Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta Airport (ATL)

Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta Airport (ATL)

NAME: Amex Centurion Lounge
Airport: ATL
DATE: September 2024
REVIEW RATING:
BEN SAYS: The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta is the largest lounge in the network, with beautiful design, outdoor terraces, and an extensive selection of food and drinks. This lounge is a treat, but does get very crowded.
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During my two times to Latin America review trip, I had an extended layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), as I was arriving in Delta’s A350 business class, and connecting to Delta’s 737 first class. During this time, I was able to check out the Amex Centurion Lounge there, which opened in early 2024.

Design-wise, this is probably the nicest Centurion Lounge I’ve been to, and I particularly liked how there are multiple outdoor terraces. The food and drink selection were also quite good, though between the crowding and the way the buffets are set up, I can’t help but feel a bit like Centurion Lounges sometimes feel like high-end airport cafeterias. That’s just largely how airport lounges have evolved over the years, I suppose.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta location

The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta is located in Concourse E. For those not familiar with Atlanta Airport, there are six parallel concourses (A-F), all connected via a train system. They’re all connected airside, so you can access any concourse when departing from any gate.

So while the Centurion Lounge won’t necessarily be convenient for all departures, the lounge is accessible for all passengers departing from the airport.

To find the Centurion Lounge, once in Concourse E, just follow the signage toward gates E1-12.

Atlanta Airport Concourse E

You’ll see the entrance just by gate E11. Given the size of the lounge, the entrance is almost hidden, and you could easily miss the lounge, as it’s really tucked “into” the gate area.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta exterior

As is standard at Centurion Lounges, there’s a plant wall by the entrance, plus a queuing system, since there will sometimes be a wait to get in.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta entrance

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta hours

The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta is currently open daily from 6AM until 11PM. That covers most departures from the airport, but not all. I do find it interesting how the Amex Centurion Lounge and many Delta Sky Clubs don’t open earlier, since there’s an early morning bank of flights.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta entry requirements

This Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta has the same entry requirements as all the other lounges in the network. Amex Centurion Lounges can be accessed by those who have any of the following cards:

The information and associated card details on this page for the Centurion Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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 guesting policies differ based on the card you have and how much you spend on it, and you can read more about that here.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating & layout

The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta is the largest lounge in the network, at 26,000 square feet. Design-wise, this is easily my favorite Centurion Lounge, as it’s not only big, but has fun finishes.

Atlanta is known as “the city in the forest,” and the Centurion Lounge Atlanta’s design very much reflects that. When you enter the lounge, the center of the space is a huge room with a 50-year-old olive tree, and a 3,850 square foot custom light sculpture that’s supposed to represent a forest canopy.

This area of the lounge has all kinds of seating options, ranging from sofas, to communal tables, to dining tables, to high-top seating.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating

One room over from that is the main dining area, which is where you’ll find the lounge’s two main buffets, plus the bar. This space has more dining tables, high-top seating, booths, and more.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bar
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta dining area
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta dining area

Back toward the entrance to the lounge and on the opposite side of the space with the olive tree is a room intended more for lounging and relaxing, which has the generic Centurion Lounge design, with lots of seating set up in clusters. I do love the views from this area, as you have a direct view of the gate next door, plus of the apron.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating

There are various other rooms off the main part of the lounge. There’s one room that’s perhaps most practical for working, with individual mini-booths, a communal table with outlets, and even three private phone rooms, which are a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the rest of the lounge.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta seating
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta phone rooms
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta phone room

There’s also a space called The Reserve by American Express, a whiskey bar serving signature cocktails.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bar area
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bar area

Then there’s also a multipurpose room, which is supposed to double as a family room, though doesn’t have much in the way of toys.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta multipurpose room

The Centurion Lounge Atlanta also has three year-round terraces, which is pretty impressive. The main terrace is located outside the lounge’s main room, and has quite a few couches and chairs. This space has incredible views of the nearby gates, so what a treat this is!

