No1 Lounge London Gatwick Airport

The excellent No1 Lounge in the Gatwick South Terminal, is a very good pay in lounge.

There is a fully tended bar, quiet library area and lots of seating options.

Hot and cold food is included in your entrance fee, but it can get busy, as it is quite a small space.

London Gatwick Airport No1 Lounge

The No1 Lounge at Gatwick South Terminal is one of a small cluster of contract lounges used by several airlines as their contract lounge for business class passengers.

Make sure you have the right lounge - and you are in the right terminal. There are No1 lounges at both the north and south terminal. Then in the South Terminal, there are actually 2 different lounges which share the same check-in area.

There is the main No1 Lounge, and then the Club Rooms which are slightly higher end, at a slightly higher cost.

When you check in, make sure you ask for a lounge access voucher if your airlines provides one - you won't get in without one, because this is of course a contract lounge.

If you don't, you'll get stung for the £40 entrance fee. The signs directing you to the lounge are pretty confusing: you go into the entrance by Harrods, take what seems like a service lift to a dingy corridor, past the V Room, around three sides of a rectangle, and along a corridor, where there is the entrance with sliding glass doors. Or you can do what everyone else does, and just take the stairs by Frankie & Bennies.

The London Gatwick No 1 Lounge is always busy - really busy - and it is now used as the lounge for TAP Portugal and and Aer Lingus as well. Opened in April 2009 it is chic relaxing place to call into, with huge floor to ceiling windows. When you are arrive there is a reception on the right, which flows into the bar area. There are bar stools here, but it really is the worst place to sit in the lounge. Further around is the famous indoor green wall. To the left of reception is the dining area, and a table football machine. Up the spiral stairs is a VIP room, a viewing balcony, computers, and the hairdressing, massage, manicure and shower facilities no less.

Bar

With all the people, it can be a bit chaotic getting served at the bar, however it is well worth while, as there are free cold drinks, wines, beers and spirits (do not tip), although the wine is pretty basic stuff straight out of Tesco, while the beer is standard Stella or Carlsberg. If you want to splash out, No1 Gatwick is more than happy to take even more of your money, and Sparkling Wine (Verve is the Champers of the moment) plus cocktails are available for purchase.

Food

Food is equally rather hard to get hold of, particularly in the morning for the early flights. There are menus on the tables, and you can order everything from Eggs Benedict to a full cooked English. It's good to see that tea comes in a proper pot as well, and there is a coffee machine on the bar. However it takes so long to get served, most people go for the continental breakfast which is on offer at the dining table by the window. The fruit salad is particularly good. LAter in the day the complimentary food offering includes cakes, savoury snacks and fresh fruit, with light bistro-style dishes available to order. The menus are on the table, and the curry is particularly good.

Access

You can buy access on the door - but it will cost an extra fiver compared to booking on line at No1 Lounges. Normal price is 25GBP for a couple of hours, rising to £40 on the door. Mind you it also includes airport fasttrack, so it is worth paying the fifteen quid in advance.

There is also access to Priority Pass, Airport Angel, and Diners Club.