LATAM VIP Lounge at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile [Review]

In April of 2022, LATAM opened its new lounge in Santiago (SCL), and while that might not seem like news, its 43,000 square feet made it the largest airport lounge in South America. During a recent flight back to California from Brazil, my wife and I had a 3-hour layover in Santiago and visited the lounge to check it out.

The lounge is divided into 3 sections, which you access depending on your elite status and the cabin you’re flying in. The Signature Lounge is the most premium section, and this sophisticated area was the part we visited.

The lounge offered abundant amenities and refreshments, and it was a great place to pass the time between flights. Here’s what we found during our visit in late July 2024.

Location

LATAM’s massive lounge is located in Terminal 2, the international terminal in Santiago (SCL). It’s on the left-hand side after immigration, near the duty-free shops. For those in transit, the lounge is on the departures floor (third floor) near California Pizza Kitchen and the duty-free shops.

To access the lounge, you’ll see frosted glass doors with the LATAM logo outside. Pass through those and take the escalators up.

From here, there was a long, wood-paneled corridor to reach the lounge’s reception desk.

At the end of the hallway, receptionists confirm eligibility for which section of the lounge you can visit and will indicate the correct entrance to follow. All sections of the lounge check in and depart through the same lobby area.

Gaining Access

There are varying eligibility rules for the lounge’s 3 sections. Combined, the 3 parts of the lounge are massive, but they share little beyond the airline name and the reception desk.

LATAM’s VIP Lounge in Santiago is open 24 hours a day, though that doesn’t include every aspect of the lounge. Only the Premium Lounge section is open around the clock. The Signature Lounge and WorldMember Lounge are open from 5 a.m. to midnight (until 1 a.m. during Daylight Savings Time).

Access is limited to 3 hours, though the lounge can make exceptions if a qualifying passenger has a long layover.

The lounge is not available to Priority Pass members. However, there are other lounge options at SCL for those with a membership, including the SkyTeam lounge in the international terminal.

Signature Lounge Access

The Signature Lounge is the most premium section and has the strictest access rules. It’s only accessible to those flying in LATAM’s business class, those with LATAM Pass Black or Black Signature status, or passengers in Delta One who also hold Delta Diamond or Platinum Medallion elite status. LATAM business class passengers cannot bring guests; qualifying Delta One passengers can bring 1 guest into the lounge.

Those with LATAM status can access the Signature Lounge when flying on LATAM or its partners and can bring 1 companion — or 1 companion plus immediate family for Black Signature elites.

Premium Lounge Access

LATAM’s Premium Lounge offers access to additional elites from more programs and those flying in premium economy. LATAM’s premium economy passengers get access but can’t bring guests, nor can guests flying in business class on LATAM’s partners.

Delta Gold Medallion elites get access (including 1 companion) when flying Delta or LATAM that same day. Those with corresponding Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status from Iberia, Japan Airlines (JAL), and Qantas also have access when flying with LATAM.

LATAM Pass Platinum members round out the list and can access the lounge with a guest when flying LATAM or its partners.

WorldMember Lounge Access

The WorldMember Lounge is accessible for those with WorldMember and WorldMember Limited cards from Santander, so long as they’re flying on LATAM flights or partner flights booked through LATAM channels.

Hot Tip:

If you want to access the Premium Lounge, paid access is also available for $80 for adults and $30 for children under 12. Children under 2 years old get complimentary access when accompanying an adult. Cash is not accepted for these payments.

First Impressions

Even if you hadn’t told us the lounge was massive before we showed up, we would’ve figured it out right away. The space felt enormous, starting from the 3 entrances at the reception desk and continuing with the high ceilings in the Signature Lounge.

The style of the lounge was an interesting contrast to what we’re used to with LATAM. Typically, LATAM’s color scheme features dark purples and reds. That theme was abundant in the numerous flights we’ve taken while living in Brazil, on our arriving flight from São Paulo, and onward flight to Los Angeles.

Instead, the lounge used a lot of black and natural tones, and we also noticed the abundance of seating — in multiple forms — right away.

Seating

The lounge had multiple styles of seating. Along a glass wall looking out of the lounge, located near the bar, there were sofas and leather armchairs, but we also noticed high-back chairs and those that reminded us of a waiting room at a doctor’s office.

Closer to the bar, there were bar stools at round tables and at the bar itself.

Near a drink station, there were solo chairs in red and black cloth with tables and lamps between them. There also were 2 rows of beige-colored chairs facing each other, found between the dining tables and the drink station.

Further beyond these 2 rows, lattice dividers separated tables and chairs in a restaurant setup, but there were additional chairs along the wall down the hallway to pass this area. All in all, there was a ton of seating in a myriad of styles.

