Where is it?
The lounge is located airside in the North Terminal at London Gatwick. All lounges in the North Terminal are located in the same area making them easy to find if you follow the “Lounges” signs in the transit hall. In practice it means a left turn after the security control through the shopping area in the transit hall.
How do I get in?
“Everybody welcome” is written on the glass wall at the lounge entrance and this is exactly the case, anyone can pay to get in. It is possible to buy access online in advance (on some websites this also includes fast track through security) and of course you can buy access directly at the reception. Lounge cards like Priority Pass and Airport Angel also give access.
What’s it like?
The lounge opened in 2014 making it the newest lounge in the terminal. It can best be described as a very relaxed and informal place, decorated much like the home of someone young with a modern but laid-back interior and contemporary furniture. The lounge is divided into different sections including a kitchen, a living room and a game area.
Although described as a new lounge with a new concept, in practice the lounge is owned and run by No1 Traveller Lounge, a company offering lounges at several British airports, including a proper one at Gatwick just a few metres away.
The interior is fun and inviting making you feel a bit like being at home. You can take a seat in one of the comfy sofas and watch your favourite show on the TV.
Glass walls are used in the lounge to create different sections. These are the same type of glass walls that are used for the external walls meaning anyone who passes can see the interior from the outside. But on the other hand this setup probably attracts some spontaneous guests to buy a lounge pass.
The dining area is also very casual, in fact the whole lounge concept is relaxed and informal and this makes it different from traditional business lounges targeted at business travellers. Even the reception staff are mostly young people casually dressed in jeans instead of uniforms.
Food and drinks
A self-service buffet is available right after the reception desk in what looks like a rather nicely designed kitchen.
Unfortunately the selection of food is very limited with nothing more to eat than popcorn, crisps and nuts, vegetables and dips and some cakes and cookies. The only thing that could possibly be described as proper food during the test visit was some chilli. No sandwiches were on offer and nothing else substantial to eat.
A full drinks selection was available though including red and white wine, beer, a standard selection of spirits, soft drinks and a coffee machine. It is also possible to buy some other beverages from the staff, for example a bottle of Prosecco sparkling wine.
Facilities
A cool feature of the lounge is the game room with a table football and a Playstation. There are also several TVs in the lounge and a selection of newspapers and magazines. Free wireless internet is available with the password provided by the reception staff. Restrooms are also available inside the lounge.
Final impression
This is a fun lounge with a different and laid-back concept. In contrast to most lounges geared at business travellers this lounge also wants to attract leisure travellers to feel at home. And it is a very nice and relaxing place to wait for the flight. The only real drawback is the very limited selection of food inside. If you are hungry, make sure you visit a restaurant before the visit, or if you have the option, use one of the other lounges nearby with more extensive food offerings.
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