Marble Bathrooms & Michelin-Starred Menus: Why Your Airport Lounge Is Suddenly So Luxe

Taking off might be the hardest part.

The world’s first airport lounge opened in New York City in 1939, in what would become LaGuardia airport. It was an American Airlines Admiral’s Club, carved out of then-mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s unused office space. Initially open only by invitation, today the lounge can be accessed by select credit card holders, premium-ticketed passengers, and anyone willing to shell out for a day pass. But the design of the LGA Admiral’s Club remains tethered to its office-space origins. This makes a certain amount of sense, as many frequent fliers travel for business. But recent years have seen a swelling interest in lounge experiences, with leisure travelers cultivating an appetite for amenities on par with their presumed destinations—far-flung resorts, spas, and five-star hotels. In a nutshell, flying commercial is entering its private jet era—and designers understand the brief.  [...]

When ELLE Decor A-List designer Jean Liu was brought on to work with PS, a luxury terminal operator that launched in 2018, to outfit their Dallas terminal, she felt she had a clear mission. “Each suite is designed as its own room, with its own color palette and personality,” says Liu. “The brief was to play up the ways Dallas sets itself apart from other major cities, its ability and love for making guests feel welcomed, and its Southern hospitality.”

To that end, walls and ceilings boast trim details, finishes, and profiles that are familiar and reminiscent of a private residence, as well as art curated by Creative Art Partners. “In the traditional airport journey, design is almost an afterthought,” says PS CEO Amina Belouizdad Porter, whose partnerships with high-profile designers—she also brought on Los Angeles-based Cliff Fong to design PS terminals in Los Angeles and Miami—are changing the game.