Airports are my ‘thing’, I could happily spend hours in them. There’s something about so many people from so many different places coming together and heading off in the same manner that I find fascinating. The big downside of airports is the noise.
I’ve long been a fan of airport lounges as a travelling hack: they are an oasis of calm in an often hectic terminal. Club Aspire Lounge invited me to try out their newly refurbished lounge at Gatwick North Terminal on our recent holiday.
I was flying to Crete for a week with Boo and my Mum; after check-in and security, we headed to Club Aspire which is located with the other available-to-all lounges (turn left after security and World Duty Free and follow the signs).
We received a warm welcome at reception and were soon sat enjoying a drink and deciding what to eat. The lounge is like many others offering a light buffet with both hot and cold dishes and a bar stocked with complimentary beer, wine and a small selection of spirits. Sparkling wine and Champagne is available to buy. They don’t have the biggest selection of drinks to other lounges however it is more than ample.
Boo and my Mum decided to choose from the cold buffet with meats, cheeses, bread and salad. I opted to try one of the two hot dishes available. It was a vegetable curry and was seriously good – so much so that I filled up with a second plate meaning I wasn’t hungry for our four-hour flight to Crete.
Here’s Boo enjoying a slice of cake as an afternoon treat which you’ll be pleased to know is available in abundance in the lounge…
When looking to book an airport lounge I would recommend checking to see if you have lounge access included with your bank account or credit card. If not there are plenty of offers available online; a quick Google and you’ll find loads and hopefully one matching your departure airport and terminal.
The Club Aspire Lounge isn’t a first-class experience but it doesn’t claim to be – what it offers is comfortable convenience, which it does really well. When asked about lounges people often ask about value for money in terms of drinks/food available and whilst this is a factor when choosing a lounge especially when travelling with children, I think it’s really important that we step away from viewing lounges as a cost v how much you consume in a set period of time and look at the real value of what is often overlooked… calm. When I book into a lounge I look less at the food and drink available and more at what their maximum capacity is; what you’re paying for is the ability to escape the hustle and bustle of the main terminal and start your trip calm and collected.
The Club Aspire Lounge at Gatwick North Terminal ticks all of the above and more – a great mid-range lounge offering for both business and leisure and a good choice for families.
Club Aspire Gatwick North Lounge prices start at £20.99 per adult and £15.99 per child.
Disclosure: We received complimentary access to the Club Aspire Lounge at Gatwick North Terminal
