Before our long flight home to Phoenix, we spent a few hours at the Starlux Galactic Lounge in Taipei Taoyuan Terminal 2, and honestly it was the part of the trip we were most looking forward to. After a full trip across Asia, the idea of a hot shower and a made-to-order meal before a 12 plus hour flight sounded like heaven, and the lounge delivered.
We got access because we were flying Starlux business class from Taipei back to Phoenix. If you want the full flight review, we will link it below. For now, here is everything you can expect inside the Galactic Lounge.
How to Find the Galactic Lounge
The Starlux Galactic Lounge is in Terminal 2. After you clear departure immigration, head toward gates D6 and D10 and you will find it. It is an easy walk and well signed once you are past immigration.
You get in if you are flying Starlux business class. We checked our luggage first, then headed to the lounge. We were flying Taipei to Phoenix in business, so we had access on the way home.
Finding the Starlux Galactic Lounge in Taipei Taoyuan Terminal 2
First Impressions and Layout
Walking in, there are lockers on your left where you can stash your bags or carryons, which is super handy if you do not want to drag everything around. To your right is the main buffet plus plenty of seating to settle into.
There is also a staircase leading down to the lower level, where you will find even more seating and a smaller secondary buffet area. The lounge has a real space theme to it, and it feels new, clean, and intentional.
Starlux Galactic Lounge entrance, lockers, seating, and stairs
The Showers (Our Favorite Part)
Downstairs is where the showers are, and this was the thing we were most looking for before our flight home to Phoenix. To get access, just bring your boarding pass to the front desk and they will get you set up.
The shower room itself is a solid size, nothing to complain about. You get a waterfall shower head, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towels, all the toiletries you need, a hair dryer, and even a closet to hang your clothes. It feels really intentional and well put together.
One thing we both really loved: the shampoo and body wash smell amazing and feel so good on the skin. Freshly showered before a 12 plus hour flight is a completely different way to start a long-haul.
Shower room and toiletries at the Starlux Galactic Lounge
The Food: Order Off the Menu
Here is the tip that changed our whole experience. You can scan a QR code to pull up a menu and order made-to-order food right to your seat. We ordered off the menu way more than we hit the buffet, and everything was great.
The ordering system is genuinely clever. You can join a party so Vincent and I could share one table number and each order separately from our own phones, and it all goes to the same order. Very cool, and it means you do not have to keep getting up.
Online ordering and made-to-order food at the Starlux Galactic Lounge
I started with steamed dumplings, and Vincent had a noodle dish that tasted a little like a nicer instant noodle (in the best way). The presentation was lovely and the food held up to the last time we visited too.
The Full Menu
Here is the full Starlux Galactic Lounge menu so you can see what is on offer before you go. There is a solid food menu with Taiwanese and Western options, a separate breakfast menu, and a full drinks and alcohol menu (yes, you can order cocktails to your seat too).
Starlux Galactic Lounge food menu
Starlux Galactic Lounge breakfast menu
Starlux Galactic Lounge drinks and alcohol menu
The Boba You Must Try
The drink I keep thinking about: they have partnered with Chicha San Chen, a Taiwanese tea brand, and the tea is so good. We could not get this on our last visit, so I was thrilled it was available this time.
If you see this brand anywhere in Taiwan, you must try it. We even ordered a second one because we cannot get it back in Arizona. We have tried similar in California, New York, and Malaysia, and Taiwan and Malaysia do it best. One of the real perks of flying out of Taipei is getting your boba fix before you go.
The Buffets: Upstairs vs Downstairs
There are two open buffets. Upstairs has more options and a few extras, while downstairs is a little more limited but still solid.
Upstairs
The upstairs lobby area has a salad bar, pastries, the same drink options, a coffee station, and a self-serve bar where you can make your own cocktails or grab a beer. There were good salad selections and nice presentation across the board.
Upstairs buffet, pastries, salad bar, and self-serve bar at the Starlux Galactic Lounge
Downstairs
Downstairs has a warm food selection, soup, a bread toaster, a great salad bar, a drink station with water and coffee, and a make-your-own cocktail area. There is also an ice cream selection that is genuinely good, we tried it last time too, plus a fridge where you can grab any drinks you want.
Lower level buffet drinks and beer tap at the Starlux Galactic Lounge
The American Hot Dog
I grabbed what I thought was a bun-less American style hot dog, but Vincent pointed out there was a bun, you just have to rip the packaging open. The bun is very, very soft, and you squeeze the ketchup and mustard right out of the little packets. Super easy. As an American hot dog it was not bad, though in my (very biased) opinion America still makes the best hot dogs and burgers anywhere I travel. The bun, though, was excellent.
Making and eating the American hot dog at the Starlux Galactic Lounge
The Restrooms
Even the restrooms feel new. There is a fancy brand of soap and lotion, a bidet, and a button to open the door. Small thing, but it all adds to the polished, just-built feeling of the whole lounge.
Is the Starlux Galactic Lounge Worth It?
Overall, this is a really solid lounge experience. The made-to-order menu is the standout, the showers are a lifesaver before a long-haul, and the two buffet floors give you plenty to graze on.
What we loved:
- Hot showers with great toiletries before a long flight
- QR code menu with made-to-order food sent to your seat
- The party-ordering feature so you can share one table order
- The partnered Taiwanese boba tea (must try)
- Two buffet floors, with the better selection upstairs
- Genuinely good ice cream and a self-serve cocktail bar
- A brand-new, well-kept, space-themed space
The best way to experience it is to fly Starlux from Taipei to another country, since that is what unlocks access (we flew Taipei to Phoenix). If you are in Starlux business, you are in good hands. Make sure to take advantage of the showers, eat well off the menu, and grab that boba before you board.
