Is Muscat Home to the World’s Best Priority Pass Lounge? Inside the Primeclass Lounge

My husband has begun hinting that we might not need airport lounge access — that we just aren’t getting that much out of our Priority Pass membership. Our February 2025 visit to Primeclass Lounge in Muscat, Oman, had me grinning ear to ear, saying, “See, this is why we have Priority Pass.”

Is this lounge one of the best in the world for those with Priority Pass access? I’ll detail my visit to Primeclass Lounge, from entry to dining options to the abundant amenities, including private suites that provide a hotel-like experience.

Primeclass Lounge Location

Primeclass Lounge at Muscat International Airport (MCT) is airside on the fifth floor. My family transferred from an Oman Air international flight, passed through a security screening, and followed the signs up the escalators to the hotel and airline lounges.

We took the nearest elevator up 1 level to the fifth floor, where the Aerotel, Oman Air Lounge, and Primeclass Lounge are located.

The lounge was easily identified from the rotunda and looked classy from the exterior entrance.

Gaining Entry to Primeclass Lounge

My family accessed the lounge using the complimentary Priority Pass membership from my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Other lounge network partners include DragonPass, DreamFolks, LoungeMe, Lounge Pass, LoungeKey, ON·PASS, and TAV Passport.

Bank partners include American Express, Bank Muscat, Dhofar Islamic | Bank Dhofar, Diners Club International, Omantel, and Visa.

Airline partners include Cham Wings Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Egyptair, Emirates, Ethiopian, Etihad, flydubai, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines.

Day rates are OMR 25 ($65) per person for 3 hours of usage, and kids 2 and under are free of charge.

First Impressions

The lobby gave a great first impression. It was spacious and had unique large-scale art hanging on the wall. I’m a big fan of Arabesque patterns, seen in the floor tile design and overhead in the lighting panels. An empty circular room on the right was wrapped in Mandarin Oriental, Muscat, advertising (the property opened in June 2024).

Seating

The lounge stretches lengthwise along the terminal’s windows. After entering from the check-in area, you immediately pass the buffet before reaching the first of several seating areas. This bright, spacious space leans on traditional Omani designs, with decorative arches and wall panels.

A piano was flanked by 2 curved banquettes. The rest of the space primarily had club chairs separated by small tables.

The tables between the club chairs had universal outlets and USB-A and USB-C ports for charging (just remember to turn the outlet on using the top switch).

Pairs of large armchairs, oversized lamps, and small tables were positioned along the windows. During our evening visit, the bright sun was setting, and the shades were rolled down, but it was clear that there wasn’t much of a view from the windows.

The lamp designs were truly unique and provided a classic, authentic touch to an otherwise modern space.

The area closest to the buffet had dining tables set for 3 people each and a long work table.

If you were to turn right after the buffet and follow the length of the lounge further to the right past the spa and private suites (more on those later!), you’d come across another sitting area appropriate for larger groups.

This area also had 3 semi-partitioned massage chairs.

At the rear of this space was the “relaxing zone,” where several loungers and a small loveseat rested near a TV. This space was fully lit and probably could have used a dimmer atmosphere.

I saw photos online of a majlis-style seating area, but I could not locate this space during my visit and am unsure if it is still available.

Food and Beverages

When entering the lounge, you first pass a long bar (with only a handful of barstools). Behind the blue glass partition on the left of the photo below is the start of the buffet.

My visit was during dinnertime. The evening buffet had various cut and whole fruits alongside cold cuts and slices of cheese.

Next was a salad bar with finger sandwiches, salad options, and Middle Eastern meze such as fattoush, hummus, labneh, mutabal (baba ghanouj), and tabouli.

This led to several hot dishes, including beef kofta, chicken thigh with curry sauce, and pasta.

Tandoori fish, biryani, and vegetables were also offered.

This area also had a live cooking station that was not in operation but looked like it might be a made-to-order pasta station.

On the opposite side of the buffet were vegetable samosas (more like Middle Eastern sambusas than Indian samosas) and spring rolls.

The dessert section was a bit underwhelming, with a few small cakes and cups of chocolate mousse.

A highlight here was umm ali, an Egyptian-style bread pudding.

Traditional Omani coffee and dates were at the end of the dessert section.

