Where is the Aspire Perth T1 Lounge Located?

The Aspire International lounge is located at Perth Airport’s International Terminal 1 which is the home of all international flights in Perth barr Qantas. Once clearing security and immigration formalities you’ll find the lounge centrally located to the right hand side of duty free and adjacent to gate 54. To access the lounge you’ll need to take either the stairs or a lift which take you to the newly opened lounge that takes part of the terminal’s once larger public observation deck.

For your information Aspire also operate a domestic publicly accessible lounge over the Terminal 2 (which can also be accessed airside from Terminal 1 Domestic) You can check out my review of this lounge here.

Who Can Access the Aspire Lounge and When is it Open?

Aspire’s Perth International lounge is a publicly accessible lounge meaning it opens its doors to all travellers leaving Perth International terminal whilst it is also the default lounge that airline’s without their own lounges contract to offer for their premium passengers.

The great news about this lounge is that accepts members of participating lounge programs such as Priority Pass, Lounge Key and DragonPass and with everything about this lounge communicating a premium feel this lounge is a no brainer to visit!

Altervatively paid access is also available which is currently $77 at the door or a slightly reduced $66 when pre booked online a minimum of 24 hours ahead of time.

In terms of opening hours it pays to check the up to date hours before your next visit to the airport. They have improved considerably over recent months now catering to the early morning flights out of Perth and also all through the afternoon and until 2am the next day. On several days each week the lounge is however closed between 7am and 11am when the is little to no departures at that time.

Paid Lounge access (either online or at the door)

Priority Pass Members

Lounge Key Members

DragonPass Members

Aspire trading hours

Monday: 3:30am – 7:00am & 11:00am – 2:00am
Tuesday: 3:30am – 7:00am & 11:00am – 2:00am
Wednesday: 10:00am – 2:00am
Thursday: 3:30am – 7:00am & 10:45am – 2:00am
Friday: 11:00am – 02:00am
Saturday: 3:30am – 7:00am & 11:00am – 2:00am
Sunday: 10:00am – 2:00am

Lounge Design and Seating

From the moment I walk into the lounge around 5pm and the friendly receptionist processes my Loungekey card I immediately get the feeling that this is going be an exceptional lounge experience here this evening. Soon as I walk through I can’t but help notice that the attention to detail in the design and furnishings of this lounge is second to none.

First things first, the is a quality looking business centre behind the lounge reception with plenty of bench style seating which is going to be a good option for those working on a laptop and needing to stay powered up

The lounge is split into numerous different zones which the first being a narrow passage way that connects the reception and business centre with the main bar and buffet area. In this area you’ll find comfortable and semi-partioned velvet lounge chairs on the right that look super comfortable and come with amazing tarmac views. On the left you find cosy seating booths perfect for families or small groups.

Once past this zone you’ll then come across the main bar area and buffet station which is very well designed and you could be mistaking it for a high end city bar. On the other side of the bar there is bar stools and a bench overlooking amazing views of the tarmac making it a great place to sit down for a quick drink conversing with other passengers or whilst the bar tender makes a tasty cocktail or barista made coffee for you.

Moving beyond the bar and just behind the buffet station you’ll then find a good variety of premium seating along the way to the lounge’s flagship ‘viewing deck’. These seats are great if relaxation or rest is more your first concern. Additionally, in the far corner of the lounge there is another nice little room which was quieter and still had plenty of comfortable seating along with an impressive digital photo backdrop of the Perth city skyline. This room whilst it is tucked away from the more popular areas of the lounge centred around the bar and the tarmac views is likely to be great option also for those wishing to rest or get some quiet work done.

Finally, for me the highlight of this lounge which has already excelled in every regard is the self proclaimed ‘viewing deck’. After all this title is more than justified as this lounge occupies much of the space of the now trimmed down public observation deck after all! To get to it take the small half-flight of steps (or accessibility lift if needed) at the back of the lounge and you’ll enter a small circular area with seating flush around the semi- circular windowscape in addition to some more comfortable circular lounge seating that come equipped with larger tables. The views here are absolutely amazing meaning you can see all the planes taking off and landing and also see much of the tarmac action for departing and arriving international flights and also across to the Domestic T3 and T4 precint on the other side of the airfield too. My recommendation is to get a bite to eat and a lovely drink from the bar head up to watch the world go by here at Perth Airport!

One other thing that this lounge excels with too is when it comes to ambient lighting and secures a great balance between natural and artificial lighting with different areas of the lounge seeming to have the right lightning for the purposes of that area whether that is to stimulate relaxation or enjoyment.

Food and Beverage

Everything about this lounge is impressive and showcases class and style and when it comes to the food and beverage department this is no different. There is a quality buffet and impressively well stock tendered bar with a strong showcase wines and beers from Western Australia. 

Self Service Food and A la carte dining

During the time we arrived at the Aspire Lounge I couldn’t help but notice that the self service buffet had a good range of food options. Here you’ll find a salad bar with several different types of salads and standalone fruit and vegetables. There is also a good range of cold cut metas and cheeses to snack on.

Unlike many lounges which often are limited to a snacking station and cold cut meats, Aspire’s lounge also offered several more substantial hot options including Garlic Chicken with lemongrass, Spiced Chilli Egg Fried Rice and also a Basil, Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli. To round of the selection were also bread rolls, cookies and even a selection of appetising looking cakes. Whether you are after just something to snack on or a more substantial feed before your flight this lounge does not disappoint!

Self Service Drinks and tendered bar

After eating up for an early dinner at the lounge and wondering how the hell I would have left anymore room for another dinner on my flight to Auckland with Wamos Air later tonight it was time to check out the bar.

Everything about the bar is impressive and there is no self service fridge with a few beers and soft drinks in it here nor a couple bottles of wine left out on the table like with so many international lounges these days! The bar itself is full service albeit everything available is complimentary. Here you’ll find a good range of premium beers including local Western Australian craft beers in addition to some quality WA white and red wines. There is some sparkling on offer as well. There’s also good range of spirits – nothing top shelf but you’ll certainly find your everyday favourite go-to tipple here and the bar tender enthusiastically will make whatever cocktail or mixed drink from what they have at their disposal.

Of course if a slightly boozy start to your international flight is not your thing you can also order a quality barista made coffee or your usual soft drinks here as well. Overall the course of my two hours at the lounge I started with a Peroni, sampled a tasty sparkling Cuvée, continued on a Jameson highball with ginger ale and finished with a well made flat-white which provided great accompaniment to the great views of the tarmac action as day turned to night!

Service and Staff

Another area which I could not fault about the lounge was the staff and service. From the moment I stepped into the surpassingly quiet lounge the service was great. The receptionist was friendly and enthusiastic in welcoming me to the lounge whilst the bar tender was fast, efficient and clearly had a good grip on the endless drinks options at her disposal. The lounge attendant also came around frequently to clear tables ensuring a comfortable and classy experience at all times. A big shout out to all the Aspire Lounge crew here for a great experience!

Lounge Amenities

Last, but most certianly not least, the lounge also ticks all the right boxes when it comes to amenities. Free fast wifi is provided along with clean and premium looking shower suites and restrooms. Power points and USB charging outlets are also well distributed around the lounge, whilst there is business facilities also available for those travellers. Several tv screens and flight information boards are also scattered around the lounge so you can keep up with the news or status of your flight.

Summing Up

The Aspire Perth International Lounge is arguably the best place to be when travelling out of Perth Airport’s international terminal especially if you’re not a business class passenger. Opened in early 2022 after the re-opening of WA’s hard border the Aspire Lounge in Perth is truly world class and easily the fanciest lounge I’ve visited before.

The best part to it is that you don’t necessary need to be flying business class to get in as Priority Pass or Lounge Key will get you in or otherwise you can book a visit online or pay to gain entry at the lounge. Even if you don’t have lounge scheme access you may still wish to consider paying upfront to visit even though the entry fee is steep this is no ordinary ‘run of the mill’ lounge!

Everything about this lounge is impressive and showcases class and style with a great variety of premium furnishing and quality amenities matched with a quality buffet and impressively well stock tendered bar with a strong showcase of wines and beers from Western Australia.

Perhaps the best part of this lounge is its views and it is no surprise why as it has taken space from the now smaller public observation deck on the top of terminal! In-fact the Wamos Air Airbus A330 was right underneath the window I was sitting by allowing me to see all the going on’s as it prepared for our flight over to NZ tonight.

Whilst I don’t in principle believe in giving perfect scores what I can certainly give this lounge is a near perfect score and it is not hard to understand why its the place to be for your not fight out of Perth International Airport!