What I liked
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Better than sitting in the terminal building
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There was natural light coming into the lounge
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My green tea was really nice
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This review is for The Lounge in Dublin Airport, Terminal 2. It’s accessible for business class passengers. You can also get access with a Priority Pass.
The Lounge in Dublin Airport T2, is a disappointing and small lounge. With obstructed runway views. The food and drink selection is pretty sad. This lounge provides the minimum of what can be expected at an airport lounge.
If you come here, don’t expect free flowing champagne or luxury! I visited the lounge, before my Aer Lingus flight. It’s the only lounge option, with a Priority Pass membership.
I attained access through my Priority Pass membership. No extra money was paid to get access for myself, my wife and my daughter.
Another way to access the lounge is if you’re travelling in Business Class from Terminal 2.
However, if you’re going to the USA, your airline won’t send you to this lounge. They’ll send you to the 51st and Green Lounge. The US has immigration in Dublin airport. Once you go through it, then you’re legally on US soil. In this area, there’s a separate lounge. Called 51st and Green.
I had a 3 hour layover before my flight to Boston. I was glad to get some breathing space from the terminal.
The lounge is a small rectangular space with a buffet in one corner. In terms of facilities, there’s some seating and a buffet. That's about it. It’s a place to sit and relax before your flight. Not a destination lounge!
The seating in the lounge consisted of low leather chairs. There were also low tables to eat off. All of the chairs were in very good condition.
There’s large windows with runway views. Sadly, those views were heavily obstructed. The good news is that there’s a decent amount of natural light coming into the lounge.
Worst of all, the lounge was very busy. You couldn’t walk 2 steps without bumping into someone’s legs. This is probably because there aren’t many lounges in Dublin Airport.
I view this lounge as a bad lounge, as it doesn’t have the things I expect in an airline lounge:
So how do poor lounges like this make money?
Most entrants to the lounge will come in via a Priority Pass membership – which they have already paid for. Each time a customer swipes their Priority Pass, then the lounge will earn a fixed amount.
As there’s no other 3rd party lounges in Dublin Terminal 2, there is little incentive to spend a lot of money on the lounge. For this reason, many airports have poor quality 3rd party lounges.
Other examples of bad lounges include the Plaza Premium Lounge in Ahmedabad, India and the ANA Lounge in Lisbon.
If you’re looking for a feast before your flight, then you’ll be disappointed. The majority of the food came from a packet.
This lounge is a place to get some snacks. You won’t get a full meal. The following options were available.
The sandwiches didn’t look good. So I didn’t eat any. I’m not a fan of sandwiches in a buffet. The bread just ends up soggy. You really should be making your sandwich fresh.
I only ate some cheese and crackers. I couldn’t stomach anything else!
The drinks were all self pour. Available from the buffet. There was a limited selection of drinks available, as can be seen from the images above.
The coffee was served from a machine. My wife had a cappuccino and described is as ‘serviceable.’
I had a green tea, which was really good. In my experience, the quality of tea in Dublin is very good. So this didn’t surprise me.
The bottled beers offered were Heineken and Budweiser. There was also Guinness from a can. Guinness really needs to be served from a tap. Or it’s not the same!
The selection of spirits was a bit limited. Jameson Whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Gordon's Gin and Baileys. I thought that they could have offered more. However, the space may have been an issue.
In theory, you are only allowed two alcoholic drinks per visit. Nobody was enforcing that however!
This lounge offers the very minimum of what can be expected of an airport lounge. The food was disappointing and alcohol selection was limited.
Ultimately, it does provide some respite from the busy terminal. It’s also a cheap way to get drunk. If you’re ok sitting in a busy lounge. With people walking over you.
There’s a sister lounge in Terminal 1. It’s called The Terminal 1 Lounge. Obviously! That lounge is better. It’s larger and has a wider food selection. There’s also a manned bar and barista made coffee.
I recently reviewed the Hilton Garden Inn Dublin. It’s a good value hotel, right on the city centre. There’s a 24 hour fitness centre. I was upgraded to the top floor, with a river view. The Guinness I had in the hotel bar was spectacular!
I’ve spent a good portion of my life in a Priority Pass Lounge. In sickness and in health! I’ve seen the whole spectrum. From the sublime to a dumpster fire. The best Priority Pass Lounge in the world is… Primeclass Lounge Muscat! You didn’t expect that! It’s massive and the food is awesome. In addition, there’s a pool table and a games room.
And the worst is.. too many to name! The ANA Lounge Lisbon was pretty bad. The sandwiches were about 3 days old. The lounge also felt very dark.
I recently stayed at the Playa Andaluza in Marbella. It’s a Marriott Vacation club Resort – with apartments, rather than rooms. The resort itself is beautiful and there’s so many activities. In the article, I also explain how to earn 15,000 easy Bonvoy Points.