Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Miami (MIA)

Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Miami (MIA)

NAME: Amex Centurion Lounge
Airport: MIA
DATE: January 2023
REVIEW RATING:
BEN SAYS: The Centurion Lounge Miami has nice decor, great views, a solid selection of food & drinks, and some unique amenities. However, crowding has historically been an issue.
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It’s about time that I review the Amex Centurion Lounge at my home airport. I haven’t reviewed this lounge in nearly a decade, and for that matter haven’t even visited the lounge in quite some time. So, how is the Amex Centurion Lounge Miami? Let’s take a look…

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami location & hours

The Amex Centurion Lounge Miami (MIA) is located in Concourse D, which is where most American Airlines flights depart from. Note that Concourse D and Concourse E are connected airside, meaning you can easily visit the lounge if you’re departing from gates in either area. However, if you’re departing from another terminal, you wouldn’t be able to use this lounge without clearing security twice.

The Centurion Lounge Miami is located near gate D12. When you clear security from most checkpoints, you’ll want to turn right and then keep walking down the main part of the concourse.

Miami Airport terminal

You should see signage for the Centurion Lounge.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami signage

Eventually you’ll find yourself in a rotunda, where you’ll see the elevators leading up to the Centurion Lounge on the left. The lounge is located two levels above the main concourse.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami location
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami elevators

Once you’re on the level of the Centurion Lounge, you’ll see a hallway leading to reception, which is located on the right. There I had to present my Amex card, my ID, and my boarding pass.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami entrance
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami reception

The Amex Centurion Lounge Miami is currently open daily from 5AM until 10PM, covering a vast majority of departures from the terminal.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami entry requirements

This lounge has the same access policies as all Amex Centurion Lounges. Amex Centurion Lounges can be accessed by those who have any of the following cards:

When it comes to accessing Amex Centurion Lounges, there are some terms to be aware of:

  • You need a same day boarding pass to access Centurion Lounges, and in the case of Delta Reserve cardmembers, the boarding pass needs to be for travel on Delta
  • You can access Centurion Lounges up to three hours before departure, unless you’re connecting, in which case you can access earlier
  • You can’t access Centurion Lounges on arrival, or with a standby or non-revenue standby ticket
  • If you’re guesting people into Centurion Lounges, you need to stay with them the entire time they’re in the lounge

Note that as of February 2023, Amex is making significant changes to its Centurion Lounge guesting policies, which should hopefully help with crowding issues.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating & layout

The Amex Centurion Lounge Miami is just over 12,000 square feet, making it roughly average as far as Centurion Lounge sizes go. So, what’s the lounge’s layout like? When you walk past reception into the main part of the lounge, you can either turn left or right. Let’s start at the very right of the lounge, and work our way left from there.

At one end of the lounge is the main dining area and bar, consisting of many cafe-style tables, plus some high-top seating at the bar. There are departure monitors here, in case you want to keep track of your flight status.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami dining area
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami dining area
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami bar

Past that is the small sitting area that’s right by the entrance. This is the highest trafficked area of the lounge, since everyone walks past here.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating

The lounge then gets a bit narrower, and there’s a single row of seats along the windows, with plenty of tables as well.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating

Past that is the business center, featuring communal workstations, a desktop, and a few printers.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami business center
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami business center

Past that is more cafe-style seating, along with a wine bar. Generally the further in this direction of the lounge you go, the quieter it is, given that the main bar and food are at the other end of the lounge (and that tends to act as a magnet).

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami wine bar
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating

Then there’s one final room in the back of the lounge, which is the single largest space of the lounge. When the Centurion Lounge was expanded a few years back, this is the primary space that was added.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami seating

All-in-all, the lounge has great decor, and definitely feels a bit more premium than your typical domestic airport lounge in the United States. The lounge also has floor-to-ceiling windows of the apron and runway, so the plane spotting from the lounge is great. I visited early in the morning when it was dark and there was condensation on the windows, so I wasn’t able to get any good plane pictures.

I should also mention that I visited the lounge right when it opened at 5AM, so crowding wasn’t an issue. However, Centurion Lounges are known for having crowding issues. Hopefully that changes with upcoming changes to the guesting policies.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami food & drinks

Centurion Lounges are known for their superior food & drinks, especially compared to what you’d usually find in other lounges in the United States. The Centurion Lounge partners with chef Michelle Bernstein, mixologist Jim Meehan, and sommelier Anthony Giglio.

The lounge serves continental breakfast from 5AM until 6AM, a hot breakfast from 6AM until 11:30AM, and lunch and dinner from 11:30AM until 9PM. You can find a sample menu for the Centurion Lounge Miami below, though the selection does rotate.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami menu

I visited the lounge when continental breakfast was being served (unfortunately I had to leave before the full hot breakfast was being served at 6AM).

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami buffet

The continental breakfast consisted of fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, and some pastries. Obviously the full breakfast selection was presumably much more substantial.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami breakfast
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami breakfast

As far as drinks go, there were containers with drip coffee, a selection of tea, and than an espresso machine with lattes, cappuccinos, etc. Soft drinks are available at the bar.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami coffee station
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami coffee machine
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami tea selection

Below you can find the Centurion Lounge Miami wine menu (available from 8AM until 8:30PM).

