Aspire Lounge in Manchester

Amazing experience at the hands of amazing staff!

We were delayed so the aspire was very accommodating.

The staff at Aspire were accommodating and friendly. Outstanding customer service.

Shame, we paid extra to stay in lounge if the plane was delayed. The plane was shown to be on time so we left the lounge at the appropriate time. However, after much toing and froing the plane left 4 hours late after sitting on the runway for over 3 hours.. We would have liked to have stayed in the Aspire Lounge as paid for.

If I could give zero stars l would. Shabby and dirty looking. Absolutely disgusting toilets too. The food offered is absolutely horrible. Most coffee and tea machines are self service and broken and the one that worked dribbled luke warm water over sad tea bags. Staff while pleasant and helpful were really noisy. Although my access was free I left for the relative peace of the main concourse. Just seen their generic corporate response which also shows their complete lack of care about their service.

Despite being DragonPass holders the guy on the door was only admitting business class and pre booked people in. The lounge had very few people in. The claim was that they were short staffed. A ‘lady’ colleague of his claimed it would be dangerous to allow cardholders in. The door sentry told me to read the terms and conditions. They were not busy. More an attitude of cannot do rather than can do. I just don’t get why people try so hard to be obstructive , unhelpful and abrupt.

Tired lounge, furniture in need of replacement. A poor food display and offer. The worst lounge I have visited at any airport.

Very budget. No atmosphere, food was terrible, the beer was flat, nice enough service but apart from that I'd prefer to sit in the lobby

Not much variety of food, constantly asking for them to top up the tureens. No puddings, the coffee machine was broken. Very disappointing, I won't be rushing back. Needs improving before I recommend it. Definitely not value for money.

Appalling. Dirty, shabby. Horrible food. Noisy staff. Disgusting toilets. A disgrace.

Could always do with better and healthier vegan options.

Aspire at Manchester Terminal 1 is poor when compared to other Aspire lounges. The male on reception did his best to be pleasant but referred to every customer as 'mate'. Then, whilst I waited in a very short queue of two people waiting to serve themselves to lunch, another male member if staff who had been clearing tables walked between queueing guests, using his bare hands to pick up a bread roll before serving himself to more food. Apart from being very rude, shouldn't staff eat away from guests?

Not allowed to go in with Priority Pass.

It is not worth it. The food choice was extremely limited, and even what was available was not good. The table we we used was sticky like it had not been cleaned properly and the same was with the utilities and the place the drinks were placed, plus there was no ice to cool the drinks. There was no sign showing where the bathrooms were. But, the coffee machine functioned well and the staff seemed friendly.

Great food and drink worth booking . Staff are friendly and it's very comfortable place to be whilst waiting for the plane

There's nothing premium about any of it.

The lounge is clean and comfortable, well arranged and with pleasing aesthetics. The food is poor, the "chicken tikka masala" from a tin - it's synthetic and unappealing. The pasta was the same. The fresh ingredients: salads etc, were much better.

First told about reception to tell everyone we booked even though it was empty inside. No selection of breakfast, no cake or anything sweet. You have to do everything yourself

Terrible food wasn’t told when we payed business class this lounge closes at 8pm Extra cost for a glass of fizz @gulf air needs to change this asap

The food selection isn't very big which would be okay but the food provided isn't very good at all. The rice and pasta are very bland (ever heard that you need to season rice and pasta water with salt when cooking?) and the pasta is terribly overcooked. Staff seemed uncaring. It wasn't very busy but takes weren't cleared at all even after folks left. Empty bottles were left on tables for 20+ minutes after guests left. Arriving guests took it upon themselves to clear tables in order to sit somewhere. Ironically there is a tablet holder at the exit asking for the customers opinion. There is no tablet to leave a review though. I do like the industrial look of the ceiling though with the exposed pipes etc and the fact that there are proper large glasses for water and soda.

So disappointed. Very limited food choices and what was there was mostly empty except for the vegetarian options. They were so bland! No toaster but there was lots of sliced bread and butter and jams etc. It took ages getting served at the bar. And if you want Prosecco you have to pay £5 supplement. Decor was nice. There’s a Help yourself hot drinks machine. Water station for bottle refills. Staff are lovely, but scarce. So short staffed. I felt bad for them.

Worst aspire lounge I’ve ever been too. Don’t waste your money.

It was a shame as there clearly are staff shortages but this was reflected in the quality of the experience. We had to ask for cups and knives, there was no egg or pancakes. The seats were ripped and tired and no one was clearing the tables. Not great!

Excellent, arrived early and was allowed in and shown to our table which was spacious for the 4 of us. Service was quick at the bar and staff friendly. Will definitely book again

We were here before 8 pm and the lounge was closed. Libraries stay on later than that.

