Lounge Review: VIA VIP Club Harlingen (HRL) Valley Airport
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 Space X 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 from 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. For membership information, visit the VIA VIP page. Upon approval, you will receive your access badge.
Lounge Amenities
The lounge has seating for around 12 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 (A/C) power plugs located around the lounge. The design of the lounge is warm, with wood, leather, and art on the walls. There is no restroom in the lounge, but there is one directly next door that you can access quickly. There is no dedicated Wi-Fi in the lounge, but you can access the complimentary internet from the terminal while in the lounge. When I was in the lounge, I was the only one there, and it was super quiet and relaxing compared to the terminal.
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.
Overall Rating: 3.75
Pros: super clean and modern, comfortable chairs and tables, cold drinks.
Cons: no-food or snacks, no outside view or windows.
Food: n/a
Beverages: 3.5
Amenities: 3.5
Seating: 4.5
Service: n/a
Views: n/a
Wow-Factor: 3.5
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.