Lounge Review: VIA VIP Club Harlingen Valley Airport (HRL)
Whenever I get a chance to visit new airports, I am always on the lookout for lounges to review. I was super excited to fly into Harlingen (HRL) from Austin (AUS) for a South Texas trip, which included SpaceX and Brownsville. Before arriving in Harlingen, I was able to arrange for a review of the VIA VIP Club. The VIA VIP Club has been around for a while, but they recently did a complete remodel of the lounge, and I was very impressed with the upgrade. This lounge review was based on my visit on May 17th, 2023 (Wednesday).
Location and Access
The lounge is located across from Gate 6 and is open anytime the terminal is open. Membership is open to anyone 21 years or older. You need to enroll in a membership and pay $100 per year to gain access to the lounge. The membership includes unlimited visits to the lounge and access for immediate family members. Upon approval, you will receive your access badge. Once you arrive at the lounge there is a keypad on the door, simply place the access card on the reader and the door will open.
Lounge Amenities
The lounge has seating for around 12 to 15 people. There is a TV in the lounge that I assume is used to show flight information, but while I was there, it was not on. There are lots of AC power plugs located around the lounge, but I think they could have added more. The design of the lounge is warm, with wood, leather, and art on the walls.
Seating and Work Areas
The VIA VIP Club has very comfortable seating, including chairs, a sofa, and built-in banquette (bench) seating. There are also tables where you can work or eat. Throughout the lounge, there are lamps and lighting.
Food and Beverage
There was no food or snacks offered in the lounge, but you can bring your own from the terminal. The lounge features self-serve beverages. While I was there, this included a refrigerator stocked with drinks including Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Sprite, iced tea, and bottled water. They also had ice and a pod coffee machine with regular or decaf coffee.
Restrooms and Showers
There were no restrooms or showers in the lounge, but the lounge was located next door to a restroom in the terminal.
Internet and Noise
I did not test the speed of the internet when I was in the lounge, but the airport does have (Wi-Fi) internet for use. As far as noise goes, it was one of the quietest lounges I have ever been to. I was the only one in the lounge at the time, and it was super quiet.
Overall Rating: 2.9*
Pros: super clean and modern, comfortable chairs and tables, cold drinks.
Cons: no-food or snacks, no outside view or windows.
- Amenities: 3.3
- Food: N/A
- Beverages: 2
- Seating & Tables: 3.4
- Service: N/A
- Wow-Factor: 3
* scored using Nerd Score 1.0
Closing Thoughts
This membership is great if you travel through the HRL airport regularly. I think it would be nice if there were snacks, such as cookies or chips. I am a fan of these airport-run lounges and wish all airports would offer this service. Harlingen (HRL) offers airline service by American, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country, and United Airlines to/from AUS, CUN, DAL, DFW, HOU, IAH, MSP, and ORD.