Review: the Sala Lounge Cap Des Falco at Ibiza airport

This is my review of the Sala Lounge Cap Des Falco at Ibiza Airport.

It followed my review trip to the Gran Hotel Montesol in Ibiza (Hilton’s Curio Collection) which you can read here.  My next stop was to be Madrid.

If you find yourself at the airport in Ibiza in Winter, there is one sign you will see a lot:

Unfortunately the F*** Me I’m Famous Lounge (officially the “airport lounge club in conjunction with DJs Cathy and David Guetta, which includes a cocktail bar, dance floor and chill out area“) was also shut.  I made my way to the only other lounge at Ibiza airport – only to be turned away.

I entered the Sala Lounge Cap Des Falco, showed my boarding pass (business class) and asked if I could use this lounge. The lady said no as I didn’t have an Iberia Gold card and started to explain that this lounge was only for Iberia Gold card holders as the lounge was so new.  Not even BA Gold would be accepted. Ehm, ok…

After checking the website where I was reassured that a Business Class tickets WAS going to get me in, I went back to ask why she turned me away. Her explanation was that she thought I didn’t have a Gold Card and she didn’t know I was flying Business Class – telling her AND showing her my boarding pass had not convinced her?

If you don’t have the right credentials, the airport website says that you can buy a lounge pass via the Aena app for €20.10 or pay €28.70 at the counter.  Not that I would have paid this, but it would have been nice to at least be informed about this option.  You cannot get in with a Priority Pass or Lounge Club card either. (EDIT: the lounge joined Priority Pass in February 2017).

Anyway, I did get in in the end and here is what I found:

First of all the lounge was empty.  There were two people in the lounge and only two more came a bit later during my visit.

To be fair the design is quite nice and simple (and screams for red wine stains – probably the reason why there was no red wine to be found in the lounge).

Considering the size of the airport there were enough seats, however I assume that the lounge will get pretty busy once the summer party season starts.

The food selection was rather disappointing. There were two lonely bread rolls on a shelf on the counter

…. and a couple of sandwiches and salads in the fridge.

The salad was ok-ish. The coffee was good.

This was the magazine and newspaper selection with Spanish and English titles.

Conclusion

What can I say? Last time I was at Ibiza airport in winter I had three hours to kill and no lounge access.  As there was only one cafe airside open, it was a painful experience.  At least this time I didn’t have to pay for water and coffee.

Having an ‘Iberia Gold Card Only’ policy sounds almost understandable when the airport gets busy during summer.  The failure to accept any sort of British Airways card, even when flying on BA, is more likely down to BA’s refusal to pay – or I just wasn’t lucky with the person working in the lounge that day.

From the outside you get the impression of a classy lounge with decent drinks and food (hey, it’s a ‘VIP lounge’ after all).  Once you get inside the only decent things are the armchairs.

Don’t get me wrong – any lounge is probably better than no lounge at all.  However if you don’t get lounge access with your boarding pass or status, I wouldn’t recommend paying for it.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.