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Gulf Air Lounge Review. London Heathrow Terminal 4

The Gulf Air Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4 is pretty decent. The lounge is a well-designed space with excellent runway views. My photo of the Gulf Air Dreamliner was spectacular! I was disappointed with the food however.

It’s a perfectly acceptable place to spend an hour before your flight. I’m not sure I’d want to spend three hours here.

I took loads of photos for this review. Each photo can be clicked and pops out into a slideshow.

What I liked

  • Well designed lounge
  • Floor to ceiling windows with good runway views
  • Fully stocked bar

What could be improved

  • Food options were uninspiring and limited
  • No extras like kids play area or spa

The Lounge

The lounge is on the small side, and is basically a square room with a bar in the centre. For those of you old enough to remember, the layout is similar to the bar in the 80’s TV show, Cheers.

The lounge consists of:

  • Hot buffet
  • Full bar
  • Small area with desks
  • Floor to ceiling windows with runway views


There is a small buffet area tucked in one corner of the room. Most of the seating consists of small sofas and cushioned seats. Overall, I thought the lounge had a classy design.

The floor to ceiling windows have terrific runway views. I got a fantastic shot of the Gulf Air Dreamliner waiting outside. See the photo at the top. I do appreciate runway views. Sometimes lounges get this wrong. The ANA Lounge in Lisbon has heavily obstructed views – rather like a prison!

The lobby contains a cool monument of a Gulf Air Plane as you enter.

I did not see a kids play area, which I thought was disappointing. I travel a lot with my family, so it’s a nice to have a separate space.

My favourite Heathrow hotel for families is the Ibis Styles. Why? Because it’s cheap! I paid £66 for a family room. My room was large and the hotel décor was modern and fresh.

The food

I was there at 7am, and there was a breakfast buffet available. It was typical English breakfast fare:

  • Cereal
  • Cold Cuts
  • Sausages
  • Grilled Tomatoes
  • Crumpets
  • Roast potatoes
  • Porridge (oatmeal)
  • Baked Beans
  • Korma
  • Pastries
  • Bread
  • Juice


Sadly, I found the food to be pretty bland. I had bread, mushrooms, potatoes and olives.

The drinks

The bar in the centre of the lounge was very nicely designed, as can be seen in the slideshow. It was fully stocked with premium spirits. As it was 7am, I didn’t have a drink.

I did have an Americano, which I found to be ok - a little bitter.

Conclusion

I have a mixed opinion about the Gulf Air Lounge. I really like the space, and thought the lounge had an excellent design. I was disappointed with the food however. There are lots of good lounges in London Heathrow, so there is a no reason to not get well fed.

Ultimately, this lounge is a perfectly acceptable place to spend an hour before your flight.

The Plaza Premium Lounge is also in Heathrow Terminal 4. It’s a pretty good lounge. It has lots of natural light and also a lovely design. There’s a buffet and a separate manned bar. You can pay to enter that lounge.

Etihad’s Business Class Lounge is in Heathrow Terminal 4. I was hugely impressed by their lounge. The food was restaurant quality. They also had some nice touches. Arabic coffee was available. There was also a selection of British Teas.

British Airways Flagship Business Lounge is in Heathrow Terminal 5. It’s a pretty cool place too. The lounge is large and has a lovely design. Bright and airy, with lots of natural light. The kids play area even has a model airport. Which just looks awesome!
 


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