Lounge directory · ADD · Last reviewed 17 April 2026
Addis Ababa Bole Lounges (ADD): Every Lounge and How to Get In
Addis Ababa Bole runs six lounges across two terminals, and the three doors that matter never close. One of them takes Priority Pass and sells entry to anyone with a card. Here is the full map, checked June 2026.
- Lounge verdict
- Strong for a one terminal hub. Five lounges sit airside in Terminal 2, three run 24 hours, and Ethiopian opened a 5,500 square meter Premium Lounge in December 2025 that transforms the picture for status holders.
- Best access play
- Priority Pass opens exactly one door, the Plaza Premium lounge on level 2 of Terminal 2, around the clock. Without a membership, the same lounge sells entry from 38 dollars online or about 50 dollars at the door.
- The one thing to know
- Timing beats everything at Bole. The transfer banks hit 6 to 10 pm and 2 to 5 am, and every lounge fills during them. A midday visit feels like a different airport.
Orientation
How the Bole lounge map works
The geography is simple. Terminal 2 handles international flights and holds five of the six lounges, all airside on the departures level. The Ethiopian Airlines flagships face each other across the corridor at gate A13, while the Plaza Premium lounge sits back near security at the junction of the A and B gates, immediately on your right after passport control if you are starting your journey here, or one floor up from transit screening if you are connecting.
Hours below were checked on 17 April 2026. Cloud Nine, the Sheba status lounge and Plaza Premium all run 24 hours, which fits an airport whose biggest rush moves through the small hours: Ethiopian banks its arrivals from across Africa in the late evening, fires the long haul wave out around midnight, and builds a second wave before dawn. Capacity is the catch, because every door gets slammed between 6 and 10 pm and again between 2 and 5 am. One more thing to know before you commit the map to memory: the lounge estate is mid reshuffle. Ethiopian opened its new Premium Lounge in December 2025 and the old Platinum space is reported to be folding into Cloud Nine, so expect signs to move over the coming months.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Nine Lounge | Opposite gate A13, departures level | 24 hours | Business class on Ethiopian, EgyptAir and Turkish Airlines; Emirates first and business; Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold; paid pass sold by Ethiopian, price to be confirmed | The flagship: coffee ceremony, quiet room and a free full bar across several hundred seats; packed 6 to 10 pm and 2 to 5 am |
| Ethiopian Premium Lounge | Terminal 2 airside; exact position to be confirmed | To be confirmed | ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold, Star Alliance Gold, eligible elites of partner airlines | Opened December 2025 at a cost of 16 million dollars: 5,500 square meters for up to 1,000 guests, the new status flagship |
| Sheba Platinum and Star Alliance Gold Lounge | Opposite gate A13 | 24 hours | ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold, Star Alliance Gold, Saudia first and business, Alfursan Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus | Long the calmer twin of Cloud Nine; reported to be merging into Cloud Nine now the Premium Lounge is open, so check on the day |
| ShebaMiles Silver Lounge | Inner corridor of the T2 departure hall | 05:00 to 00:00 | ShebaMiles Silver members flying Ethiopian only, no guests | Opened August 2024: 810 square meters for 200 guests, a rare perk for an entry level status tier |
| Plaza Premium Lounge | Level 2 after security, junction of the A and B gates | 24 hours | Priority Pass, LoungeKey, DragonPass, Amex Platinum and other cards; Qatar Airways and flydubai premium and elites; paid from 38 dollars | The only door anyone can buy: 325 seats, six showers, functional rather than fancy, and gold at 3 am |
Cloud Nine is the reason to care about lounge access at ADD. The traditional coffee ceremony, performed by staff in traditional dress, beats anything a chain lounge serves anywhere in Africa, and the quiet room and massage chairs make a 4 hour layover genuinely pleasant outside the peaks. Two door rules trip people up. Showers run first come first served with a 15 minute cap, you register at reception and leave your boarding pass with staff, and you need at least 60 minutes before departure to get a slot. And if you arrive into Addis in business but connect onward in economy, Ethiopian will not let you in for the second leg.
