In early 2021, plans were announced for a new Amex Centurion Lounge at Washington National Airport (DCA). While the lounge was initially supposed to open in late 2022, there were construction delays, as is common for just about any airport project. There’s now an exciting update, as the lounge will be opening its doors as of tomorrow!
Basics of the Amex Centurion Lounge DCA
The American Express Centurion Lounge Washington will be opening on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. The Amex Centurion Lounge DCA is located in the National Hall near Concourse B, after security. The lounge is open daily from 5AM until 9PM, except on Saturdays, when it closes at 7PM.
The Amex Centurion Lounge Washington DCA is roughly 11,500 square feet, and features floor-to-ceiling windows and airfield views. So, what should we expect in terms of the amenities and features?
- Rather than having a single chef responsible for the menu, the lounge has a menu curated by three Centurion Lounge chefs, including Michelle Bernstein, Ravi Kapur, and Michael Solomonov; menu items include creamy polenta, shabazi spiced salmon with pomegranate BBQ sauce, and tamari-honey glazed tofu & pineapple
- The lounge has a cocktail menu designed by Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan, including Haku Hanami, inspired by DC’s cherry blossoms, and Ambrosia Spritz, featuring bitters and liqueurs from local producer Don Ciccio & Figli
- The lounge has a DC-inspired art gallery, with work commissioned from local artists including Claudia “Aziza” Gibson-Hunter, Lori Katz, and Emon Surakitkoson; the central dining area has a ceiling sculpture made up of 260 lanterns to reflect the original boundary markers used to outline the city when it was founded in 1791
- The lounge features signature Centurion Lounge amenities, like complimentary Wi-Fi, a shower suite, dedicated workstations, and more
Below you can find some pictures of the new Centurion Lounge.
The new lounge is part of the airport’s Project Journey, a $1 billion capital improvement project. This is the 17th lounge in the Amex Centurion Lounge network, following the recent opening of the Atlanta Airport Centurion Lounge.
How this fits into the DCA lounge landscape
Nowadays there are really three credit card lounge networks — there are Amex Centurion Lounges, Capital One Lounges, and Chase Sapphire Lounges. As things currently stand, Amex is the only of the three lounge networks that’s opening a lounge at Washington National. However:
- There’s a Capital One Lounge at Washington Dulles, and a Chase Sapphire Lounge at Washington Dulles
- The new Capital One Landing concept offers a restaurant-style dining experience for cardmembers, and that’s coming to Washington National as well, and should be opening in the near future
The Amex Centurion Lounge is an excellent addition to the airport. The airport otherwise only has airline-run lounges, and no Priority Pass lounges (other than a Priority Pass restaurant). So this opens up lounge access for a lot more people. Furthermore, it should help with alleviating crowding in the Delta Sky Club®, given the overlapping entry requirements.
Bottom line
The Amex Centurion Lounge Washington National Airport is finally opening as of July 17, 2024. The 11,500 square foot lounge is a great addition to the airport, since DCA doesn’t otherwise have any credit card lounges. While this probably isn’t the most exciting Centurion Lounge in the network, the design looks pretty nice to me, and the food and drink selection should be good.
Are you excited about the new Centurion Lounge DCA?
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