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Iberia Opens Exclusive New Emerald Sorolla Lounge at Madrid Airport
Iberia has just opened its new Emerald Lounge Sorolla at Madrid-Barajas Airport, located next to the Dalí Lounge in Terminal 4.
Named after Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla, famous for his use of Mediterranean light, the lounge is designed to provide an exclusive experience with more privacy for top-tier oneworld frequent flyers, including BA Gold.
The new 800-square-metre lounge, designed by Patricia Urquiola, has space for 128 guests. It also gives some clues about Iberia’s future, including its new Business Class experience due next year when Iberia celebrates its centenary. The focus on privacy, a more personalised service and Spanish design gives some indication of where Iberia’s premium experience could be heading.
Inside, the lounge is divided into smaller areas, with individual work cubicles, open and quieter seating, private booths overlooking the concourse, plus two private rest suites on a first-come, first-served basis with single beds and desks.
Food and drink also have some special touches. A 360-degree bar inspired by Madrid’s rooftop terraces serves cocktails, wine, premium cava and champagne alongside barista-made coffee.
Food is served buffet-style and, of course, has a major Spanish influence with tapas, pastries, Mediterranean dishes and desserts. However, there is no full à la carte dining, which is perhaps the one thing missing from an otherwise impressive lounge, though the buffet food already has some great reviews.
Although Iberia doesn’t have a First cabin, it’s one of a growing number of airlines offering a first-class-style lounge for Oneworld Emerald members, alongside lounges such as the Finnair Platinum Wing. It’s good to see Iberia opening its premium lounge up to Oneworld Emerald members, unlike the BA Concorde Room and Qatar Al Safwa First Lounge.
The lounge is open daily from 5.30 AM until 11 PM and is aimed at passengers travelling on short and medium-haul flights departing from the H, J, K and M boarding areas.
should be a fantastic improvement, particularly given how busy the existing Dalí Lounge can become. The Dalí Lounge may also become a little less crowded with some passengers using the new lounge instead. Feedback has been excellent so far!
Here’s some more info on the lounge. Click the YouTube button to watch in English:
Up to 10 Virgin Points per £1 with Booking.com
Virgin Red has relaunched its bonus Booking.com offer. You can earn 10 Virgin Points per £1 spent on Booking.com on stays in the UK and Europe, up from 8 Points per £1.
The offer applies to bookings made between 8th September and 6th October for stays on any date. Stays must be in the UK or Europe, and you need to click via the ‘Earn’ section on Virgin Red and complete your booking in the same session.
This is excellent value, and I highly recommend making any bookings you need to while the offer is running. For example, if you spend £600 on Booking.com through Virgin Red, you’ll earn 6,000 Virgin Points, enough for a one-way Economy flight from London to New York plus taxes and charges.
Saver Rewards start at 29,000 Points in Upper (£2,900 Booking.com spend) and 10,500 Points in Premium (£1,050 spend), plus taxes and charges.
In some cases, your Booking.com stay could work out as extremely good value for money if you earn the equivalent number of Virgin Points to book a flight of similar value, especially if you can find good-value tickets such as Saver Rewards.
The great thing about Virgin Points is they never expire, and all seats on the aircraft are available to book with points. You can earn points now and spend them later without worrying about them expiring. You can also use points via Virgin Red for Virgin Voyages cruises, Virgin Experiences, vouchers, and more.
Points are awarded on room charges only and will be credited within 80 days after your stay is completed. You can earn up to 50,000 points (£5,000 spend) per booking.
Up to 4,500 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points Per Stay Now Live
Marriott’s latest promotion is now live and open for registration. We first covered the offer when details emerged ahead of its official launch, and we now have the full details, including the participating resorts.
You can now earn 1,500 bonus points on hotel stays of two or more nights, plus an extra 3,000 points on participating resort stays worldwide, so you can earn up to 4,500 bonus points per stay. No restrictions apply to the number of qualifying stays.
To be eligible, you must register by 13th November and stay between 22nd September and 22nd November 2026. As long as the first night is within the promotional period, you can still qualify.
You need to register before your stay, but existing bookings can qualify. Stays must be paid for and be at least two consecutive nights.
BVLGARI, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Marriott Executive Apartments and owner-occupied Vacation Club and Residence Club stays are excluded.
There are a number of resorts worldwide participating in the 3,000 bonus points offer, including 91 in Europe. Some of the more luxurious options include
Europe
- Greece: Domes Miramare Corfu, W Costa Navarino, Mystique, Santorini, Santa Marina Mykonos
- Italy: Hotel Cala di Volpe Costa Smeralda, JW Marriott Venice
- Portugal: Penha Longa Resort, W Algarve
- Spain: Hotel Arts Barcelona, The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama, The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort
- Türkiye: The Bodrum EDITION, Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum
Rest of the World:
- Aruba: The St. Regis Aruba Resort
- Indonesia: The St. Regis Bali Resort
- Maldives: The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives Fari Islands
- Thailand: Vana Belle Koh Samui
There’s no harm in registering now, even if you don’t currently have a Marriott stay planned.