Plaza Premium is the honest workhorse. It opened in March 2022, spans 1,000 square meters with around 325 seats, and serves as the contract lounge for Qatar Airways business class and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members. The six shower rooms can be reserved at reception and come stocked with towels and toiletries, but the regular restrooms sit outside the lounge in the public corridor, the buffet draws mixed reviews, and the bar charges, with beer reported at 9 dollars. None of that matters much at 3 am, when a quiet seat with power and coffee beats every bench in the terminal by a distance.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian ShebaMiles Lounge | First floor after security | 05:00 to 00:00 | Ethiopian business class on domestic flights, ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold, Star Alliance Gold, one guest for status holders | A basic domestic room with refreshments and Ethiopian coffee; fine for the hour you will actually spend in it |
Terminal 1 handles domestic and some regional flying and got a 50 million dollar refresh in May 2024, but the lounge story stays short: one ShebaMiles lounge, no Priority Pass door, no paid entry. If your itinerary ends with a domestic hop to Lalibela or Bahir Dar, do your eating and showering airside in Terminal 2 before you walk across.
Access decoder
What actually opens these doors
Priority Pass opens exactly one door at ADD: the Plaza Premium lounge in Terminal 2, 24 hours a day. The advertised stay limit is 2 hours, enforcement is inconsistent, and entry is always subject to space. LoungeKey and DragonPass mirror the same single listing. None of the Ethiopian Airlines lounges accept any third party program. The full strategy, including when the lounge fills, lives in our ADD Priority Pass guide.
Paying at the door also means Plaza Premium. Advance online passes start around 38 dollars for 3 hours, booking direct with Plaza Premium runs about 45 dollars for 4 hours, and the walk up rate is roughly 50 dollars. Ethiopian Airlines separately sells passes to its own Cloud Nine and Sheba lounges through its website, app, ticket offices and agents at the airport; current pricing is to be confirmed, and ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold members enter the Sheba lounge free regardless.
Class of travel sorts everyone else. Business class on Ethiopian, EgyptAir or Turkish Airlines gets Cloud Nine. Emirates first and business also lands there. Qatar Airways and flydubai premium passengers are sent to Plaza Premium under contract, as are oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members flying Qatar Airways. Saudia first and business use the Sheba status lounge.
Status is where ADD got dramatically better in December 2025. ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold and Star Alliance Gold members now have the new Ethiopian Premium Lounge, ten times the floor area of a typical contract lounge, alongside the legacy Sheba Platinum and Star Alliance Gold space at gate A13. Even ShebaMiles Silver gets a dedicated room, which almost no alliance honors at its lowest tier. SkyTeam Elite Plus members flying Saudia use the Sheba status lounge.
Credit cards ride the Plaza Premium rails: Amex Platinum, Diners Club, Mastercard products with LoungeKey and several Visa Infinite programs all list the lounge. Rules shift and the lounge estate here is actively being rebuilt, so treat the tables above as the map and confirm the door you are counting on the day you fly.
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FAQ
Addis Ababa lounge questions
Which lounge at Addis Ababa takes Priority Pass?
Only the Plaza Premium lounge, on level 2 of Terminal 2 airside, open 24 hours. Priority Pass entry carries an advertised 2 hour stay limit. The Ethiopian Airlines lounges, including Cloud Nine, do not accept Priority Pass or any other third party lounge program.
Can I buy lounge access at ADD without flying business class?
Yes. The Plaza Premium lounge sells entry from about 38 dollars for 3 hours booked online, around 45 dollars for 4 hours direct with Plaza Premium, or roughly 50 dollars walking up. Ethiopian Airlines also sells passes to its own Cloud Nine and Sheba lounges online, in its app and at the airport; current pricing is to be confirmed.
What is the best lounge at Addis Ababa airport?
Cloud Nine, if your ticket or Emirates status opens it: the traditional coffee ceremony, the quiet room and the free full bar put it clearly ahead. Status holders should head for the new Ethiopian Premium Lounge, which opened in December 2025 with 5,500 square meters of space for up to 1,000 guests.
Are the lounges at ADD open all night?
The three that matter are. Cloud Nine, the Sheba Platinum and Star Alliance Gold lounge and Plaza Premium all run 24 hours. The ShebaMiles Silver lounge closes between midnight and 5 am, as does the domestic lounge in Terminal 1.
Do the Addis Ababa lounges have showers?
Yes, in Terminal 2. Plaza Premium has six shower rooms you can reserve at reception. Cloud Nine runs its showers first come first served with a 15 minute limit, and you need at least 60 minutes before departure to register. The Terminal 1 domestic lounge does not advertise showers.
Can I sleep in a lounge at Addis Ababa airport?
Up to a point. Cloud Nine has a quiet room for resting, and Plaza Premium runs all night, though paid and Priority Pass entries cap your stay at 2 to 4 hours. For a real bed, the Skylight in terminal hotel inside Terminal 2 or Ethiopian's free transit hotel for qualifying 8 to 24 hour layovers beat any lounge sofa.
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