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace view

The lounge then has another terrace, which you can access back near the entrance. This space tends to stay pretty quiet, since most people don’t even realize it exists. For that matter, it doesn’t have any views, as it’s basically “blocked in” on both sides.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta terrace

The third terrace is accessible from a VIP room, so most of us won’t have access to that.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta food & drinks

Amex Centurion Lounges are pretty consistent when it comes to their food and beverage concepts, and this lounge is no exception — all food is self-serve from a buffet, there are drink stations with soft drinks, and then alcoholic drinks and select non-alcoholic drinks are available from bartenders.

The lounge has several self-serve stations with coffee, espresso machines, a Twinings tea selection, water, and some light snacks.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta coffee station

Those snacks including things like coconut bars, fruit bars with chia, mandarin oranges, banana smoothies, etc.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta snack selection

Then in the central room by the olive tree, there’s a small service area with some individually portioned snacks in glass jars, plus some veggies.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta food selection

The main buffet setup is in the dining area, and there are two separate buffets. The food is basically identical at both, but presumably it’s intended to spread out the crowding a bit.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet

I visited over breakfast, when options included pastries, fresh fruit salad, squash salad, greek yogurt, oats, chilaquiles with salsa, sweet potato hash, scrambled eggs, sausage, and oatmeal, among other things.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta buffet

Quality-wise, I thought the food selection was quite good, and it was also a lot of the kind of food that I like (greek yogurt, fruit, eggs without meat, etc.). I say that because I find that Centurion Lounges often have more meat dishes than I’d prefer, while that wasn’t the case here.

Personally I still have a preference for the dining concepts in Capital One Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges, where items are individually plated, and then in the case of the latter, you can also order off a menu. But that’s just me, and it’s largely because of the poor hygiene so many people display at buffets.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bathrooms & showers

The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bathrooms are located in the very back left of the lounge, down a hall.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta hallway to bathrooms

The men’s room had half a dozen sinks, four stalls, and three urinals, and was well maintained.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta bathrooms
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta urinals
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta toilet

The lounge also has three shower suites, and reservations can be made via a tablet at reception.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower reservation

I decided to shower during my layover, and the wait for a shower was about 30 minutes, which wasn’t too bad. However, there’s a 15-minute limit to using the shower room, which is the shortest limit I’ve ever been told in any airport lounge.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower room

The shower suite itself was nice, with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower, plus L’Occitane amenities in wall-mounted containers.

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower room
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower room
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower room
Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta shower room toiletries

Bottom line

The Centurion Lounge Atlanta is Amex’s biggest lounge, and in terms of design, is also my favorite. The lounge is large, has multiple outdoor terraces, and has a huge olive tree in the center of the space, which is fun. The lounge also has a couple of bars with a creative selection of drinks, plus a buffet with a variety of hot food.

Ultimately for a lounge in the United States, I’d say this offers a very good experience, and I’d recommend giving the lounge a visit. Just be ready for a lot of crowding, but that’s the case at just about any lounge in the US nowadays.

What’s your take on the Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta?

Conversations (16)
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  1. Al Guest

    I liked the lounge as a whole. I didn't like that when the bartender served me the drink she pointed to the tip jar. Thought that was in bad taste. As it happens I don't carry cash so it might be a good idea to have a qr code for tips.

  2. Simon Guest

    Had some time to kill today and checked it out. For my personal tastes, the food was better in the Delta Sky Clubs, although the little fridge with the individual hummus and other dips was a nice upscale touch. It was decently busy and felt crowded / cluttered, and it will probably get much worse after 2/1/24.

  3. Weymar Osborne Diamond

    Wow, that's actually one of the most gorgeous lounges I've seen in the world, design-wise.

  4. dee Guest

    The staff and food were so much better the first month it opened....disappointing now and hard to access with the crowds.

  5. KennyT Member

    Not all Centurion lounges are buffet-only. I went to the one in Denver Sunday, November 17, and there was a mac-and-cheese bar where the cook made individual mac-and-cheese bowls. Perhaps they use the area as an omelet bar in the morning. Other than that, it was buffet-only. But Denver was a big improvement over the Centurion lounge at IAH, visited November 15, where the food selection was very limited with only one meat choice that I could see.

