Easyjet Gateway London Gatwick Lounge
The Easyjet Gateway Lounge in the North Terminal is the one and only Easyjet lounge in the world.
It has a look is best described as 'industrial shabby chic', which was briefly trendy when it was built.
There is a complementary bar, decent dining, and an urban loft atmosphere.
London Gatwick Easyjet Gateway lounge review
It may come as a surprise that there is an Easyjet lounge at all: after all, Easyjet should the realm of low cost, no frill flying. However, with tickets now on a par with those offered by the legacy carriers - which also offer lounge access - Easyjet have decided to join the big boys, and offer a lounge, at their low-cost bucket and spade destination of Gatwick.
The Easyjet Gateway London Gatwick Lounge is not as bad as you might think, with a bold Industrial decor, Games Room, TVs, WiFi, charging points, and digital newspapers. However, it is the complementary food and free flowing bar that draws most customers in here. For the price of five pints in the nearby Wetherspoons, or two in the new Brewdog, it is no wonder many passengers fork out over thirty quid to pop in here instead.
Previously known as the MyLounge London Gatwick, the Gateway Lounge in the North Terminal is the one and only Easyjet lounge in the world.
While the atmosphere is certainly not either laid-back or a Business Class lounging experience, it does certainly add a bit more class to an Easyjet trip.
You enter up the main lounge corridor, and then immediately turn left, beside the industrial steel wall. The entire lounge is glass fronted so anyone passing can see the whole space - although you would only pass the lounge if you were on the way to one of the other lounges, like the Emirates lounge or the Clubrooms.
Once you are past the reception desk - which is really little more than a shelf beside the entrance, with a credit card machine - you will immediately spot the main feature, a 15 foot long wooden table with ten yellow chairs around it. This is the famous communal dining area, although it does always feel a little like a refectory at a boarding school.
The main buffet area is here too, and right by the door as you enter is the free bar. It is either conveniently sited so you can get a drink as you enter, or so the staff can keep an eye on it. Next to it are half a dozen square dining tables, if communal dining is too much.
Further in, through another steel and glass wall, is the main seating area, while on the left is the games room with table football and arcade games. There are seats overlooking the windows, although in truth the view is little more than the rest of the terminal. Incidentally, here, every table has a letter as a base which spelt out L-O-U-N-G-E, while the wooden bench in the games room adds the 'MY' to spell 'My Lounge'.
Further round again, at the corner of the L, is a TV room, and then right at the end of the lounge is a table with three chairs, and a large L shaped leather bench. Which is rarely used, but seems to permanently have a 'reserved' sign on it.
The end of the lounge has a 'shabby chic' or hipster ethos, althoug that has softened since the Easyjet takeover. There is now real cutlery, proper plates and even glassware, replacing the original cardboard ones. Blue bean bags and yellow cushions have appeared. The grafiti and street art is gone, and pot plants have arrived. Also, Mylounge has added a huge number of plugs into the lounge, screwed to the window pillars.
Food
Many passengers come in to the Easyjet Gateway London Gatwick Lounge to eat their fill before a flight to the sun, so as you might imagine, there is an impressive full English setup, with bacon, sausages, eggs, bacon, and beans. For a slightly healthier options, there is also a pancake machine.There is also a nacho bar.
Later in the day sandwiches and salads replace the fryup, with two main bowls of salads, with a couple of additions and cheese you can add in.
Plus, there are four hot dishes, with a couple of pasta, a rice, and generally a curry of some lurid description.
Bar
Wine is certainly not a problem in the Easyjet Gateway London Gatwick Lounge, and is available from the early hours. It is in an ice bucket - but quite some ice bucket! It is the size of a baby bath, and typically contains four bottles of white wine, and a rose.
There are two different types of red wine on the shelf above the white.
Beer is on two beer taps beside the wine, with Amstel lager, and Inch's cider.
Adding to the cheap student vibe, there are five spirits on optics right by reception. There is Gordon's gin, Grouse whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, Lados Rum, and Claririon Brandy.
You can mix your own cocktails, with an assortments of mixers including tonic, and a tray of lemon, lime, and Worcester Sauce, plus the usual soft drinks on a fountain.
Business Facilities
Free wifi, and that's about it.However, there is a great arcade games machine, with a dozen old retro games to load up.
There is also a table football machine.
Bathrooms
In lounge.Two unisex restrooms are available however, there are no showers.
Access
Free entry to anyone on a fully flexible easyJet ticket.
Priority Pass, DragonPass.
Or pay £34 on the door.
Video: Easyjet Gateway Lounge
