Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow

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Catching Some Zzzs at the Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow

The day before I was set to fly from Frankfurt to New York, I had an eight-hour layover at London Heathrow.  I attempted to stand-by for an earlier flight, but according to the agents at the airport, that wasn’t allowed.  That meant I’d have to come up with an alternate plan.

I knew that I would be visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge LHR.  The reviews on LoungeBuddy were fantastic for a shared airport lounge.  The Plaza Premium Lounge LHR also features a hot buffet throughout the day.  What I didn’t anticipate was spending six hours in a hotel room within the lounge.

In additional to comfortable lounge seating, a full bar, hot buffet, and showers, the Plaza Premium Lounge LHR boats private sleeping rooms that can be rented for a fee.  After a sleepless flight and anticipating a long day ahead of me, I decided to rent a private room for six hours.

This was probably the best thing I could have done the entire day.  I took a nap for a couple of hours, watched a few hours of Netflix, enjoyed a hot shower, and got a bite to eat.  My experience at the Plaza Premium Lounge LHR proves that this might just be one of the best Priority Pass lounges in the entire Priority Pass network.

Lounge Location and Access

Location: The Plaza Premium Lounge LHR is located in Terminal 2 (The Queen’s Terminal).  The lounge is adjacent to passport control and a set of customer service desks.  It is down the hall away from the center atrium/departure lounge.  The lounge is open from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM 7-days a week.

Access: The lounge is a shared/communal lounge.  There are no cabin of service or elite status requirements.  Anyone can pay $43USD (2 hours) to visit the lounge.  Additionally, the lounge is part of the Priority Pass network of lounges which allows Priority Pass members to visit for free.  Some airlines operating out of Terminal 2 have agreements with this lounge that may allow you to access this lounge for free.

Buy access ahead of time with LoungeBuddy. Purchase Access

Check-In

I checked into the lounge around 10:30 AM.  I was hesitant to enter the lounge at first as there weren’t any signs or placards that indicate that this was a Priority Pass lounge.  I asked the attendant if this was, in fact, a Priority Pass lounge and he confirmed that it was.I anticipated purchasing a three-hour stay at the

I anticipated buying a three-hour stay at the lounge. However, I decided to treat myself to six hours.  Six hours would bring me to 4:35 PM which was only just a couple of hours until my flight would board.  This meant that I could have my own private room for almost the entire layover.  At 100 pounds it’s a bit steep but totally worth it.  After I paid for the private room and checked into the lounge, one of the lounge attendants welcomed me into the lounge and escorted me to my room.

Plaza Premium Lounge LHR Sleeping Room

I was assigned room C.  There are single and double rooms.  The double rooms are designed for larger families while the single rooms can accommodate up to two individuals.  Room C was a single room.

A few weeks before this layover, I visited another Priority Pass lounge at LHR however, in Terminal 3, not Terminal 2.  I was expecting modest accommodations and maybe a shower.  Basically, I wasn’t expecting much, and I didn’t need much.  All I wanted was a place to sleep.

I was ecstatic to see that the Plaza Premium Lounge Sleeping Rooms are massive and feature a generously sized bed, a desk, vanity, shower, toilet, individual climate control, and a TV.

The bed was super comfortable, and I could tell that the linens were freshly laundered.  Additionally, the pillow was surprisingly comfortable.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t use the outlets that were adjacent to the bed as I didn’t have an international outlet adapter.  I did manage to find a USB outlet at the other side of the bed.

The TV was a nice touch. Unfortunately, it appeared to short out the outlet every time I attempted to turn it on.  When I would hit the power button, the outlet would make a popping sound and required me to flip the outlet switch back on.  So essentially, it was worthless, but the wi-fi was excellent, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Adjacent to the TV was a desk.  The desk had a bottle of complimentary still water for guests and some magazines.  There was also a large mirror sitting on the desk.  The desk came in handy as I brought breakfast and a snack to my room during my stay.

On the opposite side of the bedroom was the bathroom.  The bathroom consisted of a shower, vanity area with sink, a mirror, and a toilet.  The shower was fantastic and having a personal bathroom is great because I never had to leave my room for anything other than snacks.

The bathroom was clean and well kept.  There was also soap, body wash, and shampoo provided.  The bathroom in my sleeping room was actually nicer than some hotel bathrooms I’ve come across.

After my tour of my sleeping room, I decided to tour the lounge.

Plaza Premium Lounge LHR Lounge Area

The lounge is fairly large.  There are multiple seating areas, a bar, and a restaurant.  I found the decoration to be fantastic and elaborate.  Often times, Priority Pass lounges are barebones and resemble Urgent Care waiting rooms.  The Plaza Premium Lounge LHR was decorated in warm and dark colors.  The color scheme made for an inviting and warm feel.

The Bar

I didn’t drink during my visit, so I wasn’t able to get a read on the price of premium beverages.  I did hear one guest request, “The free wine,” which tells me that much like Admiral’s Clubs and SkyClubs there are both free and premium alcoholic drinks at this lounge.  The bar is fully stocked, however, and soft drinks are available for free in a refrigerator near the buffet.

The Buffet

On the other side of the wall across of the bar is the buffet.  Most Priority Pass lounges feature an underwhelming selection of cold cuts and salty snacks.  The Plaza Premium Lounge LHR boasts an impressive hot buffet.

For breakfast, options included sausage, eggs, beans, breads, and a make your own parfait bar.  I had sausage, eggs, and a croissant.  Everything tasted great, and the buffet was kept fresh throughout my visit.

Seating Areas

The lounge features a nice amount of seating.  There were a few private areas of the lounge with full couches and partitions all of which were the first areas to be occupied by guests.  There was also a communal high table with outlets near the bar.  The furniture was well kept, and outlets were found nearby seats.

Overall

I wish every Priority Pass lounge could be like the Plaza Premium Lounge LHR.  The food and drink selection is great, and there’s a decent amount of seating throughout the lounge.  Additionally, the lounge attendants were polite throughout my visit.  If you ever find yourself needing a place to go on a long layover in Terminal 2, this lounge is the place to be.  If your layover is so long that you might need a place to sleep, pass on the overpriced hotels near Heathrow and rent a sleeping room at the Plaza Premium Lounge LHR.

Have you ever visited a Plaza Premium Lounge? How was your visit?