Minneapolis airport's new Portal Lounge has a robot bartender. Here's what it's like

MINNEAPOLIS - My first drink in the new Portal Lounge at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was made by a robot bartender.

My second drink was made by a human bartender - because the robot had broken down.

Apparently, that's not uncommon, according to the human - the only one of the two bartenders capable of conversation.

Sure, the robot could swing its hydraulic arm toward the ceiling, where upside-down bottles of liquor hang like bats, programmed to dispense precise amounts of liquid into a shaker. It could even pour the concoction from the shaker into a plastic cup without making much of a splash. But it couldn't ask me how my day was going.

Portal Lounge is the newest addition to the lounge lineup at MSP's Terminal 1. Three are Delta Air Lines lounges with strict access requirements tied to flights, status or credit cards. But the other three - Portal, Escape Lounge and PGA MSP Lounge - are open to anyone who pays an entry fee. They're also included with Priority Pass, a membership that comes with travel credit cards such as the Capital One Venture X and the American Express Platinum.

With travel becoming increasingly à la carte - we can pay for our seats, our bags, and even the order in which we board - unbundling lounges from premium tickets makes sense. More airport lounges are easier to get into, thanks to day passes and credit card perks that act as tickets into tricked-out waiting rooms.

At the same time, there's a new tier of ultra-luxe lounges reserved only for the travelers paying thousands for business-class flights. At MSP, Delta is aiming to open a Delta One lounge for its highest-end passengers.

Portal falls somewhere in between. It's a refuge from the bustle of the concourses or the search for a seat at a crowded gate, but without the need for a first-class ticket. The experience isn't especially luxurious, but it is within the reach of a regular traveler.

Entering the Portal

For Priority Pass members, myself included, there's no cost to enter the Portal Lounge through its fluorescent-lit walkway at the edges of Concourses C and D. Otherwise, admission costs $70 for a day pass with in-and-out privileges, complimentary drinks and a small buffet. There are upcharges for more elaborate cocktails, but all can easily be ordered on a touchscreen.

The buffet had some pre-portioned protein-and-rice bowls, a salad bar, buffalo cauliflower, pulled pork sliders and a couple sweets. There's a self-serve soda fountain with Pepsi products and a make-your-own latte machine. If food is fuel to you, this will fill you up just fine, even if there isn't much variety. But we've had more interesting meals from local restaurants with outposts in Terminal 1.

The Portal space looks more like the common area in a tech startup office than any airport lounge I've been to, with dim lighting, purple and blue LEDs and glowing motivational signage declaring "Burn the Ships."

It comes with a mix of bar-top seating, traditional tables and chairs, and banquettes with little round drink stands. Business travelers would fare better at other lounges with larger surfaces for laptops. I was comfortable enough on a banquette, but I was bothered by the lack of natural light. There are no windows in the Portal Lounge, except a couple of wall cutouts that face the interior concourse.

For some, the robot isn't the biggest draw to the new lounge. A second room contains 17 video game stations with a mix of consoles and PCs, some with gaming chairs.

I took a quick spin on Super Mario Galaxy, but, like most of the people I saw in the lounge, I preferred to while away an hour before my flight buried in my own phone screen, instead. If I were traveling with my young kids, I'd probably steer clear of the game room entirely, knowing they were about to be glued to their seatback entertainment or an iPad on our hours-long flight. But older kids and young adults might find the game room the lounge's best feature.

For me, the highlight was the drinks, no matter who made them. It did seem to matter to the humans on staff, though.

"I could do it faster and it would probably taste better, to be honest with you," the bartender said as he poured my robot-made Mojito from the plastic cup into a beveled glass garnished with a lime wedge and a mint leaf, handing it to me.

Later, when the robot was out of commission due to an issue with the ice dispenser, a different human shook me up an autumnal tequila and apple cocktail called the Lag Free. "It's more of just the show," he said about his futuristic colleague. "It's not actually convenient at all."

Maybe not, but if the goal is to make waiting for a flight just a little more interesting, Portal accomplished that.

Escape and PGA lounges

Even better, Portal isn't the only option at MSP.

If filling up on a wider selection of food is more important, try the Escape Lounge, perched above the entrance to Concourse E. While it can get crowded, there's a fuller buffet than Portal had - and windows right onto the runway. My family stops here before almost every flight, and the $45 entry (free with Priority Pass or certain American Express cards) can be a value compared to the tab at many airport restaurants.

Or, for a quiet space to work and room to spread out, the nearby PGA MSP Lounge surprised me. It looks like an upscale clubhouse, with leather seating and floor-to-ceiling views of both the concourse and the runway. There's no food or drink included, but Priority Pass comes with $15 off and your choice to use it at the connected Ike's restaurant or to play on a golf simulator, which I did - poorly. Without Priority Pass, access is $20 for the first guest and $10 for each additional. Golf costs extra, but because the simulators are rented by the bay rather than by the person, it could be a great pre-flight activity for a group.

After spending time in all three of the most attainable lounges at MSP, I'm not sure Portal would be my pick for the longest layover. But I'd probably go back for one more robot-made Mojito - assuming the robot is working.

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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 1:20 AM.