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The DAA Executive Lounge at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1 is the primary lounge for the terminal and, as you’ll see from the sign near the entrance, it’s the lounge for a whole host of airlines and lounge programs including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and Priority Pass.
The lounge is open between 04:30 and 21:00 and couldn’t be easier to find.
As soon as you’re through airport security turn to your left and you should see signs for the lounge directly ahead of you.
The stairs and elevator to the lounge (which is one level up from gate level) are no more than 20 yards from where passengers exit security.
The reception desk is the first thing you see as you pass through the main doors….
…..and the lounge spreads out to the left and the right.
To the left is a sitting area with chairs to relax in…..
….and, against two of the lounge walls, a workbench area with multiple power outlets.
If you’re planning to do some work the bench area may be a good option as power outlets are hard to come by in the centres parts of the lounge – they only appear to be along the outer walls.
The power outlets are of the UK 3-pin variety so most readers will probably need an adapter to charge their laptops but, thanks to dual USB ports on each power outlet, devices like phones and tablets can be charged without the need for an adapter.
This area of the lounge also offers a small staffed bar offering wine, beers, nuts and barista-made coffees…..
…as well as a small stand with fruit and cakes.
The second part of the lounge (to the right as you walk in through the lounge doors) starts off with with a few relaxing chairs to one side…..
…..and a workbench area to the right:
Past here the lounge opens up to the primary food area…..
……and, as such, the furniture here is primarily made up of small dining tables and chairs…..
…but there are a few relaxing chairs here too.
The lounge was mid change-over from breakfast to lunch when I arrived at around 10:40 but, when the lunch items were finally out, this is what was on offer.
A selection of wraps including:
- Tuna
- Falafel
- Chili Chicken
- Chicken Dijon
Cheese and crackers
A slightly random offering of red cabbage coleslaw
Cauliflower and white bean soup with soda bread
Bowls of chips/crisps
And a very good selection of fresh fruit, scones and cakes.
The wraps were good and tasted nice and fresh, the soda bread was excellent, and the banana bread was pretty good too.
Alongside the food items is a small self-service bar area…..
…housing a coffee maker….
…a still/sparkling water dispenser….
…a selection of teas and cookies…..
…and an under-cabinet drinks fridge with various sodas and juices.
If you’re visiting before 11am the lounge will be serving breakfast which should include the following:
- Chocolate & Blueberry flower pot muffins
- Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, Pain au raisin
- Selection of Scones, finished with local preserves & Irish Butter
- Breakfast Cereals & Muesli’s
- Seasonal Fresh Fruits
- Irish Yoghurt, toasted granola
For a third party lounge the food selection seems to be pretty good and considerably better than a lot of other European third party lounges I could name – it tasted fresh, it was replenished on a frequent basis and there were healthy options available too.
The other main things to note are:
- The lounge uses the airport’s free wi-fi service so it’s fine but don’t expect it to be super-fast.
- The only business facilities I saw was a printer/copier located by the reception desk
- This a lounge for a LOT of different airlines and lounge programs and it’s not all that big. It can become busy and crowded quite easily so large groups will almost certainly find it hard to get seats together during busier times.
One last thing worth mentioning is the staff – they were great.
All the staff I encountered went about their work with smiles on their faces and were polite and cheerful to everyone I saw them interact with – that’s a big positive for any lounge.
Bottom Line
The DAA Executive Lounge at Dublin Terminal isn’t particularly big but it’s actually quite nice (as long as you’re not there when it’s super-busy). The food is perfectly acceptable, the chairs are comfortable, the wi-fi works just fine and the staff are very nice indeed – I wish more third party lounges were like this one.
Note: Don’t forget that if your airline status doesn’t get you into this lounge you can always pay on the door (currently around £20/€23/$27) or you can use a Priority Pass membership.
