I may have just found my new favorite business class lounge. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is a superb business class lounge and even with high expectations I walked away impressed.
The lounge is located in Terminal 3 right above the AA Admiral’s Club. If you are arriving at Heathrow via car and flying Upper Class, there is a dedicated car drop-off area with expedited security that empties you out very close to the lounge.
If you are starting in the check-in area, just follow the signs:
I arrived around noon for 2:35PM flight, giving me over 90 minutes in the lounge. I enjoyed every moment of it and wish I could have stayed longer. A red-coated staff member scanned my boarding pass and welcomed me into the lounge.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Dining
I wasn’t all that hungry, but did want to eat something for purposes of this review. Just to the left of the entrance is a deli with high-end meats, cheese, and fish. It looked quite nice, though I took a seat in the dining room.
The menu includes a la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus drinks.
I arrived during the transition between breakfast and lunch and was offered a choice from either menu. Having sampled hamburgers from United and American, I thought I would give Virgin’s a try. I began with a mango smoothie and cappuccino and followed that with the cheeseburger and chips (French Fries). Kudos to Virgin Atlantic for a tasty cheeseburger. I really enjoyed it.
Although not on the menu, I requested a bowl of berries for dessert and was cheerfully obliged.
The dining room was not crowded and included a mix of tables and booths.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Spa
With lunch out of the way, I headed over to the spa. I should have proceeded directly to the spa to check on appointment availability first, but I had no trouble scheduling a complimentary facial that included a small shoulder and head massage as well. It was very enjoyable. This is a full service spa with nail and hair services as well. I was impressed.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Seating
I’d say the only downside to the lounge was that it was rather crowded. Crowds tended to congregate around the bar and seating areas near the restrooms and spa.
If you are looking for a more quiet area, head to the farthest corner of the lounge (from the entrance) where the seats was mostly unoccupied.
Another large section of the dining room was totally empty. There’s also some workstations if you want a desk to work on.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow Kid’s Room
For the little ones, Virgin offers kid’s-sized furniture and toys.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Den / Game Room
Aptly called “the den”, the upstairs seating area has a pool table and feels more like a swanky living room than an airport lounge.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Viewing Deck (Rooftop Garden)
Go up one level further and you’ll hit a rooftop sitting area where you get some fresh air and spot airplanes. Though smoking is technically forbidden, I’d add this to my Heathrow smoking list.
> Read More: Where to Smoke Inside London Heathrow Airport
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Restrooms + Showers
Restroom and showers are available. Both the restroom and shower suites are private. Cowshed soap and hand lotion are available.
Shower suite:
Half of the toilets were out of order…not sure if the plumbers are on strike.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Bar
A full bar offers barista-made coffee, cocktails, and a wide selection of beer, wines, and spirits. I tried a “Virgin Redhead” which was light and quite enjoyable.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Quiet Room
While there are not sleeping rooms, there is one quiet room where you can relax in relative peace.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London TV Room
A TV room includes comfortable seating and several big screens.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LHR Shoe Shine
Finally, complimentary shoe shine is available near the entrance to the lounge. The man shining shoes was very jovial and did a great job. Tips are “welcomed” (read: expected).
CONCLUSION
This lounge has a little bit of something for everyone. I was very impressed by my visit and wish I could have stayed a couple hours longer, especially when my Virgin flight to Los Angeles ended up being delayed once we pushed back from the gate. If you are flying Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class or have top-tier status with Virgin or Delta, do make time for this lounge: it is worthwhile.
The “readhead” sure made you “tired”!
Oy.
I visit that lounge once a month, It is amazing!!!! I usually take the Delta flight from LHR to MSP that leaves around noon. I always get there early in the morning so I get breakfast and have time to relax on the lounge before my flight. I always use the Upper Class entrance and that is like getting into a 5 star hotel. You do not go to the terminal 3 check-in area. A Virgin personnel gets your luggage (they never check the weight) and your passport while you wait on a nice sofa drinking an espresso. When check-in is concluded they call your name, give your passport and boarding pass and escort you to a special security line that is basically inside the Upper Class area. Once you go through security you head to the lounge and I echo everything you said on your post above. Regarding the lounge being busy, once I eat usually head to the TV area where you have chairs you can stretch your legs. BTW, you can access that lounge even if not flying Delta One or Virgin Upper Class as long as you are Delta Platinum or Diamond. I also brought my wife and two kids last summer to the lounge. Wife was complimentary and they charged like GBP10 for m older kid and nothing for the younger one. We were all welcome there. Last thing, Virgin has a smaller lounge called Revilvals lounge that you can use once you arrive at Heathrow. It is a much smaller lounge right after you leave customs on T3 but it has I believe 20 shower rooms for passengers to refresh from their flights and go to meetings. You can order breakfast (similar menu but fewer selections) and have a shower while an army of ladies take care of your suit, shirts, etc.. by pressing and even making small alterations if needed. I find it extremelly convenient as I land from the US at 7:30AM and can get ready for meetings in the city.
