Priority Pass has Released the 2026 Excellence Awards for Best Lounges
Priority Pass has released its 2026 Excellence Awards, which lists the highest-rated lounges in its worldwide network. The results were calculated using (700,000+) reviews from Priority Pass customers. The winning 12 lounges span 13 different airports from 9 various countries.
Now in its 18th year, the Priority Pass Excellence Awards continue to showcase the very best of our global network, and each year, our partners raise the bar even higher,says Christopher Evans, CEO of Collinson International.With demand for premium travel experiences at an all-time high, travellers are increasingly looking to make every moment of their journey more meaningful and memorable. What stands out to me is the high number of partners from across the globe delivering leading, flagship lounges that are redefining what a true sense of place means. Travellers today expect versatility, quality, and genuine local experience, and our partners are delivering on all three. The Lounge of the Year and One to Watch categories recognise the partners who consistently go above and beyond to deliver exceptional moments that truly enhance the journey for our members. Congratulations to this year’s winners.
Global Winner (1)
The Global winner for best lounge was the Escape Lounge located in Portland International Airport, Oregon - USA (PDX)
Regional Winners (9)
Below are the top-rated lounges (by region) from around the world. These are the highest-rated lounges across the Priority Pass global network, based on member ratings and reviews.
Asia Pacific (APAC)
- Winner: Lounge Fukuoka at Fukuoka, Japan (FUK)
- Highly Commended: Kyra Lounge at Hong Kong (HKG) 2025 Award
Europe
- Winner: Vienna Lounge at Vienna Schwechat, Austria (VIE) 2024 Award 2025 Award
- Highly Commended: No1 Lounge at Jersey (JER)
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Winner: Club Kingston located in Kingston, Jamaica (KIN)
- Highly Commended: Advantage VIP Lounge Combo at Sao Paulo, Brazil (VCP)
Middle East and Africa
- Winner: Bidvest Premier Lounge at Johannesburg Intl, South Africa (JNB) 2024 Award
- Highly Commended: None
North America
- Winner: Escape Lounge at Portland International, Oregon - USA (PDX)
- Highly Commended: Escape Lounge at Kansas City, Missouri - USA (MCI) 2025 Award
Pioneer of the Year Award
This category was postponed for the 2026 Awards due to the war in the middle-east.
All Star of the Year Award
This category was postponed for the 2026 Awards due to the war in the middle-east.
One to Watch (3)
This is a new award for 2026 for lounges that have made the largest increase in overall satisfaction, based on ratings and reviews.
- EMEA: VIP Lounge 'Angelo D'Arrigo' at Catania, Italy (CTA)
- APAC: KoCoo Lounge at Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT)
- Americas: Advantage VIP Lounge at Congonhas Sao Paulo, Brazil (CGH)
To learn more about the rewards, see https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/newsroom/priority-pass-reveals-worlds-best-airport-experiences-for-2026
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Closing Thoughts
There were some 2024 and 2025 winners seen again here in 2026. I have not visited any of these locations, so I can't comment with my opinion. I am very happy to see the overall ratings displayed for each lounge on the Priority Pass website. Likewise, I am happy to see two Escape lounges listed and look forward to visiting those as soon as possible.