- Introduction: Four Times Across The Atlantic
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A350 (MIA-FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: Prima Vista Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A320 (FCO-CAI)
- Changing Terminals At Cairo Airport: Still Complicated
- Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI)
- My Rough Night At Cairo Airport, Made Better By EgyptAir’s Osama
- Review: EgyptAir Business Class 787 (CAI-CDG)
- Review: Sheraton Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: YOTELAIR Paris Airport Priority Pass Lounge (CDG)
- Review: Air France Lounge Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: New Air France Business Class 777-300ER (CDG-JFK)
- Review: Hyatt Regency JFK At Resorts World New York
- Review: AA & BA Greenwich Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Soho Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Chelsea Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: British Airways Lounge Newark Airport (EWR)
- Review: New British Airways First Class 777 (EWR-LHR)
- Review: Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: No1 Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic A330neo Upper Class Business Class (LHR-MIA)
- Is Virgin Atlantic’s Retreat Suite Worth It?
Prior to my A330-900neo Upper Class flight to Miami, I visited the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow. I’ve visited this lounge many times over the years, though not since the start of the pandemic, so I was curious to see how it was holding up.
Well, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse continues to be an exceptional business class lounge, among the best in the world. It has beautiful decor, great views, some unique amenities, friendly service, and tasty food. Visiting a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is such a massive contrast to visiting your typical British Airways Galleries Business Lounge.
However, it is worth acknowledging that the lounge has also made some major cutbacks. Gone are the days of massages, a hair salon, and a jacuzzi. Let’s get into the review…
In this post:
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow location
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located in Heathrow Terminal 3, which is where all Virgin Atlantic flights depart from. Once you clear security, just follow the signage to the “Lounge H” area. It’s only a few minutes walk from the security checkpoint.
Once you get to this area, you’ll find the American Admirals Club on the terminal level, while the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is up a level.
You can either go up a level using the swanky elevator with seating, or you can walk up the stairs.
The entrance to the lounge feels like a nice hotel lobby, with cool lighting and design.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow hours
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow is currently open daily from 6AM until 10:30PM, or until the last departure. I can appreciate the need to control costs, but personally I found the opening time to be kind of limiting.
For what it’s worth, Virgin Atlantic’s flight from Johannesburg arrives before 5AM, and lots of people connect from there from the United States, so are potentially stuck standing outside the Clubhouse for nearly an hour. Furthermore, Virgin Atlantic’s first departure from Heathrow is at 8AM, which doesn’t give guests all that much time to enjoy the lounge.
I was at the lounge when it opened, and there were literally dozens of people waiting to get in, so clearly passengers have the desire to access the lounge earlier than the current opening time allows.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow entry requirements
Who can access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow? With Virgin Atlantic now part of SkyTeam, lounge access has been expanded quite a bit. The following passengers can access the Clubhouse:
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers (with one guest)
- Delta One passengers (no guests)
- Aeromexico business class passengers (no guests)
- Air France passengers connecting to a La Premiere flight (one guest)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members traveling on Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or Aeromexico (one guest)
- Delta SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion members traveling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta (one guest)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue Platinum members traveling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta (one guest)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus members (excluding Delta SkyMiles Gold Medallion and Air France-KLM Flying Blue Gold members) traveling on Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or Aeromexico (one guest)
- Virgin Australia Velocity Club Platinum and Gold members traveling in Virgin Atlantic (one guest)
- Singapore KrisFlyer Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Gold members, traveling on Virgin Atlantic (no guests)
- Air New Zealand Elite or Gold members traveling on Virgin Atlantic to San Francisco (no guests)
As you can see, there are quite a few pathways to accessing the Clubhouse.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow layout & seating
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow spans 26,000 square feet. Even though not a whole lot has changed with the decor over the years, it still feels fresh and well maintained. I love how the Clubhouse is broken up into so many different zones, depending on what you’re looking to do, and what kind of a vibe you prefer.
When you enter the Clubhouse, you’ll first see the 46-foot long bar, where all the drinks are served from. There’s plenty of seating around the bar, from chairs with ottomans, to couches, to high-top seating.
The area to the right of the bar has the very standard design you’ll find at all Clubhouses, with colorful seating, and even “swing” seats and other fun furniture.
The area to the left of the bar is dedicated to dining, and almost feels like a restaurant. There are dozens of tables and booths where you can sit if you’d like to enjoy an a la carte dining experience.
The area of the lounge along the windows has more traditional lounge seating for relaxing.
There’s also a long and narrow seating area behind the bar, which often stays fairly quiet.
