Aspire Lounge at Bristol Airport – Review

Recently we made a short weekend getaway to Edinburgh. Our flight was from from Bristol Airport so we decided to take the Aspire Lounge, Bristol for a spin.

The Bristol Airport even though is a relatively small airport, still it caters to international flights (usually to European destinations) too. The airport has a single lounge that is accessible with credit cards/priority pass. The lounge is called Aspire Lounge.

Bristol Airport – Aspire Lounge Experience

Check-In:

The Check-In process was a bit confusing. The problem with lounges in United Kingdom is that if you happen to give a card which you think grants you a complimentary access, they can not verify it on the spot. They swipe your card through a machine that is used as a one point access for all cards including priority pass.

I gave them my add on Diners Black card . On asking them to check if my card has a complimentary access, they told that they don’t know that. They asked for my signature on the machine just like we do for getting entry through priority pass. They told me that we will send the charge to your card and if it is indeed complimentary, then the bank won’t charge you. Else you will be charged the normal lounge access fees.

Now, immediately I realized that in the terms of Diners Club Cards including Black, HDFC says that the lounge access is only for the Primary Card holder. Since, this was a manual confirmation that had to be done by HDFC, there was a bleak chance that I may be charged for the lounge access.

So, I didn’t take the risk and told them to void my transaction and instead allow me an entry through priority pass  which we got through Yes first exclusive card . This card actually mentions that it provides unlimited lounge access to both primary and add on card holder. Just to be extra sure.

Seating and Interiors

The lounge is a relatively smaller one. But the ambience is good. The seating chairs are comfortable and good for family as well as couples. There is no separate dining and seating area. The purple lights have been matched to that of the chairs giving a nice look.

The over all ambience was good and soothing music was being played in the back ground. Have a look at the interiors.

Food Options

We visited the lounge during the early hours of the day in the morning. So the menu had a standard English Breakfast in buffet. The menu consisted of Bread, Bacon, Sausage, Baked Beans and Scrambled egg. Apart from that there were options of some snacks, biscuits and cookies.

The drinks including alcohol were complimentary. Though you had to pay for costlier drinks like champagne. Other than that, most of the liquor was complimentary. There were ample options of coffee and various flavored tea such as Cranberry, Honey and Lemon etc.. Fruits were also available. Have a look.

Services at Aspire Lounge, Bristol

The service was pretty prompt and courteous. They were prompt to pick up plates once you were done. They always had a smile on their face and were eager to help. They had options of newspapers and magazines too.

Facilities at the Aspire Lounge, Bristol

• Cardexpert Rating: 3.5/5 [yasr_overall_rating]
• Food- Good. We just had a look at the breakfast menu so can’t comment on the full menu.
• Wi-Fi- Yes
• Ambiance- Good
• Service- Good
• Alcohol- Complimentary
• Entry Options: Complimentary through Priority Pass (having free visits), Diners Club Cards(Premium/ClubMiles and Black), Paid entry – £15.

Bottom Line

Overall, this is a good lounge with limited options. The staff is courteous and the ambience is good. With free access to alcohol and food, you cannot go wrong even if you pay the £15 Incase you don’t have a complimentary access.