Aviserv Lounge Review (Mumbai Airport) – A Boon for International Business Travellers

This was my first time at Aviserv Lounge – located in the arrival section of Mumbai Airport Terminal 2. I was extremely impressed with what I saw! With few small improvements, this will make perfect sense for business travelers.

I flew overnight from Dubai and landed in Mumbai at 5AM. I wanted to catch a couple of hours of sleep, charge my phone, take a shower and have breakfast.

I had already ‘Googled’ Aviserv Lounge but I was apprehensive. As a backup, I thought I could book one of the many hotels close to the airport. I didn’t have to, so color me impressed!

Location

Aviserv Lounge is located right after you clear customs. It is the only lounge in the Arrival hall. The location works great because it is next to the prepaid cab booking counters and also 2 min walk from the Uber / Ola zone. There are clear directions as soon as you step into the arrival hall.

Layout

The lounge is divided into 6 zones – sleeping pods, private rooms (which essentially is a cubicle with a sofa-chair and a dustbin), living room (which has the same sofa-chairs not separated by walls), dining section, work-area and shower-zone. However, do not mistake this to be a huge lounge. The overall area is quite small.

I am particularly impressed by the shower facilities. It is ideal if you are travelling for early morning meetings to Mumbai. The shower is great (both hand and overhead) and they provide necessary linen – a bath towel, a hand towel and a shower mat. There are soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower area.

I would like them to provide disposable toothbrush and toothpaste as well like hotels do. Also, there should be a shaving mirror near the washbasin.

Food

Aviserv Lounge provides buffet style food for the three main meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you come at a different time, they have some ala carte options. I had breakfast at the lounge and it was good. There were plenty of options – Indian, eggs in multiple ways, cereal, fresh juices, tea, coffee, muffins etc. I would say the spread was equivalent to a 4-star hotel in Mumbai.

Service

I have a strong feeling that the staff at Aviserv have experience working in the hospitality industry. Despite the fact that I arrived there at 5:30AM, I could see all of them being extremely proactive. They were clearing tables, preparing for breakfast (which starts at 6:15AM), changing insect repellents etc.

When I arrived at the breakfast counter, I was promptly approached by a staff who asked if I wanted something from the live station. I always prefer that compared to ‘over-the-counter’ food. So, I promptly ordered the quintessentially Indian masala omelette. I am pleased to say that it was very good.

Pricing

Aviserv lounge has an array of pricing – both bundled and ala-carte. The complete chart can be viewed here. Note that these prices are exclusive of tax (currently 18%).

The sleeping pods are particularly expensive. While the lounge area had about 10 guests, the sleeping pods were unoccupied at 6:00AM. I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of hours sleep there (Rs. 750 / $10 + tax per hour). However, if I have to sleep longer, I could book a room in hotels at similar prices in Mumbai on most days.

Aviserv also accepts PriorityPass, DragonPass and LoungeKey members. The members are entitled to 3 hours in the living / dining section and one meal. I had PriorityPass so I only had to pay for shower usage. This was a good deal.

Conclusion

The positives are very clear – location, service, food and shower. There are some areas of improvement – shaving mirror, toothbrush and pricing for the sleeping pods.

I would rather check-in to a hotel if I am arriving at Mumbai in the afternoon and do not have an urgent meeting. Also, if I need 6 hours of sleep, I will definitely go to a hotel.

However, if I am arriving in the early hours and need a place to recharge and take a shower, I will DEFINITELY choose Aviserv.