Making my way from Slovakia to Japan back in January, among other flights, included London Heathrow to Milan Malpensa and London Heathrow to Tokyo Narita with British Airways. Since both of the flights departed from terminal 5, I was able to visit Aspire The Lounge and Spa – the Priority Pass lounge in the terminal.
To get to the lounge, after clearing security, I first followed signs for gates A15-A23. Later down the road, the signs also mentioned the lounge itself.
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Less than ten minutes of walking later, I arrived at the lounge’s entrance located right next to gate A18.
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Lounge Overview
Behind the door, there was a small reception desk. And, the lounge itself was to the right of it.
Just past the reception desk – on the right side of a hallway leading to the lounge’s main area – there was a handful of tables, each seating two people. On the left side, there was an entrance into the (paid) showers and restrooms.
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As the lounge was “U-shaped,” turning to the left at the end of the above area led to a short section with some more seating (each with power outlets).
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And, turning to the left again, there was a bar on the left side and a long bench along with some tables and chairs on the right side.
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Further down, there was the buffet counter as well as a smaller counter with peanuts and fruits on the left side, and a round booth and a communal table on the right side.
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Although there was some more seating along a counter behind the above, the section was roped off during both of my visits.
Food and Drinks Selection
During my first visit, the breakfast selection was on offer, while during my second visit before my flight to Tokyo, the lunch selection was on offer.
As for the breakfast options, there was a selection of cereals and yogurts. There were also salads and cold cuts.
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And, of course, since it was in London, English breakfast including bacon, sausages, eggs, and beans was available as well.
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For lunch, while the cold options were largely the same as above, the hot options differed. And, instead of the English breakfast, there were two kinds of pasta and two kinds of rice dishes.
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Aspire The Lounge and Spa London Heathrow Terminal 5 Summary
Overall, the lounge is a perfectly fine place to grab a quick breakfast or a bite to eat before catching a flight – especially so if you are a Priority Pass Prestige member. That said, the eggs that were served as part of the English breakfast were terrible.
Also, the lounge was quite small and got very crowded during both of my visits. As such, if you are looking to relax before your flight – unless you want to pay for a spa treatment – finding a quiet seating area near one of the airport’s gates might be a better option.