Centurion Lounge Atlanta: A Plant-Stuffed Escape – NerdWallet

You probably have a while to kill within the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, look no additional than the Centurion Lounge in Concourse E. AmEx has made a concerted effort in recent times to include native components into its lounges, and this location delivers. From its tree-filled design to its southern fare and peach-inspired cocktails, this lounge could be very a lot rooted within the metropolis of Atlanta.

The 26,000-square-feet house opened in February 2024 and boasts a number of meals stations with totally different choices, two bars and loads of seating, so it shouldn’t be exhausting to reap the benefits of the lounge’s facilities, even when the place is crowded.

The Atlanta Centurion Lounge is situated close to Gate E11. It’s open each day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The designers took a really literal strategy when incorporating its host metropolis’s moniker, “town within the forest.” The central a part of the lounge, the place one of many bars and many of the meals stations are situated, has a impartial colour palette with soothing browns and forest inexperienced. Leaf-shaped lighting fixtures fill the ceiling, which provides ambient lighting, harking back to the solar filtering by way of a tree cover. And you’ll’t miss the lounge’s crowning function: a big bonsai olive tree towering over the house.

Along with the central bar close to the buffet, this lounge additionally contains a whiskey bar referred to as The Reserve. Whereas it retains a number of the design options of the primary lounge, the house is far moodier and extra intimate, like a cultured cocktail bar in the course of town.

In line with the lounge’s forest theme, there are additionally two out of doors patios stuffed with vegetation. Each patios have heaters, which had been surprisingly efficient at combating Atlanta’s 40-degree climate once I visited in November 2024.

The bigger again patio is a good spot to observe the planes, however I’m keen on the smaller, extra secluded patio in direction of the entrance of the lounge. It’s truthfully surprising how peaceable the house is, contemplating you’re outdoors on the world’s busiest airport.

To get there, you possibly can enter by way of the whiskey bar, or take an out of doors path proper by the lounge’s entrance. Since most lounges are fighting overcrowding today, I do query the choice to have a walkway somewhat than extra out of doors seating. However as a patron, I actually don’t thoughts. The expertise of strolling from a busy terminal on to a peaceable, plant-lined path can’t be beat.

The opposite seating areas have a extra basic AmEx design strategy with a contemporary blue colour palette and wooden finishes. It’s good, albeit a bit anticlimactic in comparison with the city forest within the middle of the lounge. Nonetheless, there are many comfy chairs and bar seating, so that you shouldn’t have bother discovering a spot to sit down.

The lounge has two buffets serving Southern classics. After I visited, the buffet had a number of totally different salads, mac and cheese, collard greens, inexperienced bean casserole, glazed rooster and cornbread. The whole lot I attempted was nice, however the mac and cheese and collard greens had been showstoppers to me. Each of those dishes typically really feel mass-produced, even at eating places. However these tasted selfmade.

My one criticism: The buffet line solely provides small salad plates, which is fairly inconvenient if you would like a full meal.

AmEx notoriously doesn’t supply to-go meals, however you possibly can additionally seize a snack or dessert from one of many different meals stations with out having to undergo the buffet line, should you don’t need a full sit-down meal.

There are just a few totally different drink stations across the lounge, providing espresso, scorching tea, flavored water and, after all, Southern candy tea that’s completely robust and really candy.

The 2 bars have totally different menus, however each have loads of southern-inspired cocktails to select from, like a mint julep and a mezcal cocktail with Tabasco. I attempted the Drink a Peach, a Manhattan with a peach-flavored whiskey, which was scrumptious and really peach-forward — albeit somewhat too robust for me earlier than a flight.

The lounge has loos with a number of stalls, however visitors even have entry to a number of showers you possibly can reserve. There’s additionally a spacious personal all-gender restroom, which is a very nice contact for anybody wanting somewhat extra privateness.

I visited the Monday after Thanksgiving and was stunned that the lounge wasn’t extra crowded than it was. Since Atlanta is a significant Delta hub, I’m assuming most flyers with a qualifying bank card as a substitute selected to go to one of many 9 Delta Sky Golf equipment or any of the opposite Atlanta airport lounges nearer to their gate.

In February 2025, AmEx started limiting the variety of instances cardholders can go to Delta Sky Golf equipment, and I’d anticipate to see bigger crowds on the Centurion Lounge now. However even nonetheless, this lounge might deal with considerably extra guests earlier than feeling overcrowded, due to its ample seating, a number of buffet traces, two bars and several other smaller food and drinks stations.

Cardholders should purchase a $50 visitor cross for every grownup touring with them. It prices $30 to convey kids aged 2 by way of 17 into the lounge. Cardholders with one of many Platinum playing cards can unlock two visitor passes per go to after spending $75,000 in a calendar yr. Phrases apply.

Cardholders can now reserve a spot in line by way of the AmEx app. Within the “Membership” part, click on on “Airport Lounge Entry,” which can present you all the accessible lounges close to your location. The Centurion Lounge will then permit you to reserve your spot or get on the waitlist, if there’s at the moment a wait. When you’re capable of enter, you’ll obtain a QR code.

Word that when you get your QR code, you’ll solely have 10 minutes to get to the lounge and make it by way of the road earlier than you’ll lose your spot.

Anybody with entry to the Centurion Lounge can go to all the Delta Sky Golf equipment with a same-day ticket for a Delta flight. Cardholders with The Platinum Card® from American Specific or The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific may go to The Membership ATL in Concourse F, which is accessible by way of Precedence Move. Enrollment required. American and United flyers may go to these airline’s lounges for a payment.

For the reason that Atlanta airport is huge, it’s in all probability not definitely worth the trek for the typical traveler in search of a fast meal earlier than a flight. However if in case you have a delayed flight or lengthy layover (or should you’re flying out of a close-by gate), the Atlanta Centurion Lounge is completely value a go to. It provides good meals, high quality drinks and a peaceable setting that may seemingly enhance your airport expertise.