The thrill of embarking on a holiday is incomparable. The anticipation of being whisked away to a new destination, be it a vibrant European city or a tropical beach resort, is simply exhilarating. However, the excitement often comes with its fair share of stress.
From meticulous planning and packing to navigating through the airport, these tasks can sometimes dampen the holiday spirit. To ensure a seamless experience, travellers often go to great lengths, from preparing their liquids bag well in advance to planning their holiday outfits weeks ahead. One way to kick off your holiday on a high note is by booking an airport lounge.
For a fixed price, passengers can enjoy a range of food and drink options in a tranquil setting, away from the hustle and bustle of the Departures waiting area. Manchester Airport, which serves over 160 destinations, boasts nine lounges across its three terminals. Priced from £31.
99 - £29.99 at the time of writing - per person, the Escape Lounge offers 'an oasis of calm' and is the most affordable option. Having never experienced a lounge before, Manchester Evening News writer Ellie Kemp decided to give it a try at Terminal 1 - and was left wondering why she didn't try it sooner.
Upon arrival, she was welcomed by two staff members and gave her name - having pre-booked and paid for her slot online, which required selecting an approximate entry time. Ellie was then offered the choice between a dining table or a coffee table seating arrangement. She wrote: "The lounge itself is quite spacious, boasting an array of seats with lap-level coffee tables in one area and larger dining tables in another.
One wall is adorned with clocks displaying various global times, and interestingly, there are no windows. "I opted for a dining table adjacent to the Paris clock - my holiday destination. Upon my arrival, there were only a few other people present - a stark contrast to the throngs of passengers I had navigated through earlier.
"I was informed that I could help myself to the buffet and order drinks at the bar. Naturally, I made a beeline for it." After deciding on a glass of prosecco, Ellie then checked out the food that was on offer.
At 11.30am, a variety of sandwiches, tomato soup, two salads and some nachos were available on one buffet bar, with pastries and cakes nearby. She said: "The sandwich trio - cheese, egg or chicken and mayo - appeared freshly made and instantly caught my eye, which is unusual as I seldom crave sandwiches.
Initially, I opted for a chicken sandwich and a serving of nachos with salsa and sour cream. "The sandwiches were indeed as appetising as they looked; light, tasty and perfectly balanced in terms of filling to soft bread ratio." On the other buffet table, some sausages and hash brown bites remained from breakfast, while curry, pasta, beef stew and a vegetable curry were also up for grabs.
Ellie then chose some hash brown bites, pasta and vegetable curry - all of which were 'top-notch', especially the curry. A range of self-service juices was also on offer, with Ellie choosing a 'refreshing' strawberry one. The lounge was 'no way near as full' as the normal waiting area, with fresh batches of food being brought out regularly.
Ellie then opted for a custard tart pastry and a muffin for dessert. And she is keen to book in again, adding: "It's changed my approach to travel for the better and just goes to show that having some time to de-stress - and a taste of luxury - ahead of a stressful day of travelling really puts your mind at rest." Is it value for money? In total, Escape Lounge access at Manchester Airport costs £29.
99 per person - but was it worth the money? Ellie compared the prices of food and drinks to similar products at the nearby Giraffe restaurant in Terminal 1 to find out. She said: "I enjoyed two glasses of prosecco and strawberry juice at the lounge. Two 125ml glasses of Il Baco Seta Prosecco at Giraffe would have set me back £17, while a cranberry juice would've cost £3.
75. That's already over a third of my lounge ticket spent on drinks alone. "I indulged in two chicken and mayo sandwiches - roughly equivalent to two lots of toast from Giraffe, costing around £6.
50. "The pasta, curry and hash brown mix, along with the portion of nachos and salsa, I'd say is comparable to the average cost of a 'main' restaurant meal - such as a Katsu curry or lasagne. So that would have been £14.
"For dessert, I savoured a muffin and pastry, which would have been worth about £6.50, similar to a cheesecake from Giraffe." In total, Ellie had consumed around £47.
75 worth of food and beverages at the lounge - saving her a cool £15.76. If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here.
