American Express Centurion Lounge LaGuardia

This post is my review of American Express Centurion Lounge LaGuardia. This post is part of my Dominican Republic Mission Trip Report.

I was excited to get to travel through LaGuardia because it would allow me an opportunity to visit the American Express Centurion Lounge.

Location

Unfortunately, my flight departed from terminal C, and the lounge is in terminal B. In the past you could walk between terminal C and B; however, due to the construction it is no longer possible, so you are required to take the airport bus which takes approximately 15 minutes.

The lounge is located before security so you can access the lounge regardless of what airline you are flying on. The only challenge is the time it takes to get to the lounge and through security.

Access

I gained access to the American Express Centurion Lounge thanks to my American Express Platinum Card.

If you don’t have that card, you can access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge using Priority Pass. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is just down the hallway from the Centurion Lounge.

Arrival

Upon arrival at the lounge, I was greeted with a friendly agent who processed my card, boarding pass and identification card before welcoming me into the lounge. The agent pointed out the seating area and food and bar areas.

The entrance was decorated neatly with the grass backdrop, which is used at the other Centurion Lounges.

The activity level was heavy during the visit; however, there were still one or two chairs available in each of the seating areas when I arrived.

Setup

The lounge is setup over two areas. The main area was located near the far end of the lounge and it was flanked by the bar and the food buffet area.

The main area consists of some couches as well as tables and chairs. In addition, high top tables are located along the window with workspaces.

The other room was a boardroom like setup. A medium sized board table is located on one side of the room and couches and chairs were setup in the other part of the room.

The hallway in between the two areas, also has couches and modern seating.

Food Options

The food options are extended and include multiple hot food items.

The hot food items available during the visit included tomato soup, beef, carrots, mushrooms and a pea purée.

The chilled items included a fresh salad bar with multiple lettuce options and various toppings and dressings. In addition, pre-made salads were also available in this area.

Fresh fruit was available along the high top tables

Dessert options included, brownies and cookies. In addition a smoothie was offered.

Light snacks and a coffee setup was also present with a touch screen espresso machine.

The bar featured a variety of speciality cocktails, wines and beers.

Lounge Experience

I took a seat in the dining area of the American Express Centurion Lounge LaGuardia. The staff member in the room greeted me when I arrived and assisted with seating.

The tables and chairs were comfortable and I was able to relax for about an hour.

I approached the bar and the bartender greeted me and offered assistance.

I inquired about the speciality cocktails. She presented a menu and made a few suggestions from it.

I ordered a speciality cocktail and the bartender thanked me and she prepared it in front of me. The drink was made with a cocktail shaker and it was professionally crafted.

The drink was served within a minute on a clean cocktail napkin. The bartender thanked me and she asked me to enjoy it.

The drink was made with rum and it had an excellent flavor and was chilled and had some citrus tones.

Meal

I selected a plate with mushrooms, carrots, peas purée and a salad.

The mushrooms were served hot. The dish was a mixture of various mushrooms that were sautéed lightly and they were seasoned well.

The carrots were cut into large chunks and they were also served hot. The carrots had a good taste.

The peas purée was rich and creamy and it had a tangy flavor.

The salad was also fresh and all the vegetables had a great flavor.

I made a cappuccino from the machine and relaxed while enjoying the beverage which had a good espresso flavor and creamy milk.

A team member picked up my used dishes shortly after I finished the plates.

Departure

When I was ready to depart the American Express Centurion Lounge LaGuardia, the bartender provided a parting greeting and wished me a good day.

In addition, when I departed the lounge, the agent at the reception desk thanked me for visiting the lounge. The agent asked if she could assist me further before I departed. After I declined, she thanked me and provided directions to the elevators.

The activity level at departure was a bit lighter than when I arrived.

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Overall

I enjoyed the lounge. I felt that the staff members were very friendly especially the agent that greeted me at the conclusion of the visit. It was nice that she proactively asked if she could assist me with anything further. The food was excellent and I enjoyed the variety off options. I looked forward to another visit to the lounge.