ANA First Class Lounge at Tokyo-Narita Review: Missing the ‘Wow’ Factor

The ANA Suite Lounge at Tokyo-Narita is a comfortable place to relax before your first class flight on All Nippon Airways. Like many premium lounges, it offers made-to-order food items, shower suites, rest pods and workspaces.

The guest list here is exclusive: You have to be flying first class on a Star Alliance airline or hold the highest tier of ANA elite status. (Business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members have access to the regular ANA Lounge, which is located just next door.)

However, the lounge lacked the wow factor that one might expect from the ANA first class flying experience or a first class lounge. I felt like I was visiting a business class lounge instead. Some airlines like Air France, Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific invest heavily in the first class lounge experience, providing things like tarmac transfers from the lounge, sit-down dining with waiter service and exquisite design. You won’t get those things at the ANA Suite Lounge.

Here’s a look at the ANA first class lounge (and overall first class ground experience) at Tokyo-Narita airport during my visit in September 2024.

ANA first class check-in

The first class experience at Tokyo-Narita starts even before you set foot in the lounge.

When you arrive at the airport, head straight to the ANA Suite Check-in, an exclusive area reserved for first class flyers and ANA’s own top-tier elites.

Here, you’ll find a giant room with several counters, where an agent will help you check in and check your bags. The agent I interacted with was extremely polite and helpful, confirming various details of my flight, such as my seat number and meal selection.

The best perk, though, is a private security checkpoint to breeze through security.

ANA first class lounge location and hours

The ANA first class lounge is located near gate 51 in Satellite No. 5 of Terminal 1, which is where Star Alliance flights depart from at Tokyo-Narita. To get to the lounge, turn left after passing immigration exit control and keep going straight until you see signs for airline lounges and an escalator taking you upstairs.

To the left is the ANA Lounge entrance, which can be used by Star Alliance business class customers and passengers with Star Alliance Gold status. Head right for the entrance to the much-more exclusive ANA Suite Lounge, available to first class flyers and top-tier elites with ANA Diamond status.

The lounge is open from 7 a.m. until the departure of the final ANA Group-operated flight of the day.

» Learn more: Best ways to book ANA business and first class awards to Japan

ANA first class lounge layout and seating areas

The ANA first class lounge is quite spacious, considering its strict requirements for admission. When I arrived around 2 p.m., it was fairly empty, although it had started to fill up by the time I left to board around 4:30 p.m.

When you first enter the lounge, you’ll pass through a long corridor that leads you to the buffet and noodle bar on your left and a large seating area on your right.

There are more seating options further down, ranging from bar-style seating to armchairs and loungers.

It’s a very open layout with little privacy — a big contrast from ANA’s first class seat, which has sliding privacy doors. Some seating areas have dividers, but they’re separated by see-through strips of fabric.

One of my favorite things about the space: giant windows that span an entire side of the lounge, giving you great views of the runways.

It was a dreary day, but I was able to spot two of ANA’s three Airbus A380s with the “Flying Honu” livery. These aircraft fly exclusively between Tokyo-Narita and Honolulu and sport a lovely turtle design (honu is the Hawaiian word for sea turtle).

Off the large seating area by the entrance, a corridor leads to a business center with four cubicles, which visitors can use as quiet work areas.

Some of the business amenities include headphones, a printer and even a calculator. I didn’t test out how easy it was to connect to the provided monitor, but the lounge is well-staffed, so I’m sure someone would have been able to assist if needed.

Again, there’s not a lot of privacy in here, which could be an issue if you need to take calls, but you could also pop into a nearby phone booth.

Across from the business center, there’s a relaxation area with three rest pods. Two of them have massage chairs, while the third has a regular lounge chair.

I don’t see massage chairs in lounges too often, so I had to give it a try. If you give it a try, remember to take off your watch or bracelets. The compression on your wrists can be pretty intense.

There’s also a smoking room available.

ANA first class lounge food and drink

There are two primary ways to get food at the ANA Suite Lounge: the buffet and the made-to-order noodle bar.

One major con of this lounge: There’s no dedicated sit-down restaurant. This is a staple of most first class lounges, so the absence here is disappointing. ANA could definitely improve here, especially as top-tier business class lounges are elevating their food offerings (such as the sushi bar at the Delta One lounge at LAX).

The buffet is simple but skippable, in my opinion, considering the other food options available. Options include a salad bar, finger foods, fruit and dessert, as well as inari and rice balls.

With that said, don’t skip the chocolate section in the buffet area. Try one of the individually wrapped chocolates from ANA Findelish, a brand launched by ANA’s own catering service.

If you’re looking to chow down, head straight to the noodle bar where you can get made-to-order Japanese and Western dishes. (The digital ordering service requires SMS text messaging, an option not included on my eSIM plan. You can, however, still check out the menu online.) If you order at the window, they’ll give you a buzzer to let you know when your food is ready.

Japanese dishes include ramen noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles, sushi and various curries with chicken, vegetarian and halal chicken options. The Western menu offers dishes like burgers (meat and plant-based), carbonara pasta, and mac and cheese.

I wasn’t quite ready to leave Japan, so I went with the sushi set, the chicken curry and a bowl of ramen. All of it was enjoyable, but the standout was the flavorful chicken curry.

For dessert, I had a mini tub of Häagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream. While the online menu lists strawberry, vanilla and cookies and cream, they only had strawberry and vanilla while I was there.

There are plenty of drink options at the ANA Suite Lounge, including teas, a coffee machine and a soda machine that also dispenses orange juice and cold green tea, a delightful surprise.

Alcoholic beverages are also self-serve, including beer on tap, wine, champagne, sake and whiskey. While there was a good selection, five options were out of stock during my visit.

I opted to skip the alcohol in the lounge, since I knew the good stuff was coming once I got onboard.

For first class flights to the U.S., ANA serves Krug Grande Cuvee for champagne in the air and Hibiki 17 for whiskey. (On flights to New York-JFK, ANA caters Hibiki 21.)

ANA lounge showers

A trip to a first class lounge is not complete without taking a shower to freshen up before your long-haul flight.

The shower facilities are just outside the lounge entrance and accessible from the main lobby, where you first checked in. There are 10 shower rooms available, which are shared with the ANA business class lounge, so if you’re looking to shower at a busy time, you may have to wait.

You can request a shower room at a digital kiosk immediately past the lounge’s long corridor at the entrance. Again, there is a digital alert system that requires the use of SMS text messages to let you know when the shower room is ready, although you can opt out.

Luckily, there was a shower suite ready when I requested it. If there wasn’t, I probably would have needed to go to the shower reception to pick up a buzzer. If you’re not sure what to do, ask one of the lounge staff to assist you.

The shower room was well stocked with amenities, including slippers, dental kit, comb, Dyson hair dryer and Sekkisei skincare products. There was also a clock, which I had never seen before in a lounge shower but found quite helpful.

ANA first class lounge service

As you might expect after spending some time in Japan, the service at the ANA Suite Lounge was top-notch. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and lounge staff would offer a slight bow whenever I walked by them.

Even though there was no sit-down dining service, the lounge agents were constantly walking around to make sure that food items were being cleared promptly.

ANA Suite Lounge at Tokyo-Narita recapped

I enjoyed spending time at the ANA first class lounge, although it didn't exude the same level of luxury as some competitors. The food was good, the shower was refreshing and the staff were polite and friendly. For travelers looking for a spot to relax and grab a bite to eat before their flight, this lounge will certainly check all the boxes.

If you’re flying ANA first class from Tokyo-Narita, this lounge is definitely your best option. However, save your expectations for once you’re in the air, where ANA first class truly shines.