I visited an airport lounge for the first time and 10 things totally surprised me, from large crowds to free-flowing food and alcohol

From Budapest, Hungary, to Banff, Canada, I've been lucky enough to travel around the world.

This summer, my list of destinations grew when I boarded a business-class flight to Auckland, New Zealand, and traveled to New Zealand and Australia.

My flight was full of mid-air amenities like multi-course meals, a lie-flat seat, and welcoming hospitality.

But my ticket also came with a perk I've never experienced before — access to an airport lounge.

Before I arrived in Auckland, I spent a seven-hour layover at the Star Alliance Lounge at the Los Angeles International Airport. The lounge is available to first-class and business-class international travelers flying on airlines like Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, and Swiss Air, according to its website. Certain credit-card holders also have access to the lounge, and travelers flying out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal can pay $70 for a three-hour lounge pass.

Elements of the lounge surprised me, and I learned that airport lounges are a luxury I could easily get used to.

The Star Alliance Lounge wasn't easy to find. I walked down long hallways, pestered airport staff for directions, and popped into other airport lounges before I finally tracked down the location of the lounge.

As I approached the entrance, I spotted two airport staff members guarding the doors. In front of me, a family of five scanned their tickets. The front desk representative explained that they weren't eligible to enter the lounge and were turned away.

I nervously double-checked my ticket and crossed my fingers that I, too, wouldn't be turned away.

After scanning my ticket, the airport staff welcomed me into the lounge.

I excitedly walked in thinking the experience felt like entering a speakeasy or an exclusive club that only A-list celebrities or wealthy people have access to enter.

I had a few expectations entering the lounge. I anticipated free food, drinks, and comfier seating than I'd find next to my gate. But I didn't expect that stepping inside would make me feel like I left the airport entirely.

From mod artwork to mood lighting, the lounge didn't have the same decor, style, or ambiance that the rest of the airport had. Instead, I felt like I had entered a swanky hotel lobby or restaurant that was miles away from LAX.

The only indicators that I was still in an airport were carry-on suitcases rolling about and a few flight announcements. It was refreshing to be in a place that felt less stressful than the rest of the airport with its bustling travelers, loud restaurants, and crowded gates.

I initially envisioned one large room with a bar, buffet, and general seating. My prediction was wrong.

Instead, the 18,000-square-foot Star Alliance Lounge included a handful of different rooms. Depending on the environment you wanted, such as space to talk on the phone or close your eyes, there was likely a room to match.

I noticed that the main lounge room was bustling with people. Conversations were at full volume, children were running around, and I saw business meetings happening over Zoom. I thought it was a space where people felt comfortable being a bit louder.

There was also a quiet room for working or taking a nap. The room was dark except for a television casting CNN news, and a few travelers filled the rows of cushioned chairs. The lounge didn't, however, have any rooms or private beds for naps, which some lounges offer.

Beyond those two rooms, there was also a library, a dining area, an outdoor terrace, and an indoor balcony overlooking the airport's gates.

Since my layover was seven hours, I moved between the dining area, quiet room, and outdoor terrace.

Despite including 18,000 square feet of space, I thought the lounge was packed with first-class travelers, credit-card holders, guests, and day-pass purchasers.

I hoped to grab a spot on a comfy couch, but every one I spotted was taken. So I headed to a dining area instead, where there was a buffet area with more tables. Again, almost every booth and high-top was full.

While I'm sure it varies by time, day, and airport, I was shocked by how many people were in the lounge on a Thursday afternoon.

I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of airplane food, and cafeterias don't often call my name.

To me, the lounge initially felt like a combination of those two dining options, and I didn't have high expectations for my meal.

But I was surprised by the range of free food along the buffet tables. I could pick between salads, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, a black bean chicken dish, roasted vegetables, soups, and desserts.

There was also an entire "build your own" ramen station with tofu, chicken, vegetables, different broths, and noodles. Even beyond that, I saw snacks like chips, pretzels, fruit, yogurt, and granola bars.

The range of food was impressive, and honestly, I thought it was pretty tasty, too. By the end of my seven-hour stay, I had scarfed down a bowl of ramen, multiple plates of salad, and desserts, all as part of my lounge access.

When I heard the lounge had limitless alcohol, I expected strategies to discourage people from drinking too much.

On cruises I've boarded, for instance, travelers often had to wait in long lines to take advantage of their drink package. And at bottomless brunch, I've had waiters who come by less frequently and serve smaller pours.

But that wasn't the case in the lounge. I found self-serve beer, wine, and liquor in multiple areas and there was no one monitoring how much anyone was drinking.

In the front, main room, I noticed that an unstaffed bar had a few bottles of whiskey and bourbon guests could pour themselves. Adjacent to the bar was a bucket of ice with bottles of prosecco and chilled chardonnay, a cooler filled with beer, and bottles of red wine. In the dining room, there was an even larger cooler stocked with cold drinks as well as more bottles of wine. These were all self-serve for guests.

Clearly, this was one of the lounge's largest draws, and nearly everyone I spotted was taking advantage of the free-flowing drinks.

My biggest complaint about waiting at airport gates is the lack of available power outlets. Whether it's my laptop or Airpods, I always need to charge something before boarding and I rarely find a conveniently-placed outlet.

The scarcity of outlets has led me to sit sandwiched between trashcans or camp out at fast-food restaurants far away from my gate where I can't hear boarding announcements.

This inconvenience disappeared when I stepped into the lounge. Besides the terrace, everywhere I looked had places to plug in my phone charger. Every table, couch, and bar seat had accessible outlets. It was my airport dream come true.

Plus, my Wi-Fi in the lounge worked great. I initially assumed I would connect to LAX's guest Wi-Fi, but by sitting in the lounge, travelers have an exclusive Wi-Fi network they can use. Since I didn't have to connect to LAX's general Wi-Fi, I couldn't compare speeds. But I had no issues logging on and working from the lounge.

Another perk I experienced was that the lounge had representatives from each airline. These staff members took my flight information when I arrived and then made special lounge-only announcements to notify guests when they can board.

This meant I constantly had updates on my flight without ever needing to hunt down a departure screen.

If I had any questions about my flight, the Air New Zealand representative could help, too. Plus, my questions were answered without waiting in a long line with all the other travelers on my flight.

Knowing that someone from my airline was in the lounge also reduced my airport anxiety. I often double and triple checking my gate and departure time, but since I knew I couldn't miss an announcement in the lounge, I felt like I was able to fully relax before boarding.

I wandered down an empty hallway and realized that the lounge also had eight showers for guests to use as part of their lounge access.

Guests could book these shower rooms on a first-come, first-served basis, and it looked like some of the showers were available when I visited.

I spotted a staff member restocking towels, and inside one shower room, I noticed complimentary toiletries like shampoo and conditioner.

The showers seemed spacious, and if I wasn't heading for a hotel right after disembarking my 12-hour New Zealand flight, I would've considered a quick shower.

Feeling stuck inside a building for seven hours isn't my ideal day, so the lounge's outdoor terrace became my retreat for the bulk of the layover.

As I sipped my final breaths of fresh air before boarding a 12-hour flight, I watched the sunset. Along the horizon, I could spot the distant Hollywood Hills and admired the planes setting off for faraway destinations.

I thought the atmosphere was peaceful and a nice change from my typical layover.

I thought the Star Alliance Lounge was filled with surprises, and the space created an ideal environment to work and relax before a long flight.

For future long layovers, I'll buy a day pass or do a little more digging into credit cards that offer lounge access.

Either way, the airport lounge gave me insight into a new way to travel, and it's an experience I'm eager to have again.