To my surprise, the lounge had 2 secondary buffets set up in other parts of the lounge. One was amid the seating to the left when you entered the lounge. It had a coffee maker with a smaller selection of fruit, desserts, salad, and hot dishes.

This buffet was closest to the kids’ area. It had chicken nuggets, fries, and boxes of flavored milk, sodas, water, and juices in the cooler.

Another secondary buffet was past the spa at the opposite end of the lounge.

Behind this buffet was a second staffed bar (this one had more barstools).

Amenities

Kids Area

A large play area for kids with wall-mounted games, big blocks, and child-size tables was an offshoot of the largest seating area near the secondary buffet. I often find that these rooms never have a working TV, but this one was playing “The Smurfs.”

The airport’s website also mentions that this lounge has family rooms, but I didn’t see any designated as such.

Gaming Equipment

At the far left of the lounge were foosball and billiard tables. According to pictures from previous reviews, the area behind the red barricades used to be a vibrant soccer-themed gaming room with loungers and a wall of screens. It was unclear if this space was being renovated or was just closed.

Cinema

The entrance to the cinema was next to the barricaded space. At the time of my visit, no entertainment was being shown.

A note next to the seats indicated that headphones were available from reception.

Spa

The spa was to the right after the buffet. It offers a variety of massages and nail treatments starting at OMR 10 ($26).

Smoking Room

Across from the spa was a smoking room with chairs and side tables. When I walked past, no one was actively smoking, and there was no lingering smoke odor.

Private Suites

After the spa and smoking room, I passed what I thought were reservable meeting rooms, only to realize they were private suites. Based on availability, these are essentially complimentary hotel rooms with an en suite bathroom and shower.

Hot Tip:

The Primeclass Lounge’s private suites are a game changer if you need a place to rest during a long layover. These complimentary hotel-style rooms with an en suite bathroom and shower offer a level of comfort rarely found in Priority Pass lounges.

Meeting Room

A meeting room with seating for 10 and a TV was available for booking.

Restroom

I appreciated that the lounge had multiple restrooms dispersed throughout, though they were not all as snazzy as the one I took pictures of below. I liked the tile detail and vessel sinks.

The female stalls in this bathroom had fully closing floor-to-ceiling doors and a bidet wand.

Showers

The showers nearest the previously shown bathroom were locked, but I could access one on the spa side. I did not notice where to locate towels or additional bath amenities, but I wouldn’t have had any issue finding a staff member to ask.

Nursing Area

A nursing room with a lockable door offered a chair, pillow, and changing space. With a lounge full of comfortable chairs, this is not the most nursing-friendly chair they could have included.

Prayer Room

A female prayer room with a wudu station (for ritual washing in preparation for prayer) was near the female restrooms in the main area.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi speeds were perfectly adequate at 13.1 Mbps download and 46.7 Mbps upload. I stayed connected throughout my visit, and my kids could easily connect their devices.

Signs throughout the lounge touted a QR code for a library, which was access to the PressReader website. This website offers a variety of digital newspapers, magazines, and books in multiple languages.

Luggage Storage

At the front of the lounge, near the check-in desk, were clear storage lockers of varying sizes. These lockers could be locked and unlocked with a digital keypad.

Staff and Service

Food and beverages were consistently stocked and fresh throughout my 2-hour visit. Dirty dishes and trash lingered a bit in our seating area but were discreetly collected. The staffing level felt appropriate for the size of the space and how occupied it was.

Final Thoughts

Primeclass Lounge in Muscat was a transit lounge experience for me — I never left the airport — but I felt the soul of where I was, from the design elements to the cuisine.

Is it the world’s best Priority Pass lounge? I’ve visited dozens of international Priority Pass lounge locations in the last 5 years, and it certainly ranks toward the top of my list. Spacious, comfortable, amenities aplenty … everything you need for a great experience. But the lounge isn’t perfect. The gaming area was closed, the views across the apron were obstructed, and the spa wasn’t complimentary. Elements from other top-tier lounges, such as a business center and restaurant-quality à la carte dining, are also not offered.

Ultimately, my visit was everything I’d expect from a Priority Pass lounge and much more. When you think of what an airport lounge embodies — an exclusive space to relax, recharge, and refuel — Primeclass Lounge in Muscat exceeded my expectations.