This area also has the best views of the apron, with an especially awesome view of whatever plane is parked at the gate closest to the lounge (in this case a Delta Airbus A330).
While the above covers the main part of the lounge, there are some other unique spaces. Inside the entrance and to the very right is a TV area that’s a bit secluded. There are some couches you could more or less nap on, with a huge wall of TVs.
Then there’s the the area which was the former spa, which has been repurposed into… well, I’m not sure what exactly this is supposed to be?
There are a handful of things that almost look like pool cabanas, except they have leather chairs with ottomans. They’re surrounded by fake trees and greenery, and I guess it’s supposed to be someone to chill out.
It’s nice that Virgin Atlantic did something with this space rather than just shutting it down altogether, though it definitely seems more like a low budget afterthought than something that a lot of effort was put into (unlike the rest of the lounge).
Also in this area is a model Virgin Voyages cruise ship, which is a logical cross-promotion.
In the space of the former hair salon, Virgin Atlantic has a few Peloton bikes, where you can get exercise with an amazing view. This is a cute concept, though I didn’t see anyone use this facility for the several hours I spent in the lounge.
The above covers what’s available on the main level of the lounge. In the back left of the lounge there’s a staircase leading up a level. Once here, there’s a small area with a pool table, where you can also sit.
Then there’s a staircase from there that leads up a further level, to what Virgin Atlantic refers to as the lounge’s “garden.” This is such a cool outdoor space with seating and amazing views of the airport. How fun!
While the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse isn’t quite as over the top was it was in the past, it’s still an exceptional business class lounge in terms of design. The lounge definitely got busy during peak hours, but not uncomfortably so, which I’d consider to be a win nowadays (given how many lounges have major crowding issues).
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow food & drinks
Virgin Atlantic takes a totally different approach to lounge catering than what you’ll find in most business class lounges. While most lounges primarily have self serve options, Virgin Atlantic has servers roaming the lounge who serve you.
Each table in the lounge has a QR code, where you can scan the menu and even do mobile ordering. Alternatively, you can flag down a server, and they’ll be happy to help you.
One of my favorite things about the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is how nice everyone is. The servers genuinely seem like they enjoy their jobs and want to make guests happy. They’re proactive and friendly, and constantly check if anyone wants something. That’s such a refreshing contrast to your typical airport lounge.
The lounge does have a small buffet area, but rather than serving yourself, one of the people behind the counter will serve you.
For breakfast, options here included all kinds of fresh fruit, juices, several kinds of yogurt with a variety of accompaniments, cold cuts, cheese, hardboiled eggs, pastries, cereal, cookies, and more.
There’s also a station with filtered coffee, tea, and orange juice, though the staff are happy to serve you this as well.
During my extended visit in the lounge, I tried a couple of things from the menu. You can find the breakfast menu below.
You can find the breakfast drink menu below.
During my stay, I had a cappuccino, a latte, and a berry smoothie, all of which were delicious. Kudos to Virgin Atlantic for having barista-made coffee, as it should be.
For breakfast, I ordered the malabar masala with chapati and pickled salad, which was very tasty.
Later on I also had some fruit salad, as well as some yogurt with granola.
For a business class lounge, the catering here is exceptional, both in terms of quality and variety. The friendly and proactive service is the icing on the cake. This is a restaurant quality experience in every way.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow bathrooms & showers
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow has bathrooms in two different areas of the lounge. One of the bathroom areas has more of a shared men’s room, with urinals, stalls, and shared sinks.
Meanwhile the bathrooms in the other part of the lounge all have individual bathrooms that have toilets and sinks.
The staff in the lounge were constantly refreshing the toilets, so they were always kept clean.
On top of that, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse has several shower suites, which are quite nice. Each has a walk-in shower, a toilet, and a sink, and is quite spacious.
Bottom line
While the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse isn’t quite as good as it used to be, it’s still an exceptional business class lounge. It has a fun vibe, plenty of seating, excellent food and drinks, friendly service, and some fun amenities, like an outdoor terrance and Peloton bikes.
If you ask me, this ranks as one of the top “hub” business class lounges in the world, and this is infinitely better than the ground experience that British Airways offers its business class passengers at Heathrow.
What do you make of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow?
Just flew Upper class the other day out of Heathrow and I can concur—I absolutely loved the food and the service. The peloton was a bit wonky when I was there, but the nap pods and the shower rooms were fantastic.
My family & I (spouse + 4 year old) recently had the chance to experience the Newark United Polaris lounge (1K flying Polaris to London) and Heathrow Virgin Clubhouse (Silver flying economy with 2 lounge vouchers).