Too bad Virgin Atlantic doesn’t have a business class product to match. Their business class seat is absolutely terrible.
Agree.
Amazing that the LHR Clubhouse is more than a decade old without major renovation… the decor hasn’t much changed and the product itself certainly has withstood the test of time. This review prompted me to look at pictures from my first visit back in 2007 and it’s remarkably consistent. It was at the top of the class then and remains so today!
Nice to hear that this lounge lives up to the hype. For years I’ve read about how this is one of the best business class lounges in the world. Amazing that it’s held up so well for so long.
“Though smoking is technically forbidden, I’d add this to my Heathrow smoking list.” NO! No smoking = no smoking.
That being said, nice review! I love this lounge too. Once they replace their horrid business class seat with their new suites (so I’ve heard), they’ll have one of the best overall business class experiences out there…
I’m not a smoker and am not encouraging people to smoke. But I do think LHR makes it wholly unreasonable for transit passengers who smoke, to smoke.
Smokers should be given their own space, well away from others. The smoking booths common in Europe ( look like portable cabins but with their own aircon/exhaust) and Sandinavia ( rooftop open air) work fine without affecting others. It’s silly to put smokers under more stress than necessary, making it more likely that they’ll smoke in bathrooms ( or, worse still, on the plane).
It’s illegal to smoke indoors in a public space in the UK full stop. The cabins you mention fall foul of this. No-one is going to change the law back to what it was previously just for transit passengers at LHR. VS could allow smoking on its terrace. Either they or LHR choose to refuse to permit it. I daresay one would be ejected from the lounge if one breached this rule; with very little general sympathy I would have thought.
I do agree it’s a great lounge, though it’s disappointing how you have to walk through the T3 shops on your way there. As they provide a private check-in/ security area, it’s a real downer to clear the private security to learn you’ve actually been next to the main security lanes all along, and now merge back in with them. It would be so much better if the security lane dumped you into the lounge directly, like in the BA First Wing at T5 (yes, I appreciate that’s F as opposed to J, but it’s a shame they couldn’t do it.)
It is a great lounge and the food is excellent
Tips couldn’t be expected- it’s The UK not the US.
Matthew,
How far/long of a walk is it from this lounge to the Gate for the LHR->LAX flight? I want to be able to spend as much time as possible in the lounge 🙂
Matthew,
Nice review, thx 🙂
After reading this review, and your review of the flight, my expectations have been adjusted accordingly. While really looking forward to the lounge, I’ve attached a lead-weight to my flight expectations. From all the pictures I’ve ever seen, the VS 777 UC seat looks like a bloody coffin. It can’t be worse than Economy Class, but I wonder how much better than Premium Economy the Business seat is? I’ll find out in April.
SAN-JFK-LHR in DL Comfort+
LHR-LAX-SAN VS UpperClass (last leg DL First)
135k Delta SkyPesos + $300 taxes
Michael, that’s a nice redemption! I’m sure you’ll have a great trip even with the Virgin seat from LHR-LAX.
Matthew,
Nice review, thx 🙂
After reading this review, and your review of the flight, my expectations have been adjusted accordingly. While really looking forward to the lounge, I’ve attached a lead-weight to my flight expectations. From all the pictures I’ve ever seen, the VS 777 UC seat looks like a bloody coffin. It can’t be worse than Economy Class, but I wonder how much better than Premium Economy the Business seat is? I’ll find out in April.
SAN-JFK-LHR in DL Comfort+
LHR-LAX-SAN VS UpperClass (last leg DL First)
135k Delta SkyPesos + $300 taxes