Usually a good pit stop to fill up on food, drink and phone battery. Disappointing experience this time round: 06/12/24. Felt hurried the moment we checked in, 1.5hr before closing time. Not a relaxing atmosphere being reminded every 15 minutes when we have to leave. The food selection and quality was very poor. As guests we felt an inconvenience to the staff on shift that evening.

Food selection was mediocre with empty dishes sat in the buffet area not getting refilled, no food to order, bar closed for at least half the time we have been here.

Gets very busy in the lounge as outside restaurants are packed also. Food is limited but it's less busier than in the terminal itself. You must book to avoid disappointment.

A nice little lounge. Really enjoyed the time.

I recently visited the Aspire Lounge in Terminal 1 in December, and while the views are impressive and the seating is comfortable, my overall experience left much to be desired. By 10:40 am, there was no breakfast left. When I raised this with a staff member, I was told they were "running it down" in preparation for lunch at 11 am. This policy feels unreasonable—who eats lunch at 11 am, especially after travelling for hours to reach the airport? In my opinion, breakfast should be available until at least 11:30-11:45 am to accommodate morning travellers. When I shared this feedback with the guest services receptionist, his response was abrupt and dismissive. He curtly stated that "the food is complimentary, and you are paying for the seat." Charming attitude, to say the least. For the price of entry, I expected a much better experience. If you're considering a lounge at Terminal 1, I’d recommend saving your money and opting for a cheaper option with better reviews. The Aspire Lounge failed to deliver on the basic expectations of service and hospitality. Lots of reviews on trip advisor are the same, clearly feedback is not being taken and being improved on. Material seats stained and dirty and need cleaning properly. Everything is an extra cost, very basic food like cheap tomato pasta and a curry. Toilets are disgusting also and need a deep clean, they stink and again this is reflected in many other reviews.

Staff are really friendly. Most of the food is good the but pastrys were stale on the last time I visited. The seats were stained and there was food around most of the tables. All the booths were reserved but no one came and sat at them. The toaster hasn't worked for months. There are views of the plains but there is very little seating to view them.

Nice place to unwind, shame that you have to pay extra for a Bloody Mary, yet a tomato juice and vodka is free. Food was good, and range of drinks varied.

Pedro and team were great. Bar had good selection of drinks and was not too busy compared to Escape. Accepts Priority Pass. Food was good quality. Would visit again

Love it here, highly recommend a visit

Went in June, terrible complete rip off don't give your money up for a load of crap food, that's if they have anything other than pasta and soup. Absolute joke.

Used to use this lounge all the time. Last couple of times, it's felt like lounges on the cheap.Small plates little choice. Although we did get a nice seat, next to some nice people. The other lounge named with numbers has the better option for 30 quid more.

There were no plates out for food for at least 15 mins at lunch time 1:30 crazy..usually quite good not today

Plenty of room in the morning, good view of planes. Really good mixed drinks choices. The cooked breakfast foods were really tasty but just a few extra options would be good like mushrooms, hash browns or something

Very disappointing lounge, needs some investment in the furniture, the decor, the food, the drinks and staff... won't be returning

Getting a bit tired now. No comparison in terms of offerings to some other lounges which are far superior.

A very sad place. Nothing premium about it.

The service is good but the food is not that delicious, the seats are comfortable, you can spend time relaxing

Been many times over the years and recently you can see costs being cut. Machines are frequently not working and staff is I would say struggling to keep up. The quality has declined from where it was. Today they were only taking pre-booked and business class so went to another lounge where I was pleasantly surprised!! Food was better - lots of choice of fresh and freshly cooked options. Unfortunately,elsewhere will be the preferred option going forwards.

Met with Niamh E and Molly L… wow they offered the most incredible experience. Myself, wife, sister and 2 toddlers were treated with the upmost respect by Niamh and Molly - I really hope the management of Manchester Airport T1 realise what gems they have - I truly hope they get rewarded.

Nice lounge, good food and drink, lovely folk.

5mins after we arrived we were informed that the food buffet would close in 5mins and the bar in 20mins. 4 different dishes laying stagnant under a lamp, all contained tomatoes which I can't eat. £30+ each 4 a glass of coke and bread and jam. Not the cracking start to my birthday bucket list holiday I was looking for. Why do they allow you to book and pay for 3hrs when they know they will close in 1hr. Also young children throwing tantrums due to tiredness in the late evening. Ironically, the flight board advises you to relax until your flight is called. Hmmmm. Save your money.

Miserable service from arrival. Barely any food available. Staff did their best to avoid serving anyone at the bar. Bar was unattended most of the time, with people waiting. Then closed without warning, half an hour before the time we were told when entering.