Despite my status and flying Polaris, the staff in the lounge were borderline hostile, especially at the restaurant and shower area.
I was sure I couldn't take my family to the Clubhouse in London as a nobody...
My family & I (spouse + 4 year old) recently had the chance to experience the Newark United Polaris lounge (1K flying Polaris to London) and Heathrow Virgin Clubhouse (Silver flying economy with 2 lounge vouchers).
Despite my status and flying Polaris, the staff in the lounge were borderline hostile, especially at the restaurant and shower area.
I was sure I couldn't take my family to the Clubhouse in London as a nobody with only 2 vouchers for a family of 3. What a revelation as the kind lounge attendant not only allowed us in (speaking to us very kindly) but also gave my daughter crayons and coloring book. The lounge itself was amazing with great food, amenities and service.
Additionally, the Virgin economy flight had better service than United Polaris (this is not the first time). I now know which airline I'm going to spend my money with.
We love the Virgin Heathrow club house, it is an intrinsic part of our holiday and we can't wait until our next visit in 3 weeks time
Can I add, I am exceptionally taken back by the exclusive area for VA customers in Heathrow.....But when I came to the bathroom pictures (the ladies/gents? that horrifying pic really put me off!!!)
The ad team really need to address this and replace it with another snap of because it just bring the quality and high standards of what it represents right down to zero.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
I disagree we flew last Sat 11th March to Barbados departing about 11am and was completely underwhelmed. The initial greeting was barely a smile, the lounge almost nowhere to sit and surly staff. The A La carte restaurant was poor with food arriving before drinks and barely warm.
When we mentioned this there barely any engagement, considering how all the blogs and articles rave about this I was really disappointed. My last experience...
Hi,
I disagree we flew last Sat 11th March to Barbados departing about 11am and was completely underwhelmed. The initial greeting was barely a smile, the lounge almost nowhere to sit and surly staff. The A La carte restaurant was poor with food arriving before drinks and barely warm.
When we mentioned this there barely any engagement, considering how all the blogs and articles rave about this I was really disappointed. My last experience at at the BA lounge LHR Term 5 was much better.
@Ben - I noticed you took out the link for ordering, however the bar code picture still allows ordering.
I have always been made welcome and treated as a special guest., u like some lounges where it is a help yourself attitude.
They always go out of their way to make you happy.
So, if you are Flying Blue or Delta Gold, does it mean you have no lounge?
I mean, even if they give them a contract lounge, seems quite shitty to prioritise other elite plus members over Flying Blue and Delta's.
You get access to the Aspire Lounge in T3, not sure which lounge will be used when AF/KLM move back to T4
Please review drive through check-in next time, it’s the USP of the VS lounge.
'It's great but...' = 5 stars
Please come up with some sort of criteria for your ratings (if you're going to give them)!!!
@ Tommy -- As I said, I'd consider this to be one of the best business class lounges in the world, so why wouldn't it get five stars? I'm curious, what hub business class lounges in the world would you consider better than this? I'd say the Al Mourjan Lounge Doha and Emirates Business Lounge Doha could arguably be considered as good or even better, but I can't think of any other lounges.
Agreed re: your rating; but generally speaking - for the layperson, it would be good to know /why/ in a very short, concise way. Most lounge consumers don't have choice when they rock up to a lounge; they do when booking a flight. It's quite difficult to discern 'value' from your reviews - that's what's missing: some clear value measure.
I really, really love and appreciate your blog, but sometimes a summary is all one needs.
In this day and age, it's no longer enough to say it's one of the best. You've been to most, so perhaps give a comparison in the main blog.
Think this calls for a 'best business class lounges' post
I love that lounge as well and the vibe. The last couple of times I was there in the last 6 months, it was at least once INSANELY crowded to the point that it took me a while to find an available seat, and I have to say that even then it wasn't particularly unpleasant! If you really want to indulge, in the afternoon there is an afternoon tea service with the delicious snacks coming...
I love that lounge as well and the vibe. The last couple of times I was there in the last 6 months, it was at least once INSANELY crowded to the point that it took me a while to find an available seat, and I have to say that even then it wasn't particularly unpleasant! If you really want to indulge, in the afternoon there is an afternoon tea service with the delicious snacks coming in a super cute wicker picnic basket... Love it. Almost makes it worth the outrageous fuel surcharges when redeeming points hah.
Ben, what happen to Virgin categorizing the lounge as a "first class" lounge, which would have the effect of excluding SkyTeam elites?
@ Lee -- Well we knew Virgin Atlantic would carve out some exceptions with access to this lounge, and that's also exactly what happened. SkyMiles Gold Medallion members and Flying Blue Gold members don't get access, even though they're SkyTeam Elite Plus.
