Review: DAA Executive Lounge Dublin Terminal 1 (Priority Pass)

a table with food on it

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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.

a screen with company names on it
DAA Executive Lounge Dublin Terminal 1

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.

a sign board with text and arrows

a sign in a building

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.

a elevator and a poster on the wall

The reception desk is the first thing you see as you pass through the main doors….

a man standing behind a desk

…..and the lounge spreads out to the left and the right.

To the left is a sitting area with chairs to relax in…..

a group of people sitting in chairs in a room with luggage

a group of people sitting in a room with chairs and a table

a room with chairs and tables

….and, against two of the lounge walls, a workbench area with multiple power outlets.

a row of chairs in a room

a white table with brown chairs

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.

a wall outlet with usb ports

This area of the lounge also offers a small staffed bar offering wine, beers, nuts and barista-made coffees…..

a woman standing at a counter in a coffee shop

a bar with bottles of alcohol a coffee machine with cups on top

a group of jars of nuts on a table

…as well as a small stand with fruit and cakes.

a shelf with food on it a sliced bread on a cutting board a group of cakes on a counter

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…..

a group of people sitting in chairs

…..and a workbench area to the right:

a group of people sitting in chairs

Past here the lounge opens up to the primary food area…..

a group of people in a restaurant

……and, as such, the furniture here is primarily made up of small dining tables and chairs…..

a group of blue chairs around a table

a group of people sitting at tables in a room

…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

a group of people at a buffet a group of food on a table a table with food on it

Cheese and crackers

a tray of crackers and cheese on a table

A slightly random offering of red cabbage coleslaw

a bowl of shredded cabbage on a table

Cauliflower and white bean soup with soda bread

a bowl of liquid in a bowl a tray of bread on a counter

Bowls of chips/crisps

a group of white bowls of chips on a wooden surfaceAnd a very good selection of fresh fruit, scones and cakes.

a table with food on it a table with food on it a table with bread and jam

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…..

a coffee machine and refrigerator in a room

…housing a coffee maker….

a coffee machine on a counter

…a still/sparkling water dispenser….

a beer dispenser with a group of glasses

…a selection of teas and cookies…..

a wooden box with tea bags in it a jar of cookies on a counter

…and an under-cabinet drinks fridge with various sodas and juices.

a refrigerator with cans of soda and other beverages

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

a printer on a counter

  • 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.