I recently visited the new Essence by Escape Lounge at Bristol Airport ahead of a 5:40 AM departure to Rovaniemi. I did not pre-book as no availability was showing, so we took our chances. As it turned out, there was plenty of space.
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Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport has changed massively since my last visit. The bus terminal has been redone, and there are now walkways between the on-site Hampton by Hilton (review here), carparks, shuttles and a multi-storey transport interchange. These improvements actually made a big difference. It’s much less crowded just outside the main terminal, and the addition of new cafes, shops, and takeaways makes a big difference to the check-in area.
The security and departures area has also been renovated, including the removal of the Aspire Lounge and the addition of two Escape Lounges.
The Escape Lounge Vs Essence By Escape
Essence by Escape is the smaller of two Escape lounges. Bristol switched operators in 2023, with lounge operations moving under the Escape/1903 brands, both run by CAVU.
If you’ve used Escape Lounges elsewhere, the overall concept will feel familiar. You’ll find a variety of Escape Lounges at Manchester Airport, along with East Midlands and the recently opened Edinburgh location. They are also located at 19+ airports across the US, plus Cairns and Brisbane.
Both Bristol Airport lounges are located on the Mezzanine Level:
This Review – Essence by Escape: Escape Lounge’s latest concept, designed for those who want something simple and relaxed. This really fitted the experience we had. It has a reduced food offering compared to the bigger lounge, and there is no outdoor terrace or premium extras.
Escape Lounge: A larger of the two with an outdoor terrace and views. This is the lounge typically offered to airline status holders or Business Class passengers on the limited number of Bristol departures offering ‘Business Class’, such as KLM. You can also book access via the Bristol Airport site for £35.99 per person. Given the small price difference compared to Essence, this is likely the better option if you are paying cash. I plan to try it on my next visit to compare in detail.
In our case, we initially headed to the main Escape Lounge, only to find that DragonPass wasn’t accepted. We were pointed in the direction of the Essence by the Escape lounge on the other side of the Mezzanine Level.
Essence by Escape Entry Requirements and Opening
Opening times vary by day and season, but the lounge generally opens at 3:30 AM and closes between 3:00 PM and 12:00 PM. View times here. As with most lounges, you can access up to 3 hours before your flight.
Accepted lounge passes include Priority Pass, DragonPass, Diners Club, Dreamfolks and LoungeKey.
You can book in advance via DragonPass, PriorityPass or LoungeKey. I used 2 passes via the Barclays Travel Plus Pack, and, for some reason, pre-booking was not available via DragonPass for this date. The lounge is also part of the On the Beach airport lounge scheme that comes with 5* holidays.
Walk-in rates start at £35 per person and £25 for children, and are free for those under 35 months. You cannot pre-book with cash.
First Impressions
Having not pre-booked, I showed the staff my DragonPass app and the QR code from which two passes were taken from my account. This is the first time I’ve done this, as I like to come prepared, knowing I’ll have lounge access. There have been just too many occasions when lounges have been too full when I haven’t pre-booked.
We visited the lounge for around an hour from around 4-5 AM. As expected, the lounge was very quiet with just a scattering of people. Despite this, there was a good amount of staff, and everything was set up ready to go, which was lovely, considering we left the hotel too early to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast.
The lounge is small (think Plaza Premium LHR T5), but for a smaller airport and with another on-site lounge, this works fine. The windows are blurred out, but if you stand up, you can see the check-in area – no runway views here! I have to say, the lounge does lack natural light.
Food
There wasn’t a massive choice of food, and it was by no means luxurious, but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet at the airport, comfy seating, and a bite to eat, the lounge was ideal.
For me, the cooked breakfast was not very appealing. The choices match the menu you can find online, so you can see whether the entry is worth it. Food is more limited than in the other Escape Lounge.
For lunch and dinner, the menu includes a soup of the day and a hot buffet with dishes such as Wild Mushrooms & Madeira Sauce with Penne Pasta and salads such as Sweet Pickle & Chive Potato Salad. A variety of sandwiches is available daily.
Drinks
We visited just before Christmas, and there was self-serve mulled wine, which I thought was a nice seasonal touch.
There was no printed bar menu, but spirits were displayed, and staff were happy to assist. Wine options were limited to three whites, two reds, two rosés and two sparkling wines, including brands such as Soprano, Vina Arroba, 24 Rivers and Volare.
Spirits included Bell’s Scotch Whisky, Jules Clarion Brandy, JJ Whitley London Dry and Pink Gin, Artisanal Vodka and Ron Calados White Rum.
Soft drinks and hot drinks were self-serve, with fridges stocked with Bulmers Original, Carlsberg, SOL, Guinness, Butcombe Original and Gold, Heineken 0% and John Smith’s Smooth Bitter.
Seating
The seating options were varied. On arrival, we were shown to a table more suited to eating. There were some much more comfortable seating areas, some geared towards work, bigger groups, or solo travellers.
After about 30 minutes, a reserved card was placed on our table, and the lounge did get much busier, though it was still only around 30% capacity. I imagine the lounge would get to at least 80% capacity later in the day. This is the kind of lounge that can get very hectic and unpleasant at peak times.
Facilities
The lounge has its own toilets, which are always helpful, but they were at the same standard as the rest of the airport, albeit with no queues.
Final Words
I’m glad we chose to spend our time at Bristol Airport here. The rest of the airport was jam-packed with limited seating on metal chairs. Due to the early time, many people were choosing to sit down or sleep. For a very early flight and not having had breakfast in the hotel, our short visit was perfect.
That said, if you’re paying cash or if you have more time at the airport, the larger Escape Lounge is likely the better option given the small price difference and the extra space and amenities. I hope to try out the other Escape Lounge at BRS in the near future, especially if I have longer to spend at the airport.
For us, though, Essence by Escape was a practical, comfortable stop that took the edge off a very early start, and sometimes, that’s all you need from an airport lounge.
