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The Aspire Lounge at Larnaca Airport opened earlier this year and is a remodelled version of the Swissport lounge which served travelers for years.
To get to the lounge you need to pass through security, enter the duty free area and take a left. In the hallway behind the duty free area (near a Burger King) you’ll find an elevator and stairs up to the first level where the entrance to the lounge is located.
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The lounge occupies the same space as the old Swissport lounge and is where British Airways sends its elites and Business Class passengers.
It’s also Larnaca airport’s only Priority Pass lounge…..
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
….as well as being the lounge for Lounge Key and Lounge Club members.
Right at the entrance you’ll find the wi-fi password:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The lounge may occupy the same space as the old Swissport lounge but it feels a lot brighter and, because of the way the furniture has been set out, more spacious too.
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The lounge offers a variety of seating options including regular tables and chairs….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…sofas….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…booth-style seating….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…and regular armchairs:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
Closer to the dining area (which I’ll come on to later) there are a couple of long benches with power outlets running down the middle:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The power outlets in the lounge are all of the 3-pin UK variety but most offer USB ports too.
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The lounge offers a very good size kids area which is mercifully walled off from the rest of the lounge by glass….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
….a TV room….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…and a quiet room too:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
The quiet room seat approximately 20 people but it has one notable drawback.
The door to the quiet room opens via a sensor above the door but, with the area just outside the quiet room leading to the TV room, it often gets pretty busy and the door opens and closes every few seconds as someone walks by.
This gets tiresome very quickly!
The lounge has large windows on two sides with views overlooking the airport apron and these add to the feeling of light and space in the lounge.
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
As with just about all airports Larnaca is a non-smoking facility….but there is a terrace outside the Aspire lounge where smoking is allowed:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
If you’re lucky and you turn up at a time where the number of smokers out on the terrace is minimal this is definitely somewhere you should check out as it certainly beats being indoors.
Dining, Food & Drinks
On the dining front the lounge offers a buffet and a few sets of tables and chairs:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
Food-wise there’s usually a bit of everything to be found at the buffet but it doesn’t appear to vary much on the time of day. I’ve visited this lounge a few times since it opened (at various times) and I can’t say that I’ve noticed too many changes from morning to evening.
You’ll find mini sandwiches, mini wraps, dips and crudités including, as an example:
- Smoked salmon triangles
- Ham and cheese triangles
- Roasted vegetable and humus wraps
- Chicken caesar wraps
- Chicken rolls
- Red peppers
- Cucumbers
- Humus
- Natural yoghurt
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
There are usually bread/rolls and jams on offer as well as soup (I’ve seen both tomato and mushroom offered).
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
There’s always a small selection of cereals….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…and, if you’re looking for a cholesterol overload, there are some hot items too…including:
- Vegetable spring rolls
- Mediterranean-style pork meatballs (very nice)
- Chicken nuggets
- Meat pizza slices (small)
- Vegetable pizza slices (small)
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
If you haven’t clogged up your arteries with any of that lot then you always have the option of one of the desserts on offer or some of the cookies:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
Drinks-wise the lounge offers a selection of sodas, beers, juices and bottled water….
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
…there are a few wines (which I can’t in all honesty recommend)…..
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
….and a collection of basic spirits:
Aspire Lounge Larnaca Airport
Lastly, there’s a coffee/hot water machine….
…and a selection of teas:
Other
The lounge’s wi-fi has always worked fine for me…although I don’t stream videos or download/upload large files so I can’t say how well it works if you’re doing any of those things.
There’s a single shower in the lounge – it’s pretty basic – and you have to ask at the reception desk to get access.
Thoughts
As somewhere to relax or to do some work the Aspire lounge is fine. It’s light, the furniture is comfortable and not too densely packed into the available space and the wi-fi works well.
On the other hand, the food offering is hardly inspired (you won’t find many substantial healthy options) and the alcoholic drink selection is pretty basic so it’s not going to blow anyone away.
But, as third-party lounges go, it’s not bad overall. It’s an improvement on the Swissport lounge it replaces, the staff are friendly and it’s better than a lot of other European lounges I’ve visited this year (like the Sala VIP lounge in Pisa or the AviaPartner VIP Lounge in Rome).
