First look: Amex’s gorgeous new Centurion Lounge in Atlanta

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta facilities

The Centurion Lounge in Atlanta provides a slew of facilities that can absolutely be a success with vacationers.

As an aviation fanatic, my favourite options are the lounge’s three out of doors, year-round terraces.

There’s one lining practically the whole perimeter of the lounge, and this one provides not solely a bunch of various seating choices, but in addition a few of the finest views you may discover of Delta jets within the nation.

I may simply spend an hour outdoors right here — even on a wet day — watching Delta’s Airbus A330s and A350s transfer across the airfield. (The Centurion Lounge is situated in a primarily worldwide concourse, so you may principally discover widebodies parked on the close by gates.)

Even vacationers who cannot distinguish between the A330-200 and A330-300 will get pleasure from this out of doors house. That is as a result of the seating choices are comfy, augmented by a bunch of greenery lining the terrace.

The lounge’s two different terraces do not boast any views (they’re situated on the inside of the house), however they do supply some overflow seating that’ll seemingly be much less crowded than the primary lounge inside.

In actual fact, one of many terraces — together with its connected rooms — is reserved for Amex’s Centurion members. When you have a “black card,” a lounge agent will escort you into your personal rest room, which contains a small beverage station with some snacks, in addition to a handful of seats and the aforementioned terrace.

Whereas the spotlight of the facilities will seemingly be the terraces, the Centurion Lounge additionally has an extended listing of “commonplace” options.

This consists of 4 personal cellphone cubicles, a multi-purpose room (that doubles as a household room), energy ports and USB-A and -C shops at practically each seat.

The lounge additionally options males’s and girls’s restrooms — probably the nicest ones in the whole airport — three bathe suites, and two all-gender personal restrooms.

The bathe suites are embellished with marble finishes and have Amex’s signature L’Occitane merchandise.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta meals and drinks

Amex was the primary bank card issuer to open airport lounges, and one of many issuer’s key differentiators from conventional airline membership golf equipment has been elevated culinary choices.

Given the rise in competitors in recent times (each from airways and different issuers), Amex is elevating the bar — actually and figuratively — with the meals and drinks.

It begins with the opening of the so-called “The Reserve by American Specific,” which is the issuer’s first Centurion Lounge whiskey bar.

The design suits the invoice for a whiskey bar, and you’ll have your choose at a curated choice of whiskey-based cocktails crafted by Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan.

The entire meals and drinks are included with lounge admission, so you may pattern as many whiskeys as you need. (Do not forget that you just nonetheless have a flight to catch.)

Along with the whiskey bar, the lounge’s most important bar is pleased to whip up your favourite drink or pour you a glass of one in every of 10 wines picked by Centurion Lounge wine director Anthony Giglio.

As for the meals, Amex is teaming up with Atlanta-based Deborah VanTrece, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind native favorites Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, Oreatha’s At The Level and La Panarda. (Humorous sufficient, VanTrece is a former flight attendant.)

VanTrece curated a menu of Southern and worldwide favorites for the buffet, together with pea biryani, za’atar grilled rooster thighs and “twisted soul” salad.

A media preview is not the perfect time to get a way of how the meals will style each day, but when Amex can replicate what it supplied on Tuesday, then vacationers are prone to go away satiated.

Along with the buffets, the issuer put in just a few wellness stations all through the lounge. These stations supply gluten-free and vegan choices, together with protein bites, salads, smoothies and immunity booster juice photographs.

Amex would not supply a grab-and-go station (like Capital One does), nor does it supply a la carte eating (like Chase does), however the eating decisions are nonetheless a notable step up from the present Centurion Lounges and from most airline membership lounges.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta backside line

Amex’s new Centurion Lounge in Atlanta is in a league of its personal.

It is the issuer’s largest location thus far, and it begins a brand new chapter for the Centurion Lounge community with a domestically impressed design, distinctive facilities and top-notch meals and drinks.

For vacationers passing by way of Atlanta, that is undoubtedly the nicest lounge within the airport (belief me, I have been to all of them). As such, I am certain it’s going to get fairly busy throughout peak occasions.

However all of this innovation comes as Amex faces much more competitors within the airport lounge house. Whereas Amex had an almost decade-long head begin, Capital One and Chase are working arduous to shut the hole.

Bank card-branded lounges are popping up in additional airports nationwide, and every appears nicer than the final.

Amex’s newest opening is bound to impress, and with 28 outposts throughout the globe, together with one on this planet’s busiest airport, the Centurion Lounge community could be very a lot nonetheless the chief.

Associated studying: