After arriving from Los Angles on my pleasant Air New Zealand flight, I need a quick chance to freshen up before heading into London. I rarely arrive into Terminal 2 so the Queen’s Terminal was a bit of an unfamiliar experience for me. After clearing immigration, I head out through the baggage claim and took a turn towards the Plaza Premium Lounge. The lounge is located just outside the baggage claim area in Terminal 2.

As you walk into the entrance, you can essentially see the entire lounge space from the front desk. On first impressions, I was a bit surprised how small the lounge was and how little privacy the lounge offered. It really felt more like a restaurant due the small size and open layout. The Plaza Premium Lounge is a part of the Priority Pass network so I gained complimentary access thanks my membership. But the lounge also sells day passes which are heavily promoted through Heathrow’s terminals.

After checking in with the front desk and showing my Priority Pass card, I was given quick overview of the lounge and I requested a shower suite. There was no wait for a shower suite and I was walked to the side of the lounge for a shower suite. While the lounge itself is quite small, the shower suites are nice and spacious. The suites are clean and tastefully designed with pale green subway tile, white counter tops, and glass showers. Clean fluffy towels were provide and a couple of basic toiletries were available for guest use.

After freshening up, I headed back to the main lounge area for quick bite and a drink. The full bar is staffed and there are both complimentary drinks options along with “premium” drinks for purchase. Wines and well cocktails are complimentary and I had a glass of white wine and sparkling water. There is a table of snack offerings for guest but there is a restaurant-style menu with entrees available for purchase. The bar staff was friendly and conversational.

The lounge was very empty during my entire visit. I had arrived around 1 PM from Los Angeles so I’m unsure if this lounge gets crowded during peak hours. There was a good WiFi connection and plenty of convenient power ports in the lounge, I was eager to get on with my day in London so I after finishing my drink and snack, I grabbed my bag and headed on my way out the lounge.

Overall, for such a small lounge, the Plaza Premium Lounge is nice little arrivals lounge. I enjoyed how empty the lounge was despite the small size. The shower suite was very nice and it felt great to freshen up after such a long flight. However, it’s a shame they charge for so many items beyond snacks when many guests are purchasing a day pass. But if you have complimentary access thanks to a Priority Pass membership, there’s no reason to not stop in for a shower or a drink.