Review : Salon Odyssee, Desjardin – Plaza Premium Lounge – Montreal (YUL), Transborder Concourse

The only lounge in Montreal’s transborder (US) concourse that is not operated by Air Canada remains one of the oddest lounges I have visited

The summary

This lounge remains the only choice for travelers leaving Montreal for the US that are not flying Air Canada (or Star Alliance carriers). It is located across from Gate 77, which is to the left after proceeding from US Customs/Border Control in Montreal and from the duty-free shopping arcade. At first glance, the lounge does not even look like a lounge. It looks like any other airport restaurant with only some planters sectioning the space off from the concourse. The entrance is clearly marked. The access rules are very confusing, with many travelers being declined entry. Refer to the lounge web site to clarify access.

The lounge is very small, with seating for no more than 80 people. It is one room with mostly table seating. There are some more comfortable chairs along the wall. The back wall is a blue green mural, which I suppose intends to mirror the plants that divide the lounge from the concourse.  

The bar is tiny. However, the bartender was very friendly, and the selection looked ok. There are a variety of soft drinks and juices on offer past the bar as well as an espresso machine that makes a variety of coffee drinks.

After the drink section is the small buffet. It is small but the hot items on offer were rather nice: a fried rice dish, beef souvlaki, and root vegetables. There are a few dessert items and some salad fixings. Weirdly, the salad/cold food section is less substantial than the hot foods.

There are some outlets adjacent to the comfortable chairs that are along the perimeter of the lounge. Otherwise, outlets are lacking. There was a password protected internet – but I could not find the network. So I just used the airport internet. There are no washrooms in the lounge – guests have to go back into the gate concourse. On the plus side, the staff were all very friendly and worked hard to keep this crowded lounge clean.

The wrap

…the details: Date: May 3, 2026. Rating: Average. Access: American Express Platinum

….what I like: The hot buffet items, the staff

—what I don’t like: Being open to the concourse, lack of outlets and washrooms.