Typically the girls and I like to look around the shops in the airport departure lounge before our flight but as it was a special occasion (my brother-in-laws wedding in Orlando and my parents-in-law 40th wedding anniversary) we booked into the brand new No1 Traveller Lounge which opened earlier this year.
We had a great overnight stay at the Hilton Gatwick, and as we had already checked in our luggage for our flight to Orlando the night before using the highly recommended twilight check-in service with BA we whisked through security using the really efficient and family security line.
We made our way to the No1 Traveller Lounge at Gatwick South Terminal and we were warmly welcomed by staff in the lobby area of the lounge.
No1 Traveller Lounges have really created a stylish lounge here at the South Terminal and it was great to escape from the busy and frantic departure lounge outside where you would be lucky to get a seat into a calm peaceful environment.
As we were taken to our reserved table in the sleek and stylish interior it really does turn your journey into a VIP experience. Our circular couch with a table was a great place of relax and if you did need to charge any electronic devices there were lots of power points at the table and across the lounge.
Within the spacious and stylish lounge was a restaurant, bar area and lots of very comfortable sofas and seating areas across the lounge area. There was also a dedicated TV room, library (available to guests over 12 years old), flight departure screens and two Apple Macs available to use.
Within the lounge were lots of complimentary magazines and newspapers to read. Wifi was complimentary and speeds were great during our visit.
Located in the centre of the lounge was the bar area, where you order your hot food and drinks. There was a wide range of complimentary drinks on offer from soft drinks and water to draught and bottled beers, wine and premium spirits. Champagne (£8 glass) and Prosecco (£4 glass) was also available.
As we visited early in the morning before 11am the No1 Lounge offers a range of complimentary breakfast options including, cereals, yoghurts, fruit to warm dishes such as bacon rolls. There were two self-serve coffee machines and a good selection of Twining’s teas available along with soft drink stations on opposite ends of the lounge.
What was great about having access to the lounge was that the toilets were is pristine condition with l’occitane soap one of my favourites. It’s always a bugbear of mine when travelling with children and having to wait in long lines for the toilet in the departure lounge and many times they are not the cleanest due to the amount of people using the facilities.
Although the lounge was busy during our visit it never felt overcrowded and although there were mainly adults using the lounge it very much had a family feel and catered for children brilliantly. The attentive staff were fantastic and kept the lounge really clean and well stocked.
The large windows around the perimeter of the lounge provided unrivalled views of the tarmac and runway where the girls had fun spotting the various planes come and go.
Overall
We were really impressed with the No1 Lounge in the Gatwick South Terminal. Our experience at the No1 Lounge was so good it would be difficult to visit the airport again without using this fantastic lounge. It was so relaxing which is just what we needed before our 9 hour flight to Orlando.
Price
Adults £32
Children £16
If you don’t have complimentary lounge access with your airline or with a lounge card you can pre book your access on the No1lounges.com website. The lounge is really popular and I would strongly advise pre-booking your visit in advance. Another benefit of booking directly through No1 Lounges is that you get complimentary Premium Security lane.
The No1 Airport Lounge is open 4:00am to 10:00pm daily and a smart/casual dress code applies.