Review: Great Western Railway First Class lounge, Paddington Station

This is our review of the GWR First Class lounge at Paddington Station in London.

It was way back in November 2016 when we last reviewed this lounge, so it was time to take another look. I was there one evening in early April as part of a journey which would take me on the Night Riviera Sleeper to Plymouth, returning in the Pullman Dining coach the next day. Those two articles will follow over the next two days.

GWR kindly provided my ticket for the sleeper train out and Pullman Dining coach on the return.

Where is the GWR lounge at Paddington Station?

The lounge is roughly half way down the long Platform 1 at Paddington. There is no obvious signage and you only see it when you are almost standing in front of it.

The Night Riviera Sleeper train was scheduled for departure at 11.45pm. I had booked a cabin and this gave me access to the lounge from 9pm.

(Sleeper passengers travelling to London can use GWR lounges at Penzance and Truro. The only other station on the GWR network with a lounge is Cardiff Central.)

Here is the small reception area which had just one staff member at this time of the day. Service was very friendly, and they helped to find out the platform for my train before it was announced, allowing me to take pictures before others arrived.

The lounge is divided up into a modern and a more traditional part. The modern room below has changed from our review six years ago with new furniture and new flooring. It is a simple and functional but welcoming space with a bit of colour added by the green armchairs.

This area contains one of the two toilet areas in the lounge with two showers. To be honest, the showers could do with some updating and I would only recommend them in an emergency!

At the end of the modern part of the lounge is an array of non-alcoholic drinks including tea and coffee.

I am not sure if there is more food during the day but in the late evening it was just crisps and cookies, along with fresh (and good looking) fruit.

I didn’t see it at first but, when one guest mysteriously appeared from the right of the reception desk, I went down there and found the second half of the lounge. It was unexpected as there is no sign that the lounge continues around the corner.

This area has literally not changed at all from Rob’s pictures eight years ago. The two rooms have lovely original features and are furnished with traditional leather sofas and armchairs and wooden coffee tables.

The space has no natural light (I think – it was dark outside!) and is quite cosy. Given the Victorian features I was left with the feeling that more could have been done with it in terms of decoration, but is certainly functionable.

When is the lounge open?

Current opening hours are:

• Monday to Friday – 5am to 11.30pm
• Saturday – 5am to 9pm
• Sunday – 10am to 11.30pm

You can enter the lounge from two hours before departure of your GWR train, unless you are on the Sleeper when you can enter from 9pm. Heathrow Express First Class tickets are not accepted.

You can also use it as an arrivals lounge for up to one hour after your GWR train arrives at Paddington, if you travelled in First Class.

Dogs are allowed in the lounge. There are no storage facilities for unaccompanied luggage.

Conclusion

Paddington Station is very busy and seating is scarce, so having a comfortable place to wait for your train’s departure is a good benefit.

If you are lucky and you depart from Platform 1 it is just 10 metres to your train. All of the other platforms are a bit of a walk but the lounge is still worth the effort. I appreciated being able to sit down and have a hot drink and enjoyed my short stay here.

You can find out more about all of GWR’s lounges on this page of its website.

As part of the same trip, I reviewed the GWR Night Riviera Sleeper service to Devon and Cornwall and GWR’s Pullman Dining service – click through for those reviews.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.