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami wine list

Below you can find the Centurion Lounge Miami cocktail menu (available from 10:30AM until 9:30PM) and beer menu (available from 8AM until 9:30PM).

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami cocktail & beer list

I’d note that while there was a second buffet setup, it didn’t seem like it was being used. I’m not sure if that’s always the case, or was just the case in the morning when continental breakfast is served.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami buffet

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami spa

The Centurion Lounge has a small spa just near the entrance. Travelers can reserve 15-minute treatments on a first come, first served basis. Treatments include chair massages and nail care. The spa wasn’t yet open for the day during my visit, and I should also mention that getting an appointment can be really difficult.

As you’d expect, the spa can only accommodate a couple of people at a time, while the lounge gets a lot of visitors. So think of appointment availability as being more like a lottery than anything else.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami spa

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami phone rooms

The Amex Centurion Lounge Miami has a couple of phone rooms near the wine bar, which are basically private rooms you can sit in. If you’re looking for a quiet place to hang out or make a phone call, I’d check to see if these are available.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami phone rooms
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami phone room
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami phone room

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami family room

The Centurion Lounge Miami has a family room near the entrance and by the main buffet, with a TV and a variety of toys for kids. I’m sure this space is appreciated by parents and non-parents alike. 😉

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami family room
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami family room

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami bathrooms & showers

The Centurion Lounge has two separate sets of bathrooms, The bathroom capacity isn’t exactly huge, as one bathroom has one stall and two urinals, while the other bathroom has two stalls and one urinal.

Amex Centurion Lounge Miami bathroom
Amex Centurion Lounge Miami bathroom

The Centurion Lounge also has shower suites, though actually getting availability is a different story. I asked about the possibility of a shower at 5:30AM, and was told the next available appointment was at 8:30AM. Given that most people can only access Centurion Lounges up to three hours before departure, that’s pretty limiting…

Bottom line

The Amex Centurion Lounge Miami has nice decor, is a good size, and has great views of the apron and runways. The lounge also has a solid selection of food and drinks.

Historically I’ve avoided this lounge simply because of the crowding issues, and have instead visited the American Admirals Club. Fortunately that wasn’t an issue during my 5AM visit. Furthermore, I’m hopeful that with changes to Centurion Lounge guesting policies, crowding will become less of an issue.

With changes to guesting policies and no crowding issues during this visit, I’ll probably check the lounge out again the next time I fly out of Miami.

If you’ve visited the Centurion Lounge Miami, what was your experience like?

Conversations (14)
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  1. TT Guest

    My flight was due to depart at 7:30 pm, and I walked into the lounge at 4:05 pm and was turned away because I needed to wait 20 minutes. I made no fuss and said okay. However, I asked if I could use the bathroom and was told the bathroom was only for guests checked in.

    Bring a platinum card hold “and” a business card holder. I found this a bit inhumane.

    First...

    My flight was due to depart at 7:30 pm, and I walked into the lounge at 4:05 pm and was turned away because I needed to wait 20 minutes. I made no fuss and said okay. However, I asked if I could use the bathroom and was told the bathroom was only for guests checked in.

    Bring a platinum card hold “and” a business card holder. I found this a bit inhumane.

    First things first, restroom. While using the airport facilities, I thought to wait a minute, and I paid over 1,000$ in fees as a member with two accounts and a HYSA. Why was the accommodation not made 15 minutes before I was allowed to check in? I went back and requested to speak with a manager, and Philip came to the front desk and asked if I had a question. So I gently explained that I was refused the bathroom due to my flight time, and his response was its procedure and protocol. I explained as a two-card holder, I'm disappointed. He showed no concern for my gentle displeasure. I requested a business card with his name, which he did not have, and when I requested a pen, he could not provide one. Before I appeared as the angry consumer, I bid him goodbye and said I would contact Amex and share this experience. At the very least, this may give way to a bit of change.

    Thanking you all for listening. I hate that I had to leave a comment because I love love love Amex

  2. Mrs.Wright Guest

    @FedUP
    Why are you so fussy about Ben's use of words? I'm sure you never have used language in a non traditional sense. I'm also sure you've never have experienced anything but missionary. Language is breathing and artistic and it's his blog so I'm sure he can do whatever he wants. It sounds like you need your nappy changed.

  3. hartd8 Member

    The wine list is disappointing!! No real sparkling wine or champagne just Presecco???

    1. Lars Guest

      They do have champagne, I believe it was veuve cliquot. It’s available at an upcharge for regular joes and is free for centurion (black) cardholders.

  4. JJ Guest

    I visited the lounge in December and found that it was over crowded and dirty. We got one of the last 2 places to sit and all around us were people sitting with empty plates and glasses waiting to be cleared. There were napkins on the floor and the staff just walked by the mess. The food was pretty mediocre compared to all of the other Centurion Clubs that I have visited. After a short...