The food was ultra processed, very sweet and luke warm. The staff were lovely, views nice and a fair selection of drinks. If you don't like ultra processed food don't bother with Aspire use Escape just over the corridor. If you just want to drink and or watch the aircraft then Aspire is the one.

Arrived at 3 o'clock easy check in. Food or lack of it was terrible. Bland not a lot of choice and had run out of most of it. My worst experience of using a lounge. Definitely will not be returning to this one.

Very poor selection of food given the price. Low quality and not fresh. Nicely decorated but full of screaming children which somewhat defeats the purpose of going to a lounge to relax. Save your money - find a quiet area of the airport instead.

£45 each, had to pay extra for an alcoholic drink of choice.... Used to be £25 with no extra charges

Lovely area to relax in whilst waiting a flight. Seating is a bit old and saggy though

Very poor food selection. Ham, croissants, pasta that had gone a bit stiff. Cauliflower curry and some muffins.

I wasn't really impressed. It's not as good as other lounges I've used at Manchester airport

We used this lounge from mid morning as our flight was @ 12.30pm - the food selection is massive but more than enough - it was breakfast when we arrived & they were just changing to lunch as we were leaving. The bar service was quick & efficient

Terrible food selection. Breakfast selection included untoasted bread with no toaster around. Staff were rude, not enough food choices

Nice place to go before flying 👌

The lounge is very good for the price, there are quite good food choices. The ambiance is good to wait for your gate to open.

The food is the main problem. It only has limited options and it is tasteless. I don't like leaving bad reviews in general but make sure you are not hungry before you go in.

Not a bad lounge although food isn't great

Great views. Nice decor. Some beer and wine included in entrance but premium makes cost a couple of£. Basic breakfast buffet. No toaster but a pancake machine?!?!

A place to rest and wait That's all

Would you pay an admission of £44 to go into a restaurant? Aspire has introduced a two-tier system (Manchester T1) where you can get gruel and poor quality drinks for the £44. The alternative is a paid for offering and they proudly advertise Prosecco and a Pizza for £22 (remember - you have already paid £44 to get in). All premium drinks must be paid for and a bacon cheeseburger will set you back £9.50. The place is rammed and despite claiming a quiet zone, the area is actually cacophonous. In preparation for the Aspire rip-off, previous niceties such as scones and clotted cream have been removed. I have written to my airline and asked them to consider changing to another contracted lounge.

Frequent visitor here but last visit was a bad experience. No plates, no cutlery, surly staff, limited food, coffee machines constantly not working. May have just been a bad day but very disappointing. Also started charging £2 extra pet shot for 'premium spirits', heading in the wrong direction with that.

There's a lot more you have to pay for since our last visit and there was only the 🥦🥕🌽vegi dish left on the hot option to be fair the cauliflower curry was pretty good but my wife went for the pizza🍕 which we paid extra for but that was pretty good👍

Worst airport lounge we've ever visited. Morning visit, limited, low quality food. Scrambled eggs inedible, so salty. No breakfast pastries. Not even a toaster for the sliced white bread (only option). Majority of the alcohol options I asked for at the bar (inc. cava, prosecco, bloody Mary), were all chargable items!? None of the other lounges I've visited charge for alcohol? So, what exactly are you paying the inflated cost for? Premier lounge? Far from it! Really rubbish experience 😕

First time at the lounge, staff was very friendly and the food was good, personal choice hash browns was undercooked and sausages wasn’t great. I visited at 4:30 am on the 4/11/2024 and it was so cold inside the lounge, maybe put the heating on an automatic timer because it just ruined the experience.

We arrived at 5am, and I went to the bar to be greeted by a young girl who had no customer service skills. Stood as if she did not want to serve me. Extreamly standoffish, didn't say hi when I greeted her. Food basic and either cold or hard after being left standing for so long. As we left I smiled at the girl behind the bar was about to say thankyou and goodbye and she just gave a look of distaste. The lady who greeted us was very welcoming and couldn't of been more helpul, the member of staff cleaning up was lovely

Currently in aspire lounge and it's lovely the staff are amazing especially the man behind the bar he has great energy and makes you feel relaxed and welcome (he's waisted in this place great guy) great views and selection of food and drink great start to our weekend away

Lounge in Terminal 1 at Manchester Airport. The entrance is quite hidden on the first floor (near the food court), but is signposted. Reception was very friendly and professional. The lounge is modernly furnished and offers various seating options where you can relax or work on your laptop. There are enough sockets for electronic devices. There was a cold and warm buffet. The buffet was regularly refilled. You can tap drinks directly at the facility. There are also spirits. The lounge was busy during my stay - but the cleanliness was absolutely okay. Unfortunately only very few and old toilets. Great view of the apron and the runway.

