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Nestled among a cluster of lounges<\/a> in the North terminal, the No1 Lounge can be accessed through the Priority Pass<\/a>, Dragon Pass<\/a>, and Lounge Key<\/a> programmes (among others), or you can pay a one-off entry fee of \u00a340. I was visiting on a Friday evening under membership of Priority Pass (formerly Lounge Club), which came as a perk with a new Amex<\/a>.<\/p> To get into the lounge, you\u2019ll need to get past its gatekeeper by showing your programme membership card, which can involve a little queueing. You can book in advance at the No1 Lounge site for a cheaper entry fee and to guarantee entry. There\u2019s also a dress code, but it doesn\u2019t appear overly strict.<\/p> On my visit, the lounge appeared to be almost at capacity. You\u2019re not allocated a table on entry and at first glance, none were available. However, I soon discovered the spacious \u201clibrary\u201d area (don\u2019t worry, you won\u2019t get told off if you use your phone) with its Chesterfields, low lighting and golden-age-of-flying memorabilia.<\/p> The lounge enjoys views of the runway but, surprisingly, you don\u2019t really hear the planes. TVs showing BBC Parliament and the latest from the Ashes were on mute with subtitles, and overall, despite a fairly lively bar, it\u2019s a pleasantly tranquil space.<\/p> With just the one departures screen, by the entrance, and the option to stay for up to three hours, you\u2019ll want to take care not to relax to the point of missing your flight.<\/p> Friendly staff help to create a welcoming atmosphere around the island bar. The food is also very respectable, with a choice of three hot dishes that included two vegetarian options on the day I visited and a selection of interesting sweet and savoury snacks (I can\u2019t recommend those French rosemary nuts highly enough).<\/p> The furniture, decor and lighting all contribute to the overall smart-yet-unfussy style. <\/p> A few more plug sockets for travellers looking to charge their phones or catch up on a little work wouldn\u2019t go amiss. Similarly, the lounge had all but run out of newspapers on my visit, despite the presence of a large number of those strange, wooden newspaper poles suggesting to the contrary.<\/p> Many tables were left uncleared and the buffet tables were looking rather neglected, yet at the same time there seemed to be a whole lot of hoovering going on (unavoidable, presumably, in a lounge that\u2019s open 18 hours a day).<\/p> While the No1 Lounge may not be getting everything right, it\u2019s an elegant and calming space with decent refreshments.<\/p> If the No1 Lounge sounds like the right place to wait for your next flight out of Gatwick, you can pay full-whack on the door, book in advance for a little less or you can access it by signing up to a pay-yearly programme like Priority Pass<\/a> or by choosing a travel\/rewards credit card that comes with complimentary lounge access<\/a>.<\/p> Our lounge reviews are based on a visit to the actual lounge during normal operation. We won\u2019t write reviews based on access during a media preview or other event, since that doesn\u2019t reflect the experience for regular visitors.<\/p> We offer an honest and open critique from one of our frequent flyer experts. Being in a lounge should always be more pleasant than being stuck waiting at the gate, but we won\u2019t shy away from highlighting issues.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div> \n\n First impressions<\/h3>
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<\/p>What does the No1 Lounge do well?<\/h3>
What could the No1 Lounge do better?<\/h3>
The bottom line<\/h3>
Want to give it a go?<\/h3>
Finder airport lounge ratings<\/h4>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span> \u2013 Excellent<\/div>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span> \u2013 Good<\/div>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span> \u2013 Average<\/div>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span> \u2013 Subpar<\/div>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span> \u2013 Poor<\/div><\/div>