    I visited the lounge in December and found that it was over crowded and dirty. We got one of the last 2 places to sit and all around us were people sitting with empty plates and glasses waiting to be cleared. There were napkins on the floor and the staff just walked by the mess. The food was pretty mediocre compared to all of the other Centurion Clubs that I have visited. After a short stay, we left and went to the Admirals Club which had more room, was kept cleaner and had better food options.

  5. Fed UP Guest

    Can't wait for the hordes of millennial buddies and the kids to get out of the lounge and only paying patrons.

    Also, if you are going to write a blog, you need to write properly or get grammerly.

    Guesting is not a word, nor a verb....

    The Centurion Lounge guest policy

    NOT

    The Centurion Lounge guesting policy

  6. JerryTravel Guest

    I was not able to go into the lounge on my last few visits as they had a line and a waiting list, so I went to the Admirals club across the hall

  7. staradmiral Guest

    "If you’re guesting people into Centurion Lounges, you need to stay with them the entire time they’re in the lounge"

    I doubt this would be enforced.

  8. JB Guest

    Some extra points:

    - That second buffet is always used for some extra spreads (typically light foods and appetizers), such as hummus, carrots/celery, salads, pasta, and bite size wraps. These items are not available at the main buffet.

    - There are normally fresh baked cookies right next to the tea setups during the full buffet.

    - There are some water and teas/fresh juice dispensers in the lounge, but otherwise, you have to go to the...

    Some extra points:

    - That second buffet is always used for some extra spreads (typically light foods and appetizers), such as hummus, carrots/celery, salads, pasta, and bite size wraps. These items are not available at the main buffet.

    - There are normally fresh baked cookies right next to the tea setups during the full buffet.

    - There are some water and teas/fresh juice dispensers in the lounge, but otherwise, you have to go to the bar for any other drinks (including sodas).

    *Also, you missed a part of the lounge. It is a secret space that is almost never crowded even when the lounge is full because no one knows about it. I only discovered it at the end of my last visit. As soon as you exit the elevators, look at the hallway to your left when facing the entrance desks (before the spa). That hallway wraps around the rotunda over the main terminal and has a little bit of extra seating by the wall (which is very comfortable). To anyone reading this, this is for your eyes only and please do not advertise this. We would all appreciate it :)

  9. OneAlphaTwo Gold

    Hard to tell from the angle of the pictures but is that Jim Morrison and Lynyrd Skynyrd hung up in the business center? (Can’t make out the third picture on the right).

    Pretty sure Skynyrd is from Jacksonville and Morrison spent time in St Pete…unless you count his arrest and trial in Miami LOL…kind of ironic.

    So yeah, both are in FL, but that’s a stretch Amex. There’s several local Miami artists you could have used.

  10. Never In Doubt Guest

    27 days until the new guest rules go into effect.

    Ben, If I may suggest, create a post encouraging people to share their Centurion experiences on Feb 1. I’ll guess it’ll be your most commented on post of the year.

  11. Lee Guest

    It's a lounge. Standard issue.

  12. Zebraitis Guest

    Nice pictures. You will NEVER see it like this.
    The reality is, this lounge gets overwhelmed, so such so that they have set up a corral line for the buffer. The staff is overworked, the tables often have glassware and dishes from the previous guests, and the seating is questionable for as to the last time they were cleaned.
    Will you get something to eat and drink? Yes.
    But a respite from airport overcrowding? No.

    1. Steve Diamond

      He is going to do tons of posts after the rule changes to see if this turns back into what these lounges were when they first opened. Cant wait for the changes personally as i typically never bring in a guest and typically can never find a good seat! Feb 1 cant come fast enough!

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TT Guest

My flight was due to depart at 7:30 pm, and I walked into the lounge at 4:05 pm and was turned away because I needed to wait 20 minutes. I made no fuss and said okay. However, I asked if I could use the bathroom and was told the bathroom was only for guests checked in. Bring a platinum card hold “and” a business card holder. I found this a bit inhumane. First things first, restroom. While using the airport facilities, I thought to wait a minute, and I paid over 1,000$ in fees as a member with two accounts and a HYSA. Why was the accommodation not made 15 minutes before I was allowed to check in? I went back and requested to speak with a manager, and Philip came to the front desk and asked if I had a question. So I gently explained that I was refused the bathroom due to my flight time, and his response was its procedure and protocol. I explained as a two-card holder, I'm disappointed. He showed no concern for my gentle displeasure. I requested a business card with his name, which he did not have, and when I requested a pen, he could not provide one. Before I appeared as the angry consumer, I bid him goodbye and said I would contact Amex and share this experience. At the very least, this may give way to a bit of change. Thanking you all for listening. I hate that I had to leave a comment because I love love love Amex

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Lars Guest

They do have champagne, I believe it was veuve cliquot. It’s available at an upcharge for regular joes and is free for centurion (black) cardholders.

0
Mrs.Wright Guest

@FedUP Why are you so fussy about Ben's use of words? I'm sure you never have used language in a non traditional sense. I'm also sure you've never have experienced anything but missionary. Language is breathing and artistic and it's his blog so I'm sure he can do whatever he wants. It sounds like you need your nappy changed.

0
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