Abu Dhabi Terminal 1 Etihad First & Business Class Lounge

I wasÂ underwhelmed by my Etihad First Class Jet Airways flight and hadn’t really slept, so when I got off the plane in Abu Dhabi I was anxious to find the lounge.

Even more anxious as I realized that despite being dressed professionally I seemed to be attracting stares, whether it was my bright jacket, my pale legs, or just paranoia, I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to get out of the public area. We’d landed in Terminal 1 so I wound my way around the hallways following the Premium lounge signs.

Hauled my carry-on up the stairs to the reception desk (not stopping to take pictures) and asked for a shower as soon as it was my turn to check in.

The shower was an interesting experience. It was beautiful and very ornate, but TINY and located in the womenâ€™s bathroom area.

The water was luke-warm water at best. There was barely room for me and my luggage, so changing clothes was tight. I had to ask for a hair dryer, which was used in the tiny makeup area across from the bathroom sinks. It didn’t go so well.

In my jetlagged state, the lounge was a little confusing. It’s various sections connected to each other and I wondered if I had blundered into a First Class area (my connecting flight was Business) but itâ€™s all open to everyone.

I’d heard there was a spa and finally figured out the free spa treatment (looked it up on the internet). The Six Senses spa desk/area was near the bathrooms and I went over to make a 15 minute appointment. I had been most excited by the Reiki, which apparently was only offered in terminal 3 and the accupressure massage which apparently was not offered that day. So I wound up just doing the Realignment which focused on neck, back, and arms and felt great.

They had a beautiful array of food for breakfast, but since eating was what I had enjoyed most on my JFK-AUH flight I wound up just hanging out in the breakfast area for an hour or two sipping tea.