‘THE LOFT’ BY BRUSSELS AIRLINES AND LEXUS NAMED ‘EUROPE’S LEADING AIRLINE LOUNGE 2021’ FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
For the third year running, THE LOFT at Brussels Airport – created and managed by Brussels Airlines and Lexus - has been named ‘Europe’s Leading Airline Lounge 2021’ at the prestigious World Travel Awards. The award is voted on by both lounge guests and travel industry professionals.
A unique airline lounge concept, centred on guests experiencing comfort, technology and design with a blend of ‘Belgitude’ and Japanese hospitality, THE LOFT has won this prized accolade each year since it first opened in 2018. Following the pandemic, it reopened in June of this year after an eight-month closure. Guests are welcomed with the highest health safety standards including discreet COVID signage and bespoke touches like a personal welcome and seating process, traditional warm Japanese ‘Oshibori’ towels and digital newspapers. The buffet concept was adjusted to reduce infection risks and while waiting for the passionate Neuhaus maître chocolatier to return, Neuhaus chocolates have continued to be offered to all lounge guests.
Wencke Lemmes-Pireaux, Head of Customer Experience, Product & Marketing: “ It is remarkable how our welcoming staff succeeds in providing our guests with a relaxing experience in the LOFT and this under challenging circumstances. Together with our partners who are driven by the highest quality, we made it our mission to make our guests feel well taken care of every day. The fact that, next to travel and tourism professionals, these same customers have chosen for the third time for the LOFT by Brussels Airlines and Lexus as “Europe’s Leading Airport Lounge 2021” is the greatest reward we could get. I wish to thank the team as well as all involved partners for their commitment to excellence and for always putting hospitality, and herewith our customers, first.”
Pascal Ruch, Vice President Lexus Europe, said: “Winning this award for the third time running with THE LOFT rounds off an amazing year for Lexus, with highlights like the all-new NX 450h Plug-in Hybrid and NX 350h Self-Charging Hybrid. Above all it reflects our world-class Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ service ethos where we anticipate customer needs, offering them safety and peace-of-mind during the pandemic.”
THE LOFT at Brussels Airport draws on award-winning INTERSECT BY LEXUS brand spaces in Tokyo, Dubai and in New York’s fashionable Meatpacking District. This airline lounge concept for international travellers was inspired by Lexus luxury, design and the traditional Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ hospitality. It marks a further expansion of Lexus beyond the premium automotive world as a global luxury lifestyle brand.
Covering an area of more than 2,000 m2, THE LOFT offers seating for up to 500 guests. It is divided into areas with distinctive ambiences and features, including a central bar, seating zones and a break-out space that is ideal for those who need to work while on the move.
In line with the brand proposition to ‘Feel More’, lounge guests are provided with a wealth of facilities to make their visit feel relaxing and enjoyable, together with opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of Lexus. They are invited to feel more luxurious with a masterclass hosted by a Neuhaus maître chocolatier; feel more relaxed in SPA Grohe shower suites’, nap rooms with starlit ceilings and LS Shiatsu-effect massage chairs; feel more inspired by award winning arts and design elements by Lexus, including a Lexus Boardroom with its Mark Levison® audio system; and feel more entertained at regular events ranging from wine tasting to music recitals.
THE LOFT is once again fully operational, with Lexus Brand Ambassadors providing an Omotenashi welcome to guests each day from 05.00am till 09.00pm.
ABOUT THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Celebrating its 28th anniversary in 2021, its programme is the most prestigious and comprehensive in the industry. Each year the World Travel Award travels the globe with its Grand Tour – a series of regional gala ceremonies, culminating in a Grand Fina.
World Travel Awards gala ceremonies are regarded as milestone events in the travel calendar, attended by the industry's key decision-makers, figureheads and media. Despite the ongoing global challenges, the appetite for travel has reached new and unprecedented levels. Evidence is reflected in the World Travel Awards annual voting figures. In 2019, we reported a record 1,945,965 votes cast, a 17% increase on the previous record. In 2020, a record 2,033,494 votes were cast.
ABOUT LEXUS
Launched in 1989, Lexus is a global luxury lifestyle brand offering a full range of premium vehicles, including the LS and ES sedans, the LC and RC F coupés and the UX, NX, RX, GX and LX SUVs.
Renowned for brave design, outstanding craftsmanship and sophisticated technology, Lexus has consistently delivered a unique level of personalised service, aiming to create amazing experiences for its customers.
Having already sold more than 2 million self-charging hybrid vehicles worldwide, Lexus leads the electrification trend in the premium market and in 2019 launched its first all-electric vehicle, the UX 300e. The range of Lexus electrified models will be expanded in the coming years, with plug-in hybrid technology and a new, dedicated electric vehicle model platform. This is in line with the “Lexus Electrified” vision for leveraging the potential of electrified powertrains to reinvent the joys of driving.