At 4am, an airport doesn’t feel like the start of a holiday but it did at the Luxe Aspire Lounge at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
This was my first time in the Aspire Lounge. It won’t be my last.
We had a 6:15am flight to Amsterdam and arrived just after 4am at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. At that time of the morning, you’re looking for three things.
Solid breakfast.
Comfy seats.
Peace and quiet.
At check-in, we were greeted well and offered the upgrade from the standard Aspire Lounge to the Aspire Luxe Lounge also known as the Aspire Premium Lounge for £10 per person.
Classic upsell. But the moment he mentioned it was adult only with inclusive premium cocktails, my card was already out.
The luxe section sits just off the main lounge, separated enough that you feel the difference straight away. Clean, quiet, empty at that hour. Lounge seating, stools, booths. Plenty of options.
So we did what everyone does. Claimed a seat, then went straight to the breakfast bar.
Hot food wasn’t being served in the luxe section at that hour, so we headed into the main Aspire Lounge for it.
Not an issue. I’m all for not throwing food away when it’s not needed.
The continental options were what you’d expect, but done slightly better. All the usual cereals, fruits and jams, but a DIY granola section with sliced peaches, forest fruits, tropical fruits, dried cranberries, Greek yogurt and muesli elevated it above the standard. A pancake machine and pastries alongside.
When the pastries ran out I asked for more. They brought warm pain au chocolat and croissants straight to our table without being asked where we were seated. They knew we were in the luxe section.
That’s the detail that makes the difference.
The hot food was buffet style. Cumberland sausages, bacon, hash browns, beans, tinned tomatoes. The sausages were the standout, flavourful and properly cooked. The beans were watery and let the side down. But it fills you up, and at 4am that’s what matters.
The coffee did exactly what it needed to at that hour. The juice range was expansive, orange, peach concentrate and more, all self-serve so you could keep going back without feeling like a bother. That freedom matters in a lounge. It makes you feel welcome rather than managed.
As time went on, the main lounge filled up. Voices getting louder, movement picking up. None of it reached us. The £10 upgrade was paying dividends.
Now the cocktails are where I got my biggest surprise.
At 5am, it feels slightly wrong ordering a cocktail, so instead of ordering 1, I ordered 2 to balance it out, a whiskey sour and a mojito.
Both were excellent. The whiskey sour had a proper foam, light and balanced, with enough whiskey to be noticeable. The mojito was fresh, mint forward, with a good mix of rum and lime. They felt properly made and went down far too easily.
So I went over to say exactly that.
They told me they were from a machine.
I didn’t believe them.
But they were. Perfectly measured, consistent, and far better than they had any right to be and would put some bartenders to shame.
By the time we left, the main lounge was full. Ours wasn’t.
This whole experience was covered by Priority Pass. The £10 upgrade is one of the easier decisions you’ll make that morning. But if you don’t have that, standard Aspire Lounge access runs £93.80 per person, with LUXE at £115.
Would I pay £115 out of pocket? Probably not regularly. But if you’re already spending on a holiday and you want to start it with a clear head and a cocktail, it’s worth considering.
And it’s noticeable the moment you walk out. The roar of the terminal, the clatter of wheels, the sudden intensity of it all. After two hours in the LUXE lounge, the holiday had already started.
