So back in December, we made the trek out to the Bay Area to visit relatives. We ended up visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures terminal at YVR. Being the holiday season, I could understand the increase in passengers at the airport and thus, more people visiting the lounge. That was the case for us as we struggled to find seats in the relatively tightly-packed room. We did end up getting a table near the end though, but even with that, there was not a lot of space for our carry-on luggage.
There was a selection of included alcoholic beverages but if you wanted something fancier, it was as surcharge. Near the bar, we found some breads during breakfast and it changed to soups when it was lunch service. They were not able to keep them filled though as one of them remained empty until we had left. There was a hot and cold drinks station near the washrooms and they struggled to keep cups stocked for the soft-drinks. I was not able to get a proper cup for soft drinks during the entire time there. I had to resort to using coffee cups instead.
Next to the drinks, we found a refrigerated section that had some juices, iced tea, cold water and an array of salads, yogurt and mini-cakes. On top, there was an assortment of bundt cakes as well. This section was fairly well-stocked and the salads were not bad. I thought the quinoa was the best of the bunch. The best way to describe the cakes was that they were serviceable. Once again, we had no cups for the duration of our stay for the juices and water.
When we arrived, it was still breakfast service with a modest selection of items including French Toast, Pork Sausages, Vegetable Fitatta and Hashbrowns. They were trying to refill the food as fast as they could but there were times when some chaffing trays were empty. Nothing particularly good or bad about the food other than resembling a complimentary breakfast at a Marriott Residence Inn.
While we were eating, they did a changeover to lunch where the selection included Turkey, Veggies, Stuffing, Rainbow Tortellini and Yams. This was a bit better than breakfast where the turkey was moist and yams were pretty tasty. Veggies were predictably overdone and soggy while the stuffing was a bit on the denser side. Tortellini was surprisingly not overdone, but a little lacking in flavour.So after posting all the food, I'm going to post a picture of the washroom. pretty basic, but mostly clean, except for the toilet itself. It needed to be cleaned but really, there was not enough staff to handle that let alone provide some cups for the soft drinks and juices. Overall, the Plaza Premium Lounge was anything but premium. Rather, it was no better than a complimentary setup at a lower-branded Marriott. That in itself is not worth the $55.80. I had free passes from my credit card and even with that, I don't think it is worth wasting a pass on.
The Good:
- It is in a convenient location right after customs pre-clearance
The Bad:
- Food is meh
- Staff were trying their best, but things weren't being refilled fast enough
- No cups to be found for soft drinks or juice
- It is far too small for the amount of people using it