Club Riviera Nice Lounge
The Nice Club Riviera Lounge is a disappointment. It is a third party lounge, and as such lets in all the Priority Pass passengers from Nice (normally on Easyjet) too.
When Emirates flights are leaving, the lounge is a real squeeze. The lounge is run by the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Nice Cote d'Azur, and you get the impression they just can't be bothered with people who want to leave the area, seeing the state of the four lounges they run (which include the miserable Cap D'Antibes and Club Cap Ferrat (Known as the Ferret Club to ex-pats) over in Terminal 2.
The biggest problem with the Nice Club Riviera lounge is that it is in the Non-Schengen side, so if you are early you have to wait for the sole passport controller to lumber along, wake up, and then finally glance at your passport before you are let though to the small holding pen where the lounge is. Beware that in this gate area, you can't get out, and there is only one cafe and a small shop. A pleasant experience it is not.
The Club Riviera Lounge in Nice is also the Nice British Airways Lounge. It is on the first floor, served by a very slow lift: this allows the receptionist to size you up as you very slowly inch up to the lounge, however they seem to let in pretty much everyone: there is little number control, so long as you have your Club Europe boarding card, or Executive Card to hand. In theory they print out lists of passengers before hand, so they can greet you, but they are generally incorrect.
And then you're into the Club Riviera Lounge... which is massively underwhelming. It has a Seating Capacity of 96 and it is rammed with leather armchairs, and very small formica coffee tables (of a dentist waiting room style), with a few curved glass barriers to add to the atmosphere.
The view, such as it is, is of the inside of the terminal building. Wow. The Nice Airport Club Riviera Lounge really isn't up to all that much.
Food
Food is poor, to non-existent. There is a tall plastic tower with mini-pizza squares and onion tarts. This is next to a microwave, so you can warm them up (turn the time dial to the right in 5 second intervals to heat it).
There are also small slabs of cheese in plastic, a few sandwiches, and a big vase filled with small bitter tasting olives.
Bar
The bar is marginally better in the Nice British Airways Lounge. There are cans of beer, eight bottles of spirits (including Beefeater gin), and champagne on request.
To get at this, you have to disturb the snooze of the lounge cleaner by tapping on the mirrored window, and ask for Pink or Normal. You'll have to do this in French too, as they don't understand any English.
Supposedly, you are only permitted one glass, but there seems to be no restriction on refills.
Bathrooms
Toilets in lounge.
Business Facilities
There is theoretically free wifi in the lounge, however you have to ask at the desk for the password, and it rarely works. All in all, the Nice Airport Club Riviera Lounge is better than being outside with the great unwashed, but not much.
Newspapers are woeful. There are just a few French papers, and that is it. On large letters on the papers there are signs warning you that you can't take them out of the lounge.
| Club Riviera Lounge | ||
|---|---|---|
Loungeindex
rating:
3 out of
10
| ||
| Location: | Terminal 1, B area, opposite gate B12 | |
| Open hours: | 0600-2100 | |
| Pay Per Access: | US$50 | |
| Lounge for: | Independent Club | |
| Access: | Access for Business Class, Gold & Silver Executive Club members and oneworld Emerald & Sapphire if on Oneworld | |