  6. Redacted Guest

    I like this place too but bigger doesn't mean better when it comes to Centurian lounges. I would still take SEA's lounge over this. I prefer the elevated position, the runway views are a touch better, and most importantly there's a barista coffee station so there's actually choices other than mimosas and Bloody Marys and water if you swing by in the morning. Amex food is typically mediocre anyway so barista coffee goes a long way.

  7. Scott Guest

    We were recently at CLT Centurion lounge and it was packed, I noticed A LOT of military. Being a veteran myself I was chatting with a table of active duty colonels and asked why so many active duty. AmEx gives the Platinum free to active duty, nice gesture but if it's an airport near a large base, like SeaTac, this can really lead to overcrowding. At CLT it had to be over a third that...

    We were recently at CLT Centurion lounge and it was packed, I noticed A LOT of military. Being a veteran myself I was chatting with a table of active duty colonels and asked why so many active duty. AmEx gives the Platinum free to active duty, nice gesture but if it's an airport near a large base, like SeaTac, this can really lead to overcrowding. At CLT it had to be over a third that stood out as active duty but maybe that's not common. Again, love and respect our military as a veteran myself but especially near large bases...

    1. yoloswag420 Guest

      Fort Bragg/Liberty is close to CLT, hence the large amount of active duty.

  8. Rup Guest

    I have been to this lounge about 5 times now since its opening and I must say that it is always a great way to start a trip. I love the outdoor lounge with views of the tramac. The food and drink options are plentiful. I love that they have many different food and snack areas. I am concerned about how much more crowded the lounge will become when DELTA starts limiting free lounge visits...

    I have been to this lounge about 5 times now since its opening and I must say that it is always a great way to start a trip. I love the outdoor lounge with views of the tramac. The food and drink options are plentiful. I love that they have many different food and snack areas. I am concerned about how much more crowded the lounge will become when DELTA starts limiting free lounge visits to credit card holders. I expect people to use this lounge even more since they will get less complimentary visits to sky lounges beginning in 2025. Especially once they run out of free sky club visits. We will see.

  9. Jerry Diamond

    This is a nice lounge, but the lounges in Cairo airport are better.

  10. Abidjan Diamond

    Color me impressed. Wow, wasn't expecting such impressive space.

  11. BillJ Guest

    I have been to this lounge several times since opening, by myself and with my family. It is a spectacular lounge. This review is spot on based on my experience there. Well done. Crowding is a problem, particularly in the afternoons. I have seen a line to enter on a Saturday afternoon 75-100 people long and opted for a Delta Sky Club instead. My favorite spot is the outdoor terrace overlooking the planes.

  12. JustinB Diamond

    I’m curious what crowds are like during different times of the day - anyone visited frequently?

    1. Aviation_Fan Member

      It's always slammed.

  13. yoloswag420 Guest

    I think Centurion lounges set the benchmark for credit card lounges and compare favorably to most Priority Pass lounges in the US.

    However, Capital One and Chase Sapphire lounges seem to have taken it a step further with their offerings and seem materially better than Centurion lounges. Often the food is more elevated and/or the amenities are a step up like the DFW Capital One lounge or the BOS Sapphire lounge.

    The main thing Amex...

    I think Centurion lounges set the benchmark for credit card lounges and compare favorably to most Priority Pass lounges in the US.

    However, Capital One and Chase Sapphire lounges seem to have taken it a step further with their offerings and seem materially better than Centurion lounges. Often the food is more elevated and/or the amenities are a step up like the DFW Capital One lounge or the BOS Sapphire lounge.

    The main thing Amex has going for it is the footprint. They're often one of the only credit card lounges or only good option at many airports. With how space constrained and slow construction is at many large airports, it's not easy for the competition. But Amex will lose their edge, if Chase or Capital One manage to catch up. Too many high annual fee cards, consumers are looking to consolidate.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

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Weymar Osborne Diamond

Wow, that's actually one of the most gorgeous lounges I've seen in the world, design-wise.

1
Jerry Diamond

This is a nice lounge, but the lounges in Cairo airport are better.

1
Al Guest

I liked the lounge as a whole. I didn't like that when the bartender served me the drink she pointed to the tip jar. Thought that was in bad taste. As it happens I don't carry cash so it might be a good idea to have a qr code for tips.

0
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