Food and Beverage

Bar

A circular bar with a very unique lampshade occupied a central place in the lounge, and there were barstools on all sides.

The bar was beyond the buffet with restaurant-style seating, and it offered complimentary drinks like beer, wine, cocktails, and more. This was the least popular area of the lounge during our visit — a surprise to us during our evening stop.

Buffet

There’s no way anyone could go hungry at this lounge, as it had much more than your stale crackers and jar of peanuts some lounges offer.

Instead, there was a huge buffet, and the menu focused on Chilean cuisine. During our visit, dinner items were available, such as mashed potatoes, roast beef, and grilled vegetables.

There also was a large salad bar on the buffet, and finding sushi here wasn’t something we expected.

Against the wall, a charcuterie section wasn’t large but had a variety of meats and cheeses.

At the end of the buffet, we found condiments, utensils, and a bread basket.

There also was a grill for paninis and individually packaged snacks like chips and crackers. Most of these were labeled for allergens, which was a nice touch.

Nearby, we found a large cold case with finger sandwiches, fruit cups, and mini desserts like cakes and custards.

The lounge also had self-serve wine and a small freezer with ice cream.

As we’d just come off a flight with an excellent meal and knew our next flight would also have meal service, we didn’t eat much. However, the food smelled incredible and looked very fresh. Nothing seemed like it had been sitting out for multiple hours.

Drink Stations

We didn’t have to go far to find beverages, as the lounge had multiple drink stations. There was a large fridge near the buffet with beer, juice, bottled water, and Coca-Cola products.

But there was another drink station at the other end of the lounge, holding a smaller fridge with juices and sodas as well as a coffee machine that could even whip up lattes and cappuccinos.

On the counter, there were also a dozen different teas, bins for separating recyclables, and a filtered water machine.

Near the buffet, we found the lounge’s most interesting drink offering: an orange juice machine. I may have had 3 glasses of this fresh-squeezed goodness.

Amenities

Bathrooms

The lounge had restrooms that were clean and boasted a very utilitarian look that contrasted with the look of the bar and restaurant area.

Showers

Located in the same hallway as the bathrooms, showers were available for guests to use. These were complimentary.

Departure Boards

There was a huge departure board centrally located for convenience. Next to it was a terminal map to help you figure out the best route to your gate.

Meeting Room

A meeting space could be used by those needing to get some work done or even meet with colleagues on a work trip. Along with a dozen chairs, it had charging points and lamps available at each seat.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area is available for those wanting to sleep or just enjoy a quiet space. When it’s full, employees will take your name to put you on a waiting list for a spot to lie down once another guest leaves. These feature a small bed in a private room, including a pillow and blanket.

TV Room

Those wanting to watch TV could do so in a separate space near the rear of the lounge, keeping sound away from those who weren’t interested. The TV room had half a dozen chairs and outlets for charging your devices while being entertained.

Luggage Storage

The lounge had a complimentary luggage storage area, which beats hauling your stuff around or trying to keep control of it while you close your eyes in the sleeping area. This was complimentary and was locked, rather than just putting your stuff into an open area all guests can access.

Remote Work

To facilitate remote work, all sections of the lounge — not just the Signature Lounge — had desks with built-in wireless chargers.

Internet

Complimentary Wi-Fi was available through the lounge, and the connection was stable throughout our 3-hour visit.

Children’s Room

There was a small children’s play area that included games and a TV with kids-focused programming.

Ironing and Shoe Shining

Lounge staff can provide ironing and shoe shine services for guests. We didn’t inquire about these, and no one mentioned them to us. If you’re interested, inquire with an employee.

Renewable Energy

The lounge runs on 80% renewable energy, which isn’t a feature I’ve seen elsewhere

Service

When we arrived at the lounge, we got a friendly greeting and clear instructions on which section of the lounge we had access to. After this, the lounge felt very self-service. Unless we got an employee’s attention, they didn’t interact with us. We got our food and drinks, and since we didn’t have much trash or dishes to clear, no one came to our table.

However, once staff saw us taking pictures for this review, they started following us around and pointing at us while talking to each other. At one point, an employee approached my wife and gruffly asked her why she was taking pictures, implying that she was doing something wrong. Someone even tried to get in the way to block some of our pictures.

However, I will point out that the bartender was friendly when people asked for drinks.

Final Thoughts

The LATAM VIP Lounge in Santiago was massive and had a lot of amenities to offer. Whatever type of seating you like, you can find it here, and there’s enough food and entertainment to keep you occupied until departure.