Every traveller, even the most budget conscious among us, deserves a treat now and again!
And never is this more welcome than after a serious amount of long-haul air travel across the globe.
Stick me on a bus or a boat for 24 hours+ and I’m fine, but for some reason my body now really struggles with long haul flying.
And so it was, that after our recent 48 hour ordeal from Brisbane to London, we were treated to a great glimpse of luxury in the form of the No1 Lounge Gatwick Airport!
The lounge was a wonderful respite from a long haul flight and I would seriously recommend it for those in transit on a long journey.
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Lucky enough for us, my parents had actually paid for the lounge as a surprise treat – booking it online through the No1 Lounges website – and what a treat!
We’d flown from Australia into London Heathrow Airport, but then needed to make the journey across to London Gatwick Airport in order to catch a further flight to Jersey in the Channel Islands, back home.
So it was, on arrival at Gatwick and after checking in for our flights to Jersey, we discovered we were going to receive what we count as a serious luxurious treat, a few hours in an airport lounge!
While the lounge, at around £30 per person for 3 hours (when booked in advance), still qualifies as a luxury expense in our budget books, it’s one that I would definitely consider value for money, especially if you are in the midst of a long haul flight adventure.
And despite my love of budgeting, it’s one that I’d definitely pay for myself without a second thought!
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After all, £30 can easily be spent on food and few drinks in Gatwick airport, which you can get for FREE in the lounge anyway!
Plus you get to relax in peaceful surrounds, on comfy chairs (we opted for some nice cosy leather sofas after the endurance of economy plane seats!) and enjoy free wifi, as well as complimentary magazines and newspapers all at the same time!
There were also, much to my delight, some showers available, with good hot water and pressure. Towels were also available for use, as well as free shower gel, shampoo etc.
The only slight issue I would mention with the showers was that they are contained within a separate spa area of the lounge. This means you have to ask reception for access and then walk past various people getting pedicures to reach to them!
Nevertheless, it was a small price to pay for the sense of being clean after a few days worth of travel!
In terms of the spa itself, there are a full range treatments available if you feel like really treating yourself, as these are priced additionally.
For those, like us, needing to work more, there were desks available, as well as chairs and tables, and even some mac computers available for free usage too!
And for families, the nearby playroom seemed to be going down a storm!
The lounge was easy to access (it was actually on the way to the Channel Islands gates where our flight departed from) and it was lovely to arrive at the door and be greeted by a friendly member of staff who kindly showed us around.
Indeed all the staff at the No1 Lounge were extremely helpful and friendly and the place was spotlessly clean
And for that added bit of luxury, access to the No1 Lounge also included premium security access, giving us a faster channel through the bag check stage of our journey.
Food at the No1 Lounge in Gatwick was served in a lovely light, airy dining room, which gave a great view over the runway of Gatwick’s North Terminal!
Welcome to the UK!
The room was stylishly presented with simple white furnishings and a glass front.
The complimentary buffet was a fairly small, standard offering of foods, but fresh fruit and healthy snacks such as granola and yoghurt were available, which we enjoyed.
Breakfast at the buffet was served until 11am and after this, a lunch / dinner menu kicked in. In addition to the buffet, access at the No1 Lounge also granted us one free meal from an additional menu.
The boy sampled the eggs Florentine from the breakfast menu, as well as the Lamb Kofta from the lunch menu! Both were flavoursome, but very small portions – certainly more of a tapas affair.
However we were certainly not complaining given the price of the lounge access and the cost of food in airports anyway!
In fact, this is exactly what made the No1 Lounge such a bargain!
In addition, the food was served alongside a free selection of tea, coffee and soft drinks, as well as a complimentary selection of wine and beer – perfect for breakfast! Further drinks were available at a price from the bar.
Relaxing in the Gatwick Airport No1 Lounge, felt like a serious level of luxury to me and started our trip back to see my family in style.
It totally helped me recover from the long haul and after a shower and some food, I felt refreshed and revitalised.
In fact, it helped us recover so much that I would definitely consider using the service again, despite my budget backpacking ways!
I think the No1 Lounge at Gatwick offered excellent value for money and made me aware that airport lounges are no longer the exuberant hub they once were.
Have you been to one of the No1 Lounges in Gatwick?
Do let us know about any other bargain lounges you’ve encountered across the globe.
Besides those at Gatwick Airport, No1 Lounges
, also offer a range of lounges at other UK airports, as well as shuttle transfer services and other treats to get your holiday off to a flying start.
I definitely recommend checking out their website and to see what bargains you can nab for the start of your next trip!
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