You used the phrase, 'happy to serve you' and I concur. On many visits, I have never had an indifferent server. They all seem to be quite happy doing what they are doing.
I think you mentioned a few posts ago that the company responsible for the lounge is changing. Let's hope the high standards are maintained.
It's great to hear that you've had a positive experience at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse before the pandemic. It's also good to know that the lounge offers options for families, allowing them to enter for a reasonable fee. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
I used to go to that lounge once a month before the pandemic and it was my favorite. Way better than their arrival lounge which is small. I remember them allowing me to pay maybe £20 per person to allow my 2 kids to enter with me (me as Delta Diamond and wife as guest). Not sure if that is still the case.
Oh my?! Who designs these bathrooms without any partitions at the urinals? These appear to be particularly exposed.
It’s pretty standard in the UK not to have partitions between urinals. It was quite notable when I came to the states how all urinals have little walls between them.
I was typing a comment to say the same as Ben, but he beat me to it. The standard urinal design in the UK used to be a simple trough on which partitions are not really possible. So I guess we’ve culturally got used to the openness — and we’re probably not quite so obsessed with the idea that every man is trying to get a look at our winkies. Conversely, stalls will likely have...
I was typing a comment to say the same as Ben, but he beat me to it. The standard urinal design in the UK used to be a simple trough on which partitions are not really possible. So I guess we’ve culturally got used to the openness — and we’re probably not quite so obsessed with the idea that every man is trying to get a look at our winkies. Conversely, stalls will likely have full-height doors and no gaps around the panelling. Cultural difference.
A very trendy cafe opened in Edinburgh in which the designer had installed a trough with a continuous waterfall running down the back wall (which was a giant mirror). The effect was stunning. After a week in which the local water company was desperately trying to find where the water mains leak was they finally discovered this toilet, and ordered the continuous waterfall turned off and replaced with timed flushers. From then on, urination in that club was one of the most exposing experiences I have ever had.
As an aside, the longest continuous urinal trough in the world is (or was) in the fabulous Barbican arts centre in the City of London.
BTW, you can tell most OMAAT readers are young. I find pretty much every chair in the Virgin lounge to be either impossibly low or (in the case of bar stools) precariously high. It’s desperately uncomfortable for old farts. But maybe we’re off brand?
This is one of the most interesting replies ever! :-D
Many times in London when I have used the "trough" urinal there was always a guy or two wanking........jus' saying.
I have never come across this at all. Perhaps I've been going to the wrong places?
Yet, cubicles in the USA seem to be intentionally made with massive gaps along the frame when the doors are shut for everyone to be able to look in!
Is the "Virgin Upper Class Wing" private drop off and streamlined security screening still available? I enjoyed that in 2018.
Yes all fully operational, there was one day it was closed due to power issues but other than that business as usual.
I think you should remove the integrated link to the menu, as it lets your order food to table C5 without any confirmation, that seem like it could be lots of wasted food. Maybe screenshots of it?
Ben, I hope you see AmishRddl's comment - it is indeed a live link.
It’s a great lounge, the food and drink offering is always on point. Never considered the opening time as an issue ( note Air France/KLM are moving back to T4 shortly), I suppose connecting passengers from JNB would use the arrivals lounge then go back through the Upper Class Wing to the Clubhouse ( you didn’t say if you used that ?) The area with the pool table has often been roped off for VIP guests as has the TV area.
Oh btw you said it only cost you £10 from the hotel to T3, did you get away with Uber not charging you the £5 terminal drop off charge? It might be a hidden cost on your account.
@ Creditcrunch -- To be more accurate, the fare was around 11 GBP (it was a 6 GBP base fare, plus the 5 GBP terminal drop-off fee). I didn't use the Upper Class Wing as I arrived at the terminal before it opened.
Yes, in theory you could use the arrivals lounge first (which opens at 5:30AM), but it's still not a terribly seamless experience. Looking at the flight status for that service recently, it...
@ Creditcrunch -- To be more accurate, the fare was around 11 GBP (it was a 6 GBP base fare, plus the 5 GBP terminal drop-off fee). I didn't use the Upper Class Wing as I arrived at the terminal before it opened.
Yes, in theory you could use the arrivals lounge first (which opens at 5:30AM), but it's still not a terribly seamless experience. Looking at the flight status for that service recently, it also pretty regularly lands 20-25 minutes early.
Admittedly that impacts relatively few passengers, though a lot of airlines make an effort to always have a lounge open when connecting passengers might be arriving. That's not the case here.