As the capital of the United Kingdom, London has a handful of regional and international airports. Heathrow International Airport LHR is the major and the biggest airport that serves London.
It is one of world’s busiest airports, and Terminal 5 operates mainly intercontinental flights.
And the good news for Priority Pass holders – you have a choice of which Heathrow Priority Pass lounge you want to visit, and the popular Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 is one of those terminals.
Here is our London Heathrow Aspire Lounge Terminal 5 review.
When we fly, we always take our Priority Pass to get into over 1,200 lounges at airports around the world (and get discounts at several restaurants!) If you travel, consider getting a Priority Pass Membership and stop paying for drinks and food at the airport!
The Aspire Airport Lounge operates two separate lounges within Heathrow Airport. In Terminal 3, the Club Aspire Lounge serves mainly for international flights within the European Union.
Transferring between Heathrow’s main terminals can be a hassle and takes a long time, so it is not advisable to do so.
After security, follow the clearly defined signs for the Aspire Lounge and Spa to the lower level of the Main Departure Terminal 5. This Heathrow Airport Priority Pass lounge is next to Gate A18.
Checking in
London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 Departure area can be a very hectic place, and there are a numerous flights going out in mid and late morning.
Upon arriving at the main entrance at this Heathrow lounge, a staff member greeted us and told us that there was a 45-minute wait time to access the executive lounge.
He took my Priority Pass card, wrote my information on his sign up board, and pointed me to Gate A18’s sitting area for me to wait.
Wait times due to space restrictions are noted in the Priority Pass app, so plan accordingly. While waiting, a few passengers who were trying to access the lounge got the same information.
Many turned around and left the lounge without putting down their names on the waiting list.
If you have digital card access, or your membership allows you to make a reservation, it is highly recommended, as there is no waiting line if you have arranged a time slot prior to your visit.
Between taking passenger names and calling out the waiting list, the greeter is busy. There were many times when passenger names were called and they were nowhere to be found.
Although I was told it would be 45 minutes, I only had to wait for 25 to get in.
I went directly to the main desk and the check in was typical for a Priority Pass member. Present the card and a boarding pass to verify identity and flight status.
There is three hour time limit at this particular Heathrow airport lounge, but because of how busy it is, I think it would be difficult for them to monitor.
Aspire The Lounge and Spa is open from 5 am until 10:30 pm daily for the lounge, and 9 am to 5 pm for the spa.
Can you pay for Lounge Access at Heathrow?
Getting into the Heathrow Aspire Lounge Terminal 5 will cost you between £35-£40 depending on how busy it is.
But for us, Priority Pass is the way to go, as this is one of Heathrow Priority Pass lounges.
Priority Pass gives you access to over 1,200 airport lounges aroundthe world and is our choice for airport lounge pass.
Heathrow Aspire Lounge and Spa Layout
If you enjoy plane watching, Aspire Lounge Heathrow T5 is a great place for you. It follows an open airport terminal design concept, which opens up to the high ceiling of the Departure Terminal 5 area.
You can see the big windows, as well as the waiting rooms. all the way down below to the other passengers walking by.
The main area of the Aspire Lounge and Spa is the Spa itself. It’s located in the center of the lounge space. Seating areas are built around the hidden Spa room.
Some lounge chairs, as well as group sofas and work station style bar, along with more cozy sit-up work desk style are available.
Some of the sofas are long enough for an adult to lay down, although there is no privacy inside Aspire Lounge Heathrow.
Food and Drink
During my stay, the lounge staff switched out breakfast for a lunch menu. Hot breakfast consists of ham and sausage, along with cold cereal and sliced ham and cheese.
The lunch menu consisted of barbecue chicken and rice, vegetarian curry samosas, and Italian pasta with meat.
The cold bar offers selection of deli meats, as well as cereal and milk for breakfast.
Aspire The Lounge and Spa apparently is the place to get Prosecco, and because this is a Heathrow Priority Pass lounge, you can have upir first serving of Prosecco for free.
Any additional servings you have to pay for.
The hot drink bar offers two Nescafe Milano espresso coffee machines for cappuccino, latte, and chocolate selections. They also heat up water for your selection of teas.
The cold drink beverage area includes self-serve soda, as well as water – both sparkling and still.
You can get juices and milk from the cooler underneath the counter.
Small snacks and treats, such as peanuts, potato chips (crisps!), mini muffins, and fruit cake are available throughout the day.
Amenities at this Heathrow Priority Pass lounge
Bliss Spa
This is the biggest selling point of Aspire The Lounge and Spa. Although the Priority Pass does not include free spa sessions, there are a few massages and relaxing spa treatments that you can purchase for an additional fee.
These sessions are by appointment and at a set price. The Bliss Spa menus are posted on the wall and on almost every table in the lounge.
Shower in Heathrow Airport
Although there are showers the Aspire Lounge, you need to notify the attendant to get your slot. Any non-lounge guests can access the shower for 20£ and will have only 30 minutes to complete the process.
I think you’d need to be in shower emergency mode to pay that kind of money! And this Heathrow lounge doesn’t include food or drink for showering guests.
Bathroom
Oddly, there is no bathroom inside the Aspire The Lounge and Spa. You can leave your luggage inside the lounge if you must use the toilet. Just let the front desk know that you are planning on coming back.
Although it feels safe inside the lounge, it is always recommended to bring your valuables along with you.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is password-protected, and the password is written everywhere in the lounge. It is also highly visible from the outside lounge, so anyone outside can definitely read the password and use it without going in.
It is fast, and reliable, although it can be slow at times due to high demand. Probably from people hanging about outside!
Electrical outlets
There are plenty of places where you can charge your stuff, and they have outlets for both the UK’s three prongs and the European two rounded prongs.
They also have USB outlets. They are strategically located throughout the lounge.
Other things to note
Beauty products
The AspireLounge and Spa offers Bliss beauty products to go for purchase.
A case with their price list is displayed next to the main spa room.
Accessibility
Although it is an airport lounge with fully-verified access for people with disabilities, my sense is that it would be very difficult to navigate with a wheelchair due to the space constriction.
Dress accordingly
There is a dress code in place at Aspire The Lounge and Spa, although there does not seem to be any enforcement. The code states that you should be in smart casual dress at all times – and no football shirts allowed. But again, not really enforced.
I saw plenty of guests wearing t-shirts.
All in all this was a great Heathrow Priority Pass lounge. Next time we’re there, we’ll definitely visit The Aspire Lounge and Spa again!
Get a Priority Pass today to access this lounge!
Check out our reviews of airport lounges around the world!
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Halef
Halef moved from Indonesia to the US nearly two decades ago to go to college here. He hasn’t looked back. He’s been to over forty countries and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He’s a Landscape Architect in Atlanta, GA.
