AMEX Centurion Lounge Makes the Platinum Card a No-Brainer for Las Vegas Travelers
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Many folks count AMEX Centurion Lounges as their favorite domestic airline lounges. And after my recent visit to the AMEX Centurion Lounge Las Vegas, I agree! With a delicious buffet, top-shelf bar, and plenty of comfortable seating, I was sad to leave the lounge so soon. If you frequently fly through an airport with a Centurion Lounge, it is well worth applying for an AMEX Platinum Card to gain access.
You can apply for the Platinum Card® from American Express here.
And The Business Platinum Card® from American Express here.
I’ll share my recent experience at the Centurion Lounge Las Vegas.
Want Access to AMEX Centurion Lounges?
In order to access the Centurion Lounge Las Vegas, as well as all other Centurion Lounges, you’ll need one of the following cards:
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz (no longer available to new applicants)
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express
- American Express Centurion Card (invitation only)
These cards grant you and 2 guests free access to the lounge. You’ll have to pay $50 per person for a day pass to bring any additional guests.
Note: You must have a boarding pass, same-day flight, and eligible AMEX Platinum card to enter the lounge.
Recently, AMEX has been limiting access to Centurion Lounges in Miami and Seattle to 2 hours prior to departure time only (and not allowing inbound boarding passes altogether), however, this does not appear to be enforced in Las Vegas.
How to Get to the Lounge
The Centurion Lounge Las Vegas is located on Concourse D, directly across from Gate D1. After passing through security at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, simply follow the signs to D Gates. You’ll be directed to the airport tram system, which will take you on a ~3 minute ride from the main terminal to Concourse D. After exiting the tram, take the escalator upstairs and follow the signs towards Gates D1 to D14. You’ll see the entrance across from Gate D1.
If you are flying out of a different concourse, you can still use the Centurion Lounge! My flight out of Las Vegas was departing from a C gate, so the lounge attendant recommended I leave 15 minutes before the start of boarding. The tram was boarding when I arrived, so it only took about 5 minutes to get from the lounge to my gate.
Checking-In and First Impressions
After walking through the entrance door, I saw the familiar green backdrop present at all Centurion Lounges worldwide. There were 2 attendants working the front desk, so I waited less than a minute before being called up. After a warm welcome, the attendant asked for my AMEX Platinum card, my boarding pass, and identification. After checking all 3, she gave me a quick overview of the lounge amenities and motioned me to head on in.
I entered the lounge ~10:00 am for an 11:30 am flight, so I had ~1 hour to enjoy the amenities before heading to the gate. The first thing I noticed was the sleek and trendy decor. Throughout the lounge, the white walls are paired with wooden accents. The flooring is a mixture of hardwood and patterned carpet that combines to create a fun vibe.
The lounge is divided by a central wall with food, seating, and work areas surrounding on all sides. On the left side, there is some more secluded seating, while the right side is more open and has views of the tarmac.
The lounge seating is a mixture of stuffed leather chairs, built-in bench seats with colorful cushions, and semi-private seats that somewhat resemble a poolside cabana.
Overall, I was impressed with the variety of seating options at the lounge. The comfortable seats were nice for grabbing a quick bite to eat and relaxing, but there were also a number of seats for people looking to work while in the lounge.
Food and Beverages
After finding an open “cabana” seat, I dropped my carry-on and headed over to the buffet to get some food and coffee. The coffee machine has options for cappuccino, espresso, and a variety of lattes with mocha and caramel options. I started off at the coffee station with a black coffee.
As my coffee was brewing, I had a sudden inkling for an Irish coffee, so I headed towards to the bar area to check out the selection. Thankfully, the bartender was more than happy to provide some Baileys to complement my coffee.
Though it was just 10:00 am, there were 2 bartenders working and a near constant flow of guests coming up for drinks. The bar selection included domestic and import beers, several red and white wines, and a huge selection of liquors. It was by far the largest alcohol selection I have seen at a domestic lounge, and perhaps even more than I found at the impressive Turkish Airlines Lounge in Washington, DC. The lounge also has a standard selection of soft drinks and teas.
Whatever your drink preference is, the Centurion Lounge Las Vegas probably has it!
Next, I walked over to the buffet, which is located on the side of the bar area. There were a decent amount of people in the buffet line, but things moved fairly quickly.
The lounge was still on breakfast service, and first up was a selection of melons, hard-boiled eggs, and yogurt parfaits. The fruit was fresh and tasted good.
Next was a series of hot entrees: Egg frittata with peppers, onions and cheese, and corned beef hash. There were scrambled eggs, pancakes, and even a large pot of hot oatmeal.
I tried both the egg frittata and the corned beef hash and thought both were tasty! I normally don’t eat a big breakfast but ended up going back for a second plate.
I noticed that the lounge attendants were particularly active at keeping the buffet stocked which was nice (and probably needed!) as the buffet was quite popular.
Other Amenities
The Centurion Lounge Las Vegas has a shower suite available to all guests. Unfortunately, there is only 1 shower and it was in use the whole time I was there. The shower is available on a first come, first serve basis, and the lounge attendant already had several people on the list when I arrived.
The lounge also has a dedicated children’s playroom with a TV and a handful of toys. It was nothing too extraordinary, but something is better than nothing when traveling with kids!
Since I was traveling for business, I didn’t use the lounge Wi-Fi (I use a wireless hotspot for security purposes), but I asked the gentleman sitting beside me about his internet connection. He ran a quick internet speed test and got around 80 Mbps download speed – incredibly fast for free Wi-Fi!
Bottom Line
I had a great experience at the AMEX Centurion Lounge Las Vegas! The seats were comfy, the staff was friendly, and overall, the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. The breakfast buffet was tasty and the drink options were fantastic. The bar selection was huge – probably the largest I’ve seen at any domestic airport lounge.
To access a Centurion Lounge, you’ll need one of the following cards:
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz (no longer available to new applicants)
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express
- American Express Centurion Card (invitation only)
If you often travel through an airport with a Centurion Lounge, you should strongly consider applying for one of these cards! While the annual fee for the Platinum Card is $550 (See Rates & Fees), even a once-a-month traveler could easily make that up in free food and premium drinks.
Have you been to the Centurion Lounge Las Vegas? If so, what was