Virgin Holidays opens departure lounge on beach

Company wants to help holidaymakers reclaim "lost day"

The Departure Beach will open in May 2018 (Virgin Holidays)

Always slightly depressed as you try to kill the hours before your late departure? A holiday company has proposed a solution to the problem of dead-time between hotel check-out and flight check-in.

Virgin Holidays has announced plans to build a private lounge on Brownes Beach in Barbados to occupy travellers while they wait for their flight home.

The Departure Beach, scheduled to open in May 2018, will have a beach bar and restaurant, complimentary towels and showers, WiFi, gaming areas and an air-conditioned lounge. It is located on a public beach (all of the beaches in Barbados are public) but the sunloungers and facilities are for booked customers only.

The company explained that with the majority of international flights departing Barbados in the evening, holidaymakers suffered a “lost day” as hotels require check out before midday. Nicki Goldsmith, head of Caribbean and worldwide product at Virgin Holidays, said: “We have been working hard to ensure we’ve removed as many pain points as possible for our customers.”

You can check in and drop your luggage at the beach lounge (Virgin Holidays)

Included in the £20 day price is a transfer from hotel to beach lounge, food and soft drinks and the transfer to the airport. A bag drop facility will also be available at the lounge so passengers are able to check in before going to the terminal. Entry is free for customers staying at Savannah Beach in Barbados or those on a Virgin Cruise that terminates in Barbados. The lounge is only available for Virgin Holidays customers.

Cheryl Carter of Barbados tourism marketing said: “We’re thrilled that Barbados has been chosen to pioneer such a revolutionary concept – and as it’s situated on one of the most picturesque beaches on the island why would you choose to waste that last day of your holiday?”

This isn't the first time Virgin Holidays has done unorthodox pre-flight experiences. Its v-room lounges for customers at Gatwick and Manchester are like airport lounges - only without the need for a business class ticket to access them.