Toronto Pearson Airport Plaza Premium Lounge Review: $34 Is Worth It For The

This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

Too many travellers assume that you need to fly first or business class to access an airport lounge, when most airports actually have at least one you can pay your way into.

On a recent trip from Toronto Pearson Airport to London Gatwick, I decided to check out the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 3, which is open to the public and pretty affordable.

I’d used Plaza Premium lounges before — they’re all over the world — but hadn’t made use of the one at Pearson, so I planned to spend a few hours there and give the experience a score out of five in four categories: service, food and drink, facilities, and value.

Here’s how it measured up.

How to get to the Plaza Premium Lounge

The bag drop wasn’t working and it took over an hour to get through check-in, so once I finally got through security, I followed signs to the right for the Plaza Premium Lounge, hoping it would still be worth it.

The entrance to the Plaza Premium Domestic Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

After arriving at what I thought was the lounge and attempting to check in at the desk, I discovered there are actually two Plaza Premium Lounges in Terminal 3 — one for domestic travellers, which was the one I had attempted to enter, and another for international travellers, which is at the opposite end of the terminal.

Losing precious time, I made my way towards C gates, following the signs once again and then taking an elevator up one floor.

At the entrance to the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

There was a short line-up when I arrived, but I was able to pay $33.90 for one hour of access since I was tight on time, and it didn’t take too long to get checked in.

The entrance to the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

You can reserve a spot online in advance or pay at the door, and you pay more depending on how long you want to spend in the lounge. Two hours of access costs $55.80 online, and you can also buy a multi-visit pass that works in other airports.

Facilities: 3/5

A seating area inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

I first took a look around the lounge, and found lots of seating options, though the area with a sunset view of the runway was easily my favourite. It was a little quieter and more relaxed than the rest of the lounge, and has more luxurious armchairs with armrests and built-in plugs and USB ports.

There’s Wi-Fi throughout the lounge (though I didn’t get a chance to use it), which is useful if you have some work to do and don’t want to rely on the usually unreliable regular Pearson Wi-Fi.

The lounge was pretty loud and busy when I visited on a Tuesday around 8 p.m., and the high-top and regular tables in the area between the bar and buffet were mostly full of groups of friends and families, though there were still plenty of seats available

The buffet and seating area inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

The bathrooms were much nicer and cleaner than the ones you find in the rest of the terminal, which was a bonus.

A bathroom inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

There’s also a shower room, but it was occupied when I went to check it out, so I didn’t get to take a peek inside. The massage and wellbeing areas were also out of service.

The occupied shower room inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

Despite the fact not all facilities seemed to be open or were in use when I tried to access them, overall I found the lounge to be a good spot to recharge and prepare for my flight.

Food & Drink: 4/5

A bar sits in the middle of the lounge and house wine, beer and spirits are included in the price. This was the only line-up I noticed inside the lounge, though it didn’t take too long to get a drink.

The bar inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

When I visited, the house wine was Jackson Triggs, and the house beer was Molson Canadian.

The house alcohol options inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

You can also order and pay for more premium drinks if you’re looking for something special.

A drink menu inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of Pearson Airport.Ali Millington | Narcity

A buffet sits on the other side of the room and includes soft drinks, teas and coffees, baked goods, fruit, and hot and cold dishes.

Buffet options inside the Plaza Premium International Lounge at Terminal 3 of…