with an ensuite toilet and sink, in addition to the shower stall. Like the restroom itself, the shower is clean and well-maintained, despite the questionable choice of wall cladding.

WiFi

The Serendib Lounge features WiFi internet connectivity, separate from the WiFi network at the terminal, with adequate internet speeds. Furthermore, internet access can also be had through the computers provided next to the reception desk.

Overall

Despite its outdated feel, I found the Serendib Lounge to be an adequate facility for short layovers in Colombo. For one, the lounge has all the frills and amenities you’d need, including comfortable seating, decent food, and clean shower facilities. While I wouldn’t consider the offering to be amazing by any means, it seems like a fitting facility for the ageing Terminal 1. While it is leagues ahead of the miserable Serenediva Lounge, I still wouldn’t recommend spending more time here than you need to.

Read more from this trip here!