Review: Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London (LHR – T4)

London Heathrow is a lounge mecca for oneworld travelers, with more than a half dozen lounges to choose from. The Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in LHR Terminal 4, however, is among the best…if not the best.

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Heathrow Review (LHR) – Terminal 4

Qatar describes this lounge as akin a boutique hotel:

More of a boutique hotel or private club than a lounge, this is an unforgettable venue – warm, elegant and exclusive. Our lounge begins your unparalleled Qatar Airways experience long before you board your flight.

The distinction is clear from the moment you enter. There is no conventional reception desk; instead you pass through calming spaces into the Palm Court, where Arabian water fountains soothe the senses and discreet greeters note your wishes on iPads.

Unless I am missing something, there was a conventional check-in desk… but it did feel like a nice hotel lobby with a great little restaurant and bar. Let’s get into the review.

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Location + Hours + Access

The Qatar Airways Premium Lounge is located in Heathrow Terminal 4 next to the Plaza Premium Lounge on near gate 1A. It is open daily three hours before the first Qatar Airways departure until the final flight departs, corresponding to Qatar’s busy schedule from LHR (currently open from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm). Malaysia Airlines and Royal Air Maroc are the only other oneworld carriers that operate from LHR T4.

I was traveling on British Airways and had to finagle my way into T4 by explaining I had a long layover and wanted to use the Qatar Lounge. However, I had to initially clear security in T5, where my flight was departing from, then take the bus to T4 and clear security again. I’ll outline that ordeal in a separate post.

This is a oneworld business or first class lounge, but it is not a lounge that oneworld sapphire or emerald members have access to when flying in economy class (that lounge is located in the same space, but on the lower level). You do not have to be flying on Qatar Airways, but you do need to be connecting from or departing (same-day) in a oneworld premium cabin. I was traveling to Basel, Switzerland on British Airways in business class, so I had access by virtue of my class of service, not my status.

Note that Qatar Airways does not grant lounge access to its own passengers who have upgraded from economy class or are traveling on a “Business Class Lite Fare.” If you are a oneworld status holder and denied access to the Qatar Premium Lounge, you can use the frequent flyer lounge downstairs.

As you enter the lounge, you will walk up a ramp where you will find a podium in between two doors. An agent will scan your boarding pass with a tablet and either direct you to the right (to the Premium Lounge) or the left (to the Frequent Flyer Lounge).

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Seating

After walking through a dimly lit foyer, you’ll enter the “palm court” (the quoted lounge description above mentions the soothing sound of water, but the water feature has been shut off for several years).

The “palm court” doesn’t have palm trees any longer either, but I suppose this portion of the lounge is meant to resemble a posh outdoor garden seating area.

There are wing chairs and couches around the palm court including a more private area in the rear.

Power outlets are plentiful and include universal A/C outlets as well as USB-A and USB-C chargers.

Each end table also offers wireless charging.

Seating along the windows offers apron views outside and leads to the restaurant and bar in the rear of the lounge.

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Food + Drink

The centerpiece of the lounge is not the Palm Court, but the dining area, featuring several tables, a buffet, and an a la carte menu (Qatar calls it the “Global Deli” + “Brasserie” + “Martini Bar”).

Behind the wine cellar is a rear dining room with a dozen more tables for two.

The buffet included a coffee bar, salad bar, Arabic mezze, sliced meat and cheese, fresh fruit, a selection of sweet treats, and hot items like braised lamb shoulder, carrots and green beans, roasted salmon, grilled polenta, steamed white rice, and chicken makhani.

I began my feast, however, with the a la carte menu:

I began with fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bowl of butternut squash soup.

Then Arabic mezze from the buffet (hummus, tabouleh, and baba ghanoush):

Next, a green salad:

And finally, the seared beef steak served with braising jus, sweet corn, jalapeño gratin, and seasonal vegetables.

I probably should have stopped then, but it was about 1:00 pm and I had just broken my fast, so I was still hungry.

Later, I enjoyed a glass of Joseph Perrier Rose NV, which was crisp and refreshing. With that, I sampled the lamb and salmon from the buffet and found both the taste and quality to be excellent.

I rounded out lunch with vanilla ice cream and a scone with clotted cream.

No cappuccino? I did try one, but the lounge has (very tragically in my book) replacedbits top-quality manual coffee machine with an automatic one. I realize that manual coffee machines can be maintained nightmares sometimes, but they produce such better coffee..even from the same beans.

Since the coffee was not great, I had Arabic coffee instead (offered with dates) which was much better and highly recommended.

Multiple cold towels were offered during lunch.

Outside of the dining area, there was a coffee station and a small station with various wines, soft drinks, and potato crips, and sweet nibbles. But if you want anything, just flag down one of the staff members.

You will not go hungry in this lounge!

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Newspapers + Magazines

While no physical copies were present, digital copies of magazines and newspapers from around the world were available.

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge London Restrooms + Showers

Both restrooms and shower suites are available. I showered here and appreciated the amenities…not just a cheap disposable razor or toothbrush, but nice ones that I took with me and continue to use when I travel.

Great Service

The entire staff was excellent…chatty, attentive, and friendly. As soon as I entered the lounge I was approached and offered something to drink. When I sat down to dine, a waiter came over immediately to make sure I understood the menu. This level of service reminded me of the Concorde Room and far exceeds the Galleries First Lounge and even the service offered in the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge in T3.

CONCLUSION

Without a doubt, this lounge is one of the best (if not the best) lounges in LHR. While the Arabica coffee was a big miss, at least the Arabic coffee was delicious and everything else about the lounge–the food, drinks, seating, service, and showers–was excellent.

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