Don’t Get Caught Out!

It turns out there are actually two Plaza Premium Lounges in Heathrow Terminal 4. The main Plaza Premium Lounge, and the smaller Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium Group, located next door. Quick disclaimer… I have an American Express Platinum Card which gives unlimited lounge access to a wide variety of lounges. It also provides free Priority Pass Membership. Before arriving at the aiport I had checked the Amex app which said I had access to the Priority Plaza Lounge. I didn’t read the details and assumed I could use my Priority Pass card, but they turned me away and instead said I could go to the Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium Group. In fact, you are able to access the better Plaza Premium Lounge by presenting the Platinum Card, not the Priority Pass Card.

So that’s why I ended up reviewing the Blush Lounge instead of the larger Plaza Premium Lounge. Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing. But moral of the story is, if you have both Priority Pass and Amex Platinum Cards, check which one to use in advance. As each card provides access to a different range of lounges.

For the full list of Lounges available you can check out the Amex website here. Also if you fancy signing up for an American Express Credit Card, feel free to use my referral link at the bottom of the page.

The Main Plaza Premium Lounge

Heathrow’s main Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 4 is definitely the better of the two Plaza Premium Lounges in this terminal. Of course, I didn’t enter so can’t review it fully, but head over to Headforpoints for this insightful review. The lounge has (almost) everything you’d expect… Showers, bar, good buffet and wide range of seating options.

However, it is pretty pricey. Just 2 hours will cost you £48 per person, which I really don’t think is worth it. Unless you have a long layover and need a shower + food then it’s probably best to avoid. With Amex Platinum though access is free, so next time I’m in Terminal 4 I’ll definitely use the correct card this time and do a full review of this lounge.

The Blush Lounge

The Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium Group is actually located right next door to the main Plaza Premium Lounge. It’s also relatively close to the central area of the departure zone so not too far to walk after passing through security. Below is the slightly underwheming entrance. But that makes sense, as this is a slightly underwhelming lounge…

Shockingly, despite the vast dowgrade in services compared to the Plaza Premium Lounge, the Blush Lounge still costs £44 per person, which I think is exhorbitant. Again, I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t have the free access. Just not worth it in my opinion.

Seating & Interior

The Blush Lounge takes up a relatively small footprint within Heathrow’s Terminal 4 so there isn’t that much seating space available. There also really aren’t that many facilities you might expect from larger lounges. There are no showers, no rest areas, no staffed bar. And probably worst of all, there isn’t even a toilet. If you need the loo you’ll need to leave the lounge and use the standard airport toilets.

The seating and interior decor is fine, but it definitely gives off 1980s office vibes thanks to all the wood panelling and leather chairs. The chairs did end up being quite comfy, and were kept relatively clean so that’s a plus. However, the majority of seats had no access to power sockets (charging devices is one of the main things I like to do in lounges). Also, the lounge was almost completely full which made it hard to find a proper seat. There were still some available seats in the dining area though.

The dining area is fine too, though again, tables are in short supply. And lastly I’ll talk about the airport view, or lack thereof. The lounge has almost floor to ceiling windows so there is actually good natural light and visibility outside. The only downside though is that this lounge is on the wrong side of the terminal to see any airport action or takeoff/landings. If it was on the other side you’d have a great view of the runway. But instead the only thing you can see from the Blush Lounge windows are the terminal car park and a nearby road.

I quite like this artsy ceiling lighting…

Food

Food at the Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium was a bit of a mixed bag. First of all, the selection was extremely limited. With just a few hot dishes, a few salads and some snacks you might struggle to find something you like. However, a few of the dishes were actually surprisingly delicious. Below you can see the selection of food that I got.

Special mention to the tamarind chicken, orzo pasta salad and Lotus Biscoff biscuits. Definitely good enough to fill yourself up before a long flight. They also have two coffee machines and a good selection of tea, so I could get my important caffeine hit before my upcoming 13 hour flight with Malaysia Airlines.

The staff also did a relatively good job of restocking the food and clearing away dirty dishes. Which is more than I can say for many lounges at London airports. That being said, with the limited selection on offer there wasn’t actually too much to clean, so it’s to be expected.

Drinks wise there wasn’t a lot either. I had a coffee which didn’t taste great. There were a few soft drinks in a fridge. Round the corner there is also a limited selection of alcoholic drinks. A few bottles of Carlsberg, 2 bottles of wine and plenty of tonic. Then exactly 4 spirits if you want to make a cocktail. Not much, but better than nothing.

Final Thoughts

The Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium is fine, despite my disappointment at not being able to enter the main Plaza Premium Lounge (which I was actually eligible for, I just didn’t realise at the time). It is a very small lounge which was almost full when I was there, so be wary if you come here at peak times. The food selection is pretty limited too, but a few of the dishes are surprisingly delicious. Staff also keep the lounge relatively clean.

I was able to access the lounge for free with my Priority Pass, however, if you want to pay to enter it’ll cost £44 for two hours. That seems excessive to me and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. Even if you still want to pay though the larger, more luxurious Plaza Premium Lounge only costs £4 to enter. So I would recommend heading there instead. But if you have Priority Pass and find yourself waiting at Heathrow Terminal 4, the Blush Lounge is definitely worth a visit, even if just to stock up on food.

More from me…

Please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:

• The Plaza Premium Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 – Not Great
• The Pullman Danang Beach Resort – Perfect location for a trip to Da Nang & Hoi An
• The No1 Lounge at London Gatwick’s South Terminal – surprisingly good

And if you fancy earning some fantastic rewards and Avios points through American Express, please use my referral links below:

• The Platinum Card – You Receive 50,000 Membership Reward points after spending £6,000 in the first 6 months: https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEGgRA5?CPID=100493012
• British Airways Card: You Receive 8,000 Avios after spending £1,000 in the first 3 months: https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEG42lN?CPID=100503089