Unfriendly staff, pre-booking notified without any information. Not recommended. Mesh.

Beats the normal terminal but the food not great

Decent size lounge with good food options. Accepts the Mastercard Travel Pass members.

Unfortunately this lounge is absolutely rubbish, we came into this lounge and the tables hadn’t been clean so we when we went to the staff and asked them if someone could come clean it up they said they would 10 minutes later still nobody came so we cleaned it ourselves . The food options were absolutely awful but the staff behind the bar were lovely. i’ve only been to one other lounge in a small airport and it was 10x better then this, A pizza was £8 but it’s a lounge at least put it into slice's, the drink options are okay but i wouldn’t recommends it to anyone.

Rude staff treated us as second class citizens because we were using Mastercard lounge - said they weren’t accepting cards because they were too busy. No apology - arrogant manner

Even in the quiet lounge you can hear the screams of the common crotch goblin.

The lounge itself was clean and welcoming. Unfortunately hot food was limited and tasteless. Ok to sit away from crowds but nothing much else.

I would highly reccomend going in the Aspire lounge before you fly.

Worst lounge I've been in. Food is minimal, the cheapest options possible (pasta and rice), and you have to pay extra for decent food or premium drinks, including the Prosecco. Tables weren't cleared, staff polite but not enough of them. Would have been better to save the money and have a decent meal and drink at one of the restaurants.

Poor food selection, very limited amount of drinks. Need to pay for most of items. On the other hand great view of the runway. Sadly not going to book again 😞

Good that you now have Madri as well as other drinks

An ok experience. Luckily I get it as a benefit with Amex. I wouldn't pay to enter.

Very disappointing, noisy, scruffy lounge. Prosecco extra surcharge. Aspire need to raise their game.

Overall, strong. Nice view and decent food but we are with someone who is gluten free and their only option was plain rice or salad. Talking to the chef they were able to do a sausage sandwich but it would have been better to have something out ready

Nice and relaxing bar lady grumpy

Terrible experience, sausages must cost them 3p each and contain around 40% meat. The coke machine squirted all over my daughter's Mcclearan hoodie. Powdered scrambled egg and cold bacon. Pancakes were nice from the machine when it was working. First ever English Breakfast without toast as apparently it sets the alarms off. Makes you realise why the bacon is anaemic if the don't grill things in the kitchen... If they have one lol. Worth paying £15 for the drinks and £5 for the poor quality food.

Best lounge in the airport, have visited multiple times - huge thanks to Pedro who provided some of the best customer service we’ve experienced in a long time, on our recent visit

Just the best way to start a holiday

Probably the worst lounge we have ever been in. Business class but still have to pay for a glass of Prosecco and champagne only sold by the bottle. Food choice abysmal and quality worse. No fruit and staff quite dismissive and unhelpful.

Limited food options and what was available was poor quality. No fresh fruit juice. Definitely not worth the time waiting to get checked in. Slow service for drinks. Slow que to get in.

There was not a single gluten free option available, both main meals and both salads contained gluten. THIS IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THIS DAY AND AGE. We will avoid Aspire lounges in future.

Great start to the your holiday, relaxed atmosphere, clean and good value for money.

Need to up the standard of cooked breakfast as I only rate it at 4/10

Coming here was a freebie along with our holiday booking. I got to drink cold beer with a view of some of the apron and the beautiful hills beyond. We looked at the food, actually laughed at it... and gave it a miss. The folk working there were friendly enough and the space was quite well kept. If I had paid money for this experience I would be very disappointed.

Gone downhill, now charging for multiple drinks on top of the entry price. Food very limited and mediocre. Bar items out of stock /not available. Loads of staff wandering around but only 1 serving.

Was a nice enough space to sit and have a drink. Food wasn't great

Expensive for what you get.. limited food options. No vegan hot food options. You have to pay for cider. Atmosphere relaxed. £90 for a small and 2 bottles of beer. Not value for money. Won't be returning

Untrained staff and senior team. Charged visitor fee without our knowledge. When confronted, they had no clue what needs to be done. After some deliberations, they said we have reversed the charges however the card statement still shows no reversal. This is fleecing in broad daylight. Shameful!

Wow! Great experience before flight. Food great and lovely team: Joanna checked us in, very warm and welcoming. Many thanks to Jen; absolute star, who assisted us with regard to negotiating our way to get to establish where to locate items, abd was so lovely! A great start to travel. Thanks.

Ran out of cups for tea and coffee and ran out of clean teaspoons lots of people complaining. Normal everything is spot on. Must have been an off day.