Dacia Business Lounge

Near gates 7–8 in OTP’s Schengen pier, this is the “default” business lounge and very much a last-resort seat.

The Dacia Business Lounge sits upstairs in Terminal 1’s Schengen international pier, open 24/7 and signed only by a small escalator near gates 7 and 8. It’s past security, so you need an international Schengen departure boarding pass to even see it. Think of it as the basic business option on this side of Henri Coandă, not a place you plan your connection around.

Access now runs mainly through airline business-class and status, with TAROM and Lufthansa passengers routinely admitted on a premium boarding pass. Priority Pass is not reliably honored here anymore, and comments note it’s no longer treated as a SkyTeam lounge, so don’t count on card-based entry. If lounge access matters for your ticket, confirm with your airline before you reach OTP.

Inside, seating is simple: rows of armchairs and small tables, more like an overflow waiting room than a flagship lounge, as one Live and Let’s Fly review put it “decidedly below average” for a hub carrier space. Regulars use it as a quieter corner than the main Schengen pier rather than somewhere to eat properly or freshen up. Space fills at peak morning and evening banks tied to TAROM’s European departures.

Food and drink run to a modest buffet with basic snacks and light cold items, not a full meal service you’d compare to larger SkyTeam or Lufthansa lounges. Coffee machines and soft drinks are standard, with limited hot options depending on time of day. Prices inside don’t apply since everything at the buffet is included, but the quality tracks more with airport café leftovers than anything special.

Facilities are where the cuts show: there are no showers at all, and toilets sit outside the lounge at the top of the escalator, shared with general passengers. You have to exit, use the public restrooms, then re-scan for re-entry, which gets old on a long layover. An enclosed smoking room sits inside the lounge; it’s separated, so smoke generally stays contained, but you’ll still notice people coming and going.

Power is another weak spot: outlets at seats are scarce, so many people end up at a central “charging station” and walk away from their phone or laptop. Staff reviews skew toward “indifferent” or “not at all pleasant,” matching the overall below-average verdict. Practical move here: grab a seat near the few visible outlets, charge up, and treat Dacia as a backup waiting room, not the highlight of your time at OTP.