My Review of The Phoenix Lounge in Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport have knocked it out of the park with their new Phoenix Lounge in Terminal 1.

T1 is the older terminal in Dublin Airport and often feels like it. The previous, dated & dark T1 lounge was not great at all, so all DUB regulars were excited to hear that the Phoenix Lounge was going to replace it.

The Phoenix Lounge is modern, spacious and light filled. It has tripled in size, has a large food selection, a well stocked bar, showers and nearly too many staff.

It's just missing a barista and working wi-fi, but the lounge is brand new so I'll forgive some teething problems.

Even though I've flown through Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport a few hundred times, the Phoenix Lounge is a place that I would intentionally come to the airport early to enjoy.

Score: 8/10

Where Is The Phoenix Lounge?

It is upstairs in Terminal 1 after security.

There are two entrances. One, after the main security area and another to the left after you clear Fast Track security.

Terminal 1 Fast Track
This is a new Fast Track location and I tried it out on this trip too. I was the only person using it, so I was through in one minute. It was well worth the €8 that it cost because the main security wait was 20 minutes.

Time to Boarding Gates
It's a 10-15 minute walk to the Ryanair gates from the lounge and that's at a good pace. Leave plenty of time to get to your gate.

Phoenix Lounge Opening Hours

04:00-21:00 7 days a week.

Phoenix Lounge Entrance

I was flying Ryanair so no free business class access. I paid €35 for lounge access via the Dublin Airport app. It allowed me to download my pass to my Apple Wallet, but strangely, there was no QR code to scan. Just a blank screen with my booking reference number. I had to read this out to the lady at the desk who I don't think had drunk her morning coffee just yet.

A Tour of the Lounge

I'm an AV Geek, so even though it was 5am, I was excited to see the lounge and went on a walk to explore it. It took a while because it is huge!

It spread out in an L shape, but like you flipped it upside down, Tetris-style. There's a reading area when you walk in. Behind that is the food buffet & dining tables. To the left of that, behind the wall are more dining chairs.

Around the L then is my favourite area where the bar is.

This area was empty, as most people stayed near the food and the entrance. There were three of us in a space that could hold 200. I like the variety of chairs & spaces.

You can sit in the wingback chairs that allow you to look down on the passengers in the terminal. It's ok to look down. You're in the lounge, they're not.

The coolest of all for me, were the chairs overlooking the entrance to T1. Usually lounges have views of the apron, but T1 has views of the spiral towers at the front of terminal 1 and the wing foil shaped of T2. Unique and a clever use of the difficult space that they had to work with in the 55 year old building.

Food in the Phoenix Lounge

There was a long buffet style area filled to the brim with food. I got the full Irish breakfast. There are healthier options available, but when you're at the airport, calories & cholesterol don't count.

You can see the full menu in the photo gallery at the bottom.

The sausages were overdone and they felt like they were on the cheaper end of the quality side. Even the brown sauce (essential in Ireland & to any fry) was a brand I never heard of and I didn't like it. This is something they could improve on.

I love my pastries and there was a mountain of them. I'll give the lounge credit for the variety of selection. Whatever you wanted, they had it here.

Drinks in the Phoenix Lounge

There was a full bar here and even at this very early hour, prosecco was the most popular drink that I heard folks ordering. They say there's a two drink limit, but this is Ireland, where rules tend to be more suggestions.

It's shame that there wasn't a coffee machine here and a barista. That's a huge difference maker in any lounge. Dublin Airport have barista coffee in their Martello & Aer Lingus Lounges, so a shame their newest lounge doesn't have this important feature.

My rule when I have to pay for lounge access is that I have to eat & drink the cost of the entrance. It was very early, so I failed today.

Phoenix Lounge Bathrooms & Showers

The bathrooms were fine. Nothing special, but cleaner than the general terminal bathrooms. I felt that the inspirational quotes in the mirrors were a bit cheesy.

The showers are always welcome in any lounge. I use them in between connecting flights, of which there are very few in T1. They may not see much use, but good to have.

Wi-Fi

The wifi for the lounge was not working. I did log onto the main Dublin Airport wifi without any problems and it was fast. 154 Mbbs.

Staff

There were nearly as many staff as guests. They were friendly and seemed happy to be in the fancy lounge. Every time I put a glass down, it felt like someone was cleaning it up.

Who Can Access the Phoenix Lounge?

Here's how you can get in:

• Buy a pass online from €35 per person (in 2026) 
• Pay at the door for €45
• Business Class passengers
• The Airport Club members

Final Verdict on the Phoenix Lounge in Dublin Airport

I fly out of T1 every month and Fast Track and lounge access is worth every penny for a smoother journey in such a crowded terminal. A huge improvement on its predecessor.

Read Next

• 8 steps to flying through US Preclearance in Dublin Airport
• My review of the Martello Lounge in Dublin Airport
• Don't pick up your rental car in Dublin Airport, do this instead.

Phoenix Lounge Dublin Airport Photos