The Aspire AMEX Lounge stands as the exclusive common-use lounge in the YUL Domestic terminal offering sophisticated table-side dining service. You can indulge in culinary creations from celebrated local chefs and signature cocktails crafted by the Montreal's most distinguished cocktail bars.
Overall, reviews describe Aspire AMEX Salon/Lounge as a stylish, well appointed space with good food and strong cocktails and a friendly, attentive staff that create a calm, welcoming ambiance for travelers between flights. The made to order, à la carte approach and healthy options are appreciated, and many guests praise fast, restaurant style service and clear help choosing dishes. However, several concerns appear: the QR code ordering system can feel slow and restricts guests to one item at a time, sometimes leading to waits or incorrect orders; some experiences note delays during busy periods; restrooms are outside the lounge; seating is not always comfortable and the space can feel crowded; menu variety can be limited with few vegetarian options and no buffet; and service times can vary. Despite these issues, the lounge is frequently described as clean, bright, and well staffed, with standout food and drinks and a desire to return.
Place is not packed & they won't let u in unless ur flying business class with air canada or have amex platinum card. Get a meal from Tims or Starbucks better than their attitude.
We arrived 3 hours & 20 minutes before our flight departed. The gentleman at the front desk told us to come back in 20 minutes as we only have access to the lounge for 3 hours & our flight was at 6 with no mention of a wait list. We came back 15 minutes later & we were told that we had to wait an additional 50 minutes for a table because the lounge was full. Extremely frustrating since we were not informed of any wait list & the women who checked us in didn't seem to want to accommodate the original promise of 20 minutes. If we were given a warning that there would be a wait when we originally checked in then this wouldn't be as frustrating. If you make promises please stick to them!
The lounge is clean & well decorated. Great service once you gain access to the lounge. We did have to be put on the waitlist & waited about 20 minutes. Our food & drink arrived rather quickly, in about 5-10 minutes after our orders. Only thing I'd change is to make access available 3 hours prior to boarding rather than departure time. I don't love the one order at a time rule either, but can understand & respect it. I'd just suggest to other travellers to be cautious that their order may come later during busier hours, so make sure you have time to spare.
Had a terrible experience here today. I didn't know much about the Aspire lounges & the lounge i usually use was on the international side only & this was the only lounge around. The sign on the outside said Amex card holders are welcome & you can pay $60 to address the lounge. I have two amex cards (25+yrs) & a priority pass so i thought i would just go in & ask. Well the woman there was so dismissive of my questions & acted like she couldn't give me the time of day. She behaved like one of those luxury store clerks you see in movies that talk down to customers because they think they are not rich enough or have status. It made me feel so little in the way that she spoke to me that after i walked away it just hit me hard. I realize now it's because I've never actually been treated that way & i would never do that to anyone & i certainly did not deserve it. I gathered up my courage & went back to confront her... She couldn't even look me in the eye & couldn't even be bothered to listen to me & called her manager over. He was very nice & i got the sense this may not be the first time. He did offer to get me a spot if i came back later, 3hrs before my flight.
At first I did not want to go back because I just didn't want to be in that environment but then I thought no, I'm not going to let her deter me. But then when i returned the line was very long & did not move. They are taking air Canada business class folks right now cuz i think the AC lounge is under construction. So I get that the lounge is probably at capacity & people like me don't get priority but there's a nice way to explain that rather making someone feel small by talking down to them.
Coincidentally I had to call American Express for a card issue & I mentioned my experience to the agent who then decided that they wanted to file a report & supposedly I'm getting a call back from someone.
I talked to my sister & she mentioned to me that she had a similar experience when she came to this lounge. The woman in question had a very heavy French accent maybe she didn't like our skin tones or that we didn't speak French? There was definitely this sense of being judged in a certain way & being treated like a lesser person. My sister does actually have status. So kinda weird why we both got treated like that. Air Canada apologized to her not amex.
I sincerely hope that this is not the type of image that American Express wants to put forward. I hope they actually take some action.
If you are the woman who i dealt with I hope you actually take a step back & consider how you treat people. Even if you don't intend it, because you interact with the public, the way you speak to people can have a huge impact. If for some reason you think you're better than people like me & that's why you spoke to me that way then i really feel sorry that your life experience led you to this. Be kind to everyone. You don't know their circumstances don't judge a book by it's cover.
Update: I did indeed get a call back from American Express. This lounge is operated by another company so not directly by Amex. They took my concerns very seriously & apologized & took some action to try to compensate me. If you've experienced anything similar please reach out to Amex & share your experience I know they want to hear about it. Hopefully this type of behavior does not continue, in this day in age there is no room to treat anyone like this.
Extremely disrespectful staff. I've visited lounges all over the world, & this is the first time I've had an experience like this.
Disagreements are fine, but they must be handled with basic respect & professionalism. That was clearly missing here.
Very disappointing, Aspire Lounge.
If anyone is willing to look into this, I'm happy to provide more details.
We had a very disappointing experience at this lounge - honestly, well below the standard we have experienced in other lounges.
Due to a flight connection, we arrived about 30 minutes earlier than the 3-hour entry policy allows. We were fully aware of the rule & explained politely to the staff that we only intended to stay for about an hour & a half once inside.
Since we arrived slightly early, we calmly sat near the entrance area, without disturbing anyone (the area was empty), simply waiting for the appropriate time to enter.
After a few minutes, a staff member approached us & asked us to leave. Her exact words were:'In our airport, we do not allow people to wait here.'
The tone & attitude were unnecessarily rude & unwelcoming. We were respectful at all times & did not cause any inconvenience. We were simply waiting quietly to comply with their own policy.
We travel frequently & have visited many lounges, & this is the first time we have experienced this kind of treatment. In every other lounge, customer service has been welcoming & accommodating - which is exactly the purpose of these spaces.
This experience was not only disappointing, but also quite unacceptable given the context.
Apr 30, 2026
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Mix feeling about this place. Some good people work hard to provide welcome feeling, some just give you bad attitude to ruined the experience. Management needs to addressed this if they care about customer service...
Very organized. Order your food / drink via QR code. Wait for it to get served at your table. Once you get it, you can order the next item.
Some may find this slow, if they're in a rush. But I like that this system is not chaotic.
Feedback: it'd be good if the dietary signs / symbols are visible. Also , if we could add a note to the order. Eg: my juice was served with ice. I couldn't request without ice at the time of order placement.
The food was mostly disappointing. The rice pudding was split & the chicken & potato dish was cold & grisly. The staff are wonderful & the drinks are good. Too bad about the food though, that doesn't make this lounge worth the cost.
The only reason I'm giving this 5 stars is because of the amazing staff, as the lounge itself has a number of shortcomings compared to other world-class lounges I've had the privilege of visiting internationally.
Had a really nice experience at the Aspire Lounge at YUL overall. When I first arrived, there was a pretty big line-up & I had to leave my number to join a waiting list. I ended up walking around the airport for a while, & honestly couldn't find a better spot to spend the two hours before my flight. Thankfully, I received a text just in time & was greeted very warmly when I returned. The staff, despite having what seemed like an extremely busy day, were attentive, friendly, & made the experience feel welcoming from start to finish.
Special shoutout to *Yulia & David*, the wonderful person who greeted me at the front desk who I think may have been the manager (in a grey/light sweater, I think - you were awesome), the two attentive guys behind the bar, & the girl who brought me the food, you were all fantastic & so warm. The food came out quickly & was about a 6.5/10, the latte was 9/10 - but for me, despite how busy they were, it was the service that really elevated the experience.
The space itself is contemporary & clean, with many seating options. Not all seats have access to a plug, but the manager was kind enough to offer me a portable outlet if needed. I ended up doing some writing at the bar (premium access to drinks ;-) hehe).
One notable downside is the lack of a washroom inside the lounge, which doesn't feel very lounge-like compared to other lounges I've visited that had plenty of washrooms & even showers. To access washrooms, you have to leave the lounge & come back, which feels quite absurd in my opinion. I'd personally deduct 3 points for that. I'd strongly suggest to management to add 2-3 all-gender washrooms within the lounge itself so guests don't have to leave the space. I'm not even sure this setup aligns with National Building Code expectations for a lounge/dining environment, so it may be worth reviewing.
Overall, a solid experience made memorable only by the excellent team who elevated the experience. Hope to see you again soon :)
Sad to see low rating as the lounge is good, staff is nice & food is delicious. Used Amex lounge as maple leaf is under renovation. The place is not big & busy so you may need to wait.
As it is small lounge, there is no restroom so you need to go out. You can find a table & order food using QR code. Kitchen is well equipped & plenty of food options.
I order Avocado toast & it was great. There is open bar. Some item you may need to pay.
The place is accessible but sitting area is tight.
Asking for directions to the Maple Leaf lounge, I was directed to the Aspire Lounge from the Air Canada Cafe, but unfortunately, my visit was completely derailed by the exceptionally poor customer service provided by the receptionist, Vindra.
My flight was scheduled for 3:15 PM, & I initially arrived at the lounge at around 11:53 AM. Vindra seemed visibly unbelieving that I even had lounge access. After having me scan my pass, she bluntly told me to come back in 23 minutes, citing a strict three-hour prior entry policy. I complied, left, & returned around 12:20 PM.
Upon returning & scanning my pass again, she seemed very happy to tell me that there was now a waitlist & I would have to wait. She said she would add me to the list, so I stepped to the side to wait. Vindra then called out again & demanded to see my pass yet again. After taking my phone number, she dismissively told me to leave. I mentioned I was comfortable waiting where I was, but she bluntly said I couldn't stay there & said I could wait in the AC cafe.
Furthermore, because I didn't have access to my regular mobile network at the time, I politely asked if they happened to have a SIM ejector tool (an iPhone pin). Without actually listening to me, she brushed me off & said they'didn't have a printer.' When I clarified that I didn't need a printer, she seemed rushed & desperate to just get rid of me, stating they would contact me via email instead.
Vindra lacked even an ounce of basic politeness or courtesy. I was surprised that she spoke the same way to another couple of customers. I am leaving this review in the hope that management addresses this behavior; guests should not be treated as if doing her job is a favor to them. A very poor experience!
j'étais au lounge le 17 avril à 5h00am à louverture.
il ne s'agit pas d'une formule buffet pour le dejeuner.
il s'agit d'une formule où l'on doit commander un item à la fois sur notre cellulaire en scannant un code QR.
le service est complètement incroyablement lent: J'ai commandé mon muffin oeuf à 5h05 AM pour le recevoir à 5h50 AM.
j'ai commandé un simple croissant comme deuxième item a 6h30 & je l'ai reçu 15mn plus tard, c'est inacceptable.
d'autre part, il faut sortir du lounge pour utiliser les toilettes de l'aéroport qui son a droite du restaurant Tim Horton: aucune toilette dans le lounge.
de plus, l'alcool ouvre seulement à 11h00 AM. café, jus, sodas & eau sans plus.
on peut aussi emporter notre déjeuner dans une BOX LUNCH pour lavion.
conclusion: c'est mon pire lounge a vie.
ne payé pas pour ce lounge a moins d'avoir un accès gratuit.
la seul avantage est d'être tranquille avant le départ de l'avion.
