Review: Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO)

After making our connection from one Nairobi airport to another, Wilson (WIL) to Jomo Kenyatta (NBO), while flying from Masai Mara, Kenya, to Zanzibar, Tanzania, we had more time than we initially anticipated. After a quick search, I realized I could access the Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, so I decided to have a short visit. 

This is a brief and more summarized review, as was my visit. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Starting Summer in East Africa including:

• My Comically Bad Luck Flying to Africa
• No Compensation for an Involuntary Business Class Downgrade?!?
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa B747-8 Economy IAD-FRA 
• My First Flight on the Queen: My Thoughts
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge FRA
• Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge FRA 
• Review: Lufthansa A330 Business Class FRA-NBO
• Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham
• Review: Air Kenya into the Safari
• JW Marriott Masai Mara Review: Luxury in the Savannah, a Truly Unforgettable Safari
• Is the JW Marriott Masai Mara Worth $3k a Night?
• Review: Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO)
• Review: Kenya Airways NBO-ZNZ E190
• Exploring Tanzania: My Thoughts on Zanzibar
• When Flights Don’t Go as Planned: Delayed in Zanzibar
• Review: Air Tanzania ZNZ-ARK
• Mt. Kilimanjaro Day Hike: My Thoughts
• Exploring Moshi, Tanzania: What Everyone Gets Wrong
• Review: Twiga Lounge by Aspire Lounge Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Weirdest Flight Delay I Have Ever Had… 
• Review: Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa Executive Regency Suite
• Exploring Addis Ababa: My Thoughts
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine Business Class Lounge Addis Ababa
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine B787-8 Business Class ADD-IAD
• My 18 Hour Odd Business Class Experience: A Stop in Lome, Togo?

Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Location and Access

The Aspire Lounge is located in Terminal 1A near gate 13. There are many shopping areas near the lounge, but it would be difficult to miss. 

While you can pay for access to this lounge, I likely would not recommend it unless you need a quiet place to get word done. Alternatively, a Priority Pass membership is the best way to access the lounge.

I got in with a Priority Pass from an American Express Platinum Card, although members with Priority Pass cards from other credit cards will work as well. I also could bring in up to two guests for free.

The Lounge

The Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta is composed of a single room that is quite long in length. After turning left past the check-in desk, some TVs and reading materials are on the walls. There is also seating on one side. 

Towards the center of the lounge is the dining area with high-top seating and more TVs displaying soccer and a flight monitor. 

In the back of the lounge are more plush seating options, and the best place to relax in the lounge more comfortably. Behind this section were the bathrooms, meaning people frequently walked through this seating area.

Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Food and Beverage

There was a decent selection of warm and cold options, including chicken, soup, fruit, and salad. 

There were standard drinks in the refrigerator, which held sodas and some alcoholic options. I did not have anything to eat in the lounge, but the options seemed popular to other guests who had filled their plates.

The Last Point

The Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta is a great place to sit down and relax before your flight. If there is free access provided by your credit card, even better. However, I would find it difficult to pay for access to this lounge.

The food selection seemed decent but had most things one might need. The size of the lounge was not big by any standards, but it was a clean and mostly quiet place to sit as I waited for my flight.