Lounge Review: Matina Lounge | Seoul-Incheon (ICN) Terminal 2

More restaurant, less lounge.

Incheon, South Korea — As our South Korea trip came to an end, we popped into the Matina Lounge in Seoul-Incheon (ICN) Terminal 2 to grab a bite to eat prior to our departure home. It is one of three Priority Pass lounges in Terminal 2 and the most central given its location just after security.

Date of Review: 20 April 2024
Location: Seoul-Incheon International Airport, Terminal 2, 4th floor after security, near gate 252
Hours: 0700 to 2200 KST daily (buffet closes 2130)
Access: Priority Pass, DragonPass, Plaza Premium membership, Lounge Buddy, among others
Notables: Convenient location in Terminal 2, can get very busy, no restrooms inside (but available nearby).
_{Note: Hours and access rules current as of time of posting}

Seating
After passing the front desk, you are greeted with essentially one large rectangular space with dining tables mostly for two or four persons. The space is well-lit and mostly white and neutral tones with a few pops of turquoise.

Along the glass windows facing the terminal and in the middle of the lounge, there is a small amount of counter seating. There are a few armchairs and single-person seats located in the center space as well.

In one corner was a “family zone” for travelers with children that had private booths to allow large families to spread out a bit.

Food and Drink
The buffet is located at the very back of the lounge. There were many mostly Korean and Pan-Asian hot food options with fresh rice and soups available to round out your meal.

There was a decently sized salad bar as well as fresh fruits at a separate table.

There was also another table of desserts mostly consisting of small cakes, sweets and pastries.

In the center of the lounge were various drink options, including bottled beer and wines in small fridges beside the soft drink dispensers. There was some sort of house beer on tap as well. The multitude of fruit and vegetable juice options was also nice.

Coffee and espresso drink machines were located opposite the soft drinks and juices. Interestingly, there were instant cup ramen and a hot water dispenser located here as well.

All in all, there was something for pretty much everyone and it made for a nice light lunch before our flight.

Amenities
Free WiFi was available and fast enough to stream HD videos. There is allegedly a business center which in reality is just more dining space.

One notable thing is the lounge does not have its own restrooms. Instead, guests are directed to the public restrooms across a small bridge on the opposite side of the floor which is a bit of an inconvenience. This lounge has no shower facilities.

Lounge Access
The Matina Lounge in Incheon Terminal 2 can be accessed by many of the most popular lounge programs including Priority Pass, the Plaza Premium Lounge network, and DragonPass. It is open from 7AM to 10PM local time with the buffet closing at 9:30PM.

A 2-hour pass is available for US$39. Access and pricing current as of posting date and subject to change without notice.

Thoughts
The Matina Lounge in Incheon Terminal 2 is incredibly popular given its broad access and central terminal location. It has been very busy each time I’ve passed through. This time around we had an approximately 10 minute wait to get into the lounge, but wait-times can approach half an hour at times. Food and drink options were fine but not worth waiting very long for.

Seoul-Incheon Terminal 2 is very spacious and has many other alternate (and excellent) dining and seating options. If you have access and some time, the Matina Lounge is fine for a quick meal, but I would not go out of my way or plan a layover around it. It feels very much like a restaurant more than a relaxing lounge.

American Express Credit Cards
My access to the Matina Lounge at Seoul-Incheon Terminal 2 was through my Priority Pass benefit from my American Express Platinum Card. American Express offers many credit card products including those designed for frequent travelers.

To learn more about American Express’s offerings, including lucrative early spend bonuses that may help fund travel, click this link: HERE. Be sure to browse through the different card options.

If you apply and are approved for any American Express card through the link above, we earn a referral bonus which greatly supports this blog, and we thank you in advance.