What I liked
- Get access with a Priority Pass
- Tasty hot food
- Complimentary alcohol
- Nice design
- Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side
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This review is for The Plaza Premium Lounge in Rome Fiumicino Terminal 1. Non-Schengen Zone.
It’s pretty good. With tasty hot food, complimentary alcohol and a nice design.
And as always with Plaza Premium. You can use your Priority Pass card to get it. In the article, I explain how you can get a 30% discount on Priority Pass Membership.
I've packed this guide with photos so you know exactly what you're walking into before you land at Fiumicino.
Once through security, my priority is dinner — and Plaza Premium Rome delivers on that front. This is Fiumicino Terminal 1's non-Schengen lounge, tucked next to the British Airways lounge, and it does the thing Plaza Premium lounges reliably do well.
The hot buffet had pasta with pesto, pasta with tomato sauce, chicken, rice, soup and cooked spinach on offer, plus salads and a few dessert bites. I went for spinach, pasta and vegetables. All properly made, not steam-tray sludge.
One honest catch: getting in took 30 minutes, whichever route you use. And if you want tea rather than coffee, brace yourself — the cups are barely bigger than an espresso cup, so I ended up with a black Americano instead.
If lounge access like this is new to you, my Recommended Resources page has the Priority Pass discount I used to get through the door, along with the rest of the deals I actually use.
I got into Plaza Premium Rome with my Priority Pass card.
I have a tie-up with Priority Pass to get 30% off membership. If you already know this offer, no need to read on.
Priority Pass gives you access to over 1,800 lounges worldwide, and each visit works out to roughly $26.30. That's the food, the drinks and a proper seat to yourself, all included.
For me, it's a no-brainer compared to buying dinner and a drink at an airport terminal restaurant. A membership pays for itself fast if you travel more than a couple of times a year.
Priority Pass isn't perfect. Lounges can be full, and they can turn you away if capacity's hit. I'd rather pay $7 to pre-book a timeslot than risk it.
Signup here and get a 30% discount
Priority Pass has other lounges dotted around Fiumicino too, though Plaza Premium in Terminal 1's non-Schengen zone is the one I've properly reviewed here.
Plaza Premium Rome is located in the non-Schengen zone of Terminal 1, next to the British Airways Lounge.
Once you go through security, you have to walk through to Zone E — the non-Schengen zone. It’s about 15 minutes to walk to passport control for non Schengen zone.
Once you get through passport control. It’s 5 minutes further away. You take the escalator to the 1st floor. Next to the BA Lounge.
Total door-to-door time from security to the lounge entrance works out to around 20 minutes once you factor in the escalator up to the first floor. Not the fastest lounge to reach at Fiumicino, but manageable if you build in a bit of a buffer before boarding.
The British Airways Lounge signage doubles as a handy landmark on the way — once you spot it, you know the Plaza Premium entrance is right there.
Wander Rome's historic centre and the Trevi Fountain
Rome's biggest draw doesn't need a ticket. Wander the cobbled streets of the historic centre and you'll stumble into the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and half a dozen stunning piazzas without spending a penny. It's the kind of city where getting lost is half the fun.
Ultimate Rome: Colosseum, Vatican Museums & Walking Tour
If you only book one thing in Rome, make it this. Book your ticket here for $212, rated 4.6* from over 2,600 reviews. You get the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and a proper walking tour of the historic centre all in one go — it's a full day, but it covers the big three without you having to plan a thing.
Rome Night Walking Tour: Ghosts, Legends & Haunted Rome
For something a bit different after dark, you can book here for $34. Rated 4.9* from over 660 reviews, it's a fun way to see a side of Rome most tourists miss — plagues, executions and the darker legends behind the pretty piazzas.
Rome: Photo Shoot in Rome with Professional Photographer
Fancy some proper holiday photos instead of another blurry selfie? Buy tickets here for $41. It's rated an almost perfect 5* from nearly 500 reviews, and you'll walk away with genuinely good shots of the city instead of 200 near-identical iPhone snaps.
Plaza Premium Lounge Rome is pretty nice. Medium sized with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. As it was the evening, I couldn’t see outside.
There was a buffet counter against the wall and a manned bar in the middle.
The design was nice. As is often the case at Plaza Premium Lounges. Modern and sleek. With light colours. In my experience, the Plaza Premium Heathrow Terminal 5 is another good one - Review here.
There was a variety of seating. Individual booths, low leather chairs, shared tables, restaurant-style tables and more.
The food here was good. I enjoyed my meal.
There was a hot buffet with nice dishes. The following was on offer:
I had spinach, pasta and vegetables. It was all really good and well made. I didn’t get to eat too much, however, as I was busy creating content for the great and the good of the internet (i.e you!).
Food at Plaza Premium Rome, like other Plaza Premium Lounges, is consistently good. Yes, I say this in every Plaza Premium review — but it holds up every time. But Plaza Premium are just good at what they do.
In my experience, the Plaza Premium Orlando had a terrific buffet. Probably even better than at Plaza Premium Rome. They also had a beautifully designed space.
Alcohol at Plaza Premium Rome was served from a manned bar. House drinks are free. Premium drinks cost extra.
I didn’t have an alcoholic drink, so I can’t speak of the quality. I was super tired and had an early start the next morning.
Drinks-wise, there was a coffee machine plus a small tea set-up. I wanted a tea, but the cups were too small! Slightly bigger than an espresso cup. Italian style!
So I went for a black Americano. Which was perfectly fine. To be honest, Italian style coffee is too strong for me.
Plaza Premium Rome is a lounge I'd happily use again, but it's not a straightforward yes for everyone. The hot buffet was the standout, proper pasta, chicken, rice and cooked spinach, not the sad steam-tray stuff. The design was nice too, with those floor-to-ceiling windows and a good mix of seating.
The catch with Plaza Premium Rome is the getting there and the getting in. It's a 20-minute door-to-door job from security, and then a 30-minute wait once you arrive. That's a real chunk of time to build into your schedule before a flight.
If you've got a Priority Pass and some spare time before boarding, Plaza Premium Rome is a genuinely good stop for dinner in Terminal 1's non-Schengen zone. If you're tight on time, I'd think twice before making the trek.