£60 for LHR CH - Is it worth it?

I think the title says it all but just to add a bit more detail, we're off to LA in August flying PE which is great.

However it's the wifes birthday and I thought it might be nice to roll out a bit more red carpet and book a lounge at Heathrow. As we've booked a flydrive though VH I note that they are offering Clubhouse access for £60.00 a head which for 3 of us would be £180.00.

Now I don't mind paying this but having never been in the Clubhouse before I don't want to be dissapointed bearing in mind we could book the Serviceair lounge for around £50.00 for all three of us and while basic it is an escape from the hussle of the main terminal.

So I guess what I'm asking is, taking everything else aside, in your honest opinion is the Clubhouse and it's facilities worth £180.00 for a couple of hours or would I be better sticking with Serviceair and spend the savings in duty free?

Thanks

Miopyk

I've never used the servisair lounge in LHR, nor for that matter have I used the VS lounge since the refurbishment was completed.

However if you are set on paying for lounge access then the thirty pound difference between the two would be a no-brainer in my eyes, whilst I havent used the servisair lounge I have read about it in many TRs on various sites and it is not up to VS standards.

On the other hand is the LHR Clubhouse worth the sixty pounds a head, thats the big question. If you are able to get to the airport early enough to enjoy the CH and get a treatment then perhaps yes...however and ISTBC I believe there are restrictions on VH access getting treatments. Personally I'd pay it just for a few hours of decent food, a few cocktails and a little sanity before a long PE flight.

Having experienced both i would say the clubhouse is better than the servisair lounge by far. Although when i fly to MIA in November, i wont be booking the clubhouse as i personally find £60 a bit on the high side. Having said that, when i went in the clubhouse, it hadn't been refurbished so i cant comment on the facilities it offers now. Although at the time it had a great atmosphere, and although quite busy it didnt seem overcrowded.

From what i remember of the servisair lounge, it was just a room with a few seats in it. Nothing too special really.

At the end of the day i would rather be in the clubhouse, and the only reason why i wont be booking it when i fly is that its a tad out of my price range and would rather have the money to spend on holiday. However if the cost isn't that much of an issue then go for it!

[Nottingham Nick]

Tough call. It is back to the age old debate about value for money.

On a purely personal level, if you have never had the CH experience before, I would say that it is a great way of making the trip that extra bit special. I accept that £180 is a lot of money, and am assuming that this fee entitles you to full use of all of the facilities.. including pre-booking beauty treatments.

I would go for it.. arrive extra early, and make the whole visit and flight a day to remember.

Others may disagree, though. [8D]

Nick

If we were to be dispassionate, and try to qualify the cost of the services available in the club house, and you used them to the max. £60 would, in my opinion, be a bargain. Just think, in central London could you get a hair cut, a three course meal, champagne, showers, club like space, and more for £60 ... I think it would be hard.

And then there's the experience ... I've just taken a colleague through who was in awe and pronounced it 'amazing'. So qualify that too.

If you have the money, I'd say it's not only a bargain, but also a pleasure.

You still get the 10% FC discount off that, so it's only £162 [8D]

To clarify the £60.00 is per head and doesn't include treatments. The Serviceair lounge is about £50.00 for all 3 of us. So the difference is £130.00.

Since we can't get treatments all we're looking at is a bit of extra food as I beleive drinks and snacks are included in both lounges.

On that basis I guess the question comes down to is the CH worth an extra £130.00 for essentially a bit of extra grub and a better environment?

Miopyk

Originally posted by miopyk
To clarify the £60.00 is per head and doesn't include treatments. The Serviceair lounge is about £50.00 for all 3 of us. So the difference is £130.00.

Since we can't get treatments all we're looking at is a bit of extra food as I beleive drinks and snacks are included in both lounges.

On that basis I guess the question comes down to is the CH worth an extra £130.00 for essentially a bit of extra grub and a better environment?

Miopyk

I thought you could get treatments, you just cant prebook them? I used paid entry at the end of last year and was able to walk up to the spa and get a treatment without any problems? Have things changed to a more rigid policy?

I could probably drink more than £60 worth of cocktails in a CH sitting, so add on the food, and the atmosphere, and I'd pay £60 a head anyday (well, £54 after your 10% discount)

Cheers

Michael

It says on the VH site that Treatments aren't included but I think haircuts might be (it's not that clear). However if I'm going to take advantage of a haircut I will need to start growing what I've got left now

Miopyk

Depends on how you value things.

I would personally spend that on a good meal for three (£180) and therefore would not mind spending it on club house access. The new lounge is stunning and will provide a real thrill for your wife. I rate as one of the best in the world and I travel a fair bit. If on the other hand money is tight or it means missing a meal in LA than don't bother. The service air is not special and I would keep my £50 in my pocket and buy some champagne and oysters at the bar !

P.S

If you like steak than you must go to http://www.boasteak.com/balboa/ in LA it would be a very cool meal for you and the wife - have a great time...

The food will be alot better in the CH than at the Serviceair lounge, bundled with as many drinks as you want, and the environment I think it's a steal!

Originally posted by mcuth
I could probably drink more than £60 worth of cocktails in a CH sitting, so add on the food, and the atmosphere, and I'd pay £60 a head anyday (well, £54 after your 10% discount)

[oo]

quality post as usual... [:w]

Originally posted by hamishbrown
[oo]

quality post as usual... [:w]

LOL - thanks

Cheers

Michael

Hi Miopyk,

I have paid for entry to both the Servisair lounge and the Clubhouse. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Servisair:
The entry is relatively cheap and get's you away from the mad crowds outside. The old saying of "you get what you paid for" definately applies here. It is comfortable, but the choice of snacks is almost non-existent. You can have a few biscuits, nuts and an apple or two. I wouldn't call it a meal. The drinks is relatively well stocked though.

Clubhouse:
It is more expensive to gain entry BUT you do get a lot more. The meals which are prepared fresh for you are excellent and would easily cost you about £10.00 a head if you ate it elsewhere in the airport. The bar is very extensive and the cocktails are highly recommended. Again, depending on what you drink, and how much you drink before the flight, you can get a lot of value out of it.

Conclusion:
£60.00 does seem excessive (I went last year when it was only £30) but I would definately make the effort if you can spend a good 2-3 hours there prior to your flight. As it's a special occasion, this would definately add something extra to the trip.

I hope that helps.

Sascha

Thanks for your insightful advice.

Frankly I still can't make my mind up since, there are only two adults and neither one of us drink much so the value of the bar is not really important (unless they have a bottle of Richard Hennessy I can finish), we'll probably only spend 60 to 90 minutes in the lounge as the flight is at 11.30 and we don't want to get up earlier just to spend some extra time in a lounge.

The money isn't an issue but I just don't want to book the CH and feel I'm not getting some value for money and more importantly I don't want any grief from the wife because I wasted money that she could have spent better elsewhere (duty free make up, perfume, etc.).

I think this one might be settled on the flip of a coin.

Thanks for your help

Miopyk

To be honest, if you don't especially want a drink and you are only going to arrive an hour and a half before the flight, I would keep your money in your back pocket. Another thought is that you would probably have had breakfast before leaving, so would not be too bothered about eating too.

In these circumstances, £60 seems quite a price for a haircut and a sit down!

Having slept on it and seeing your response Sailor99 I think you're probably right.

I think it'll be the Serviceair option + I might order a bottle of shampoo and some buds for delivery to the wife on the plane.

That's bound to earn me a few points to cash in at a later date [}:)]

Thanks once again for your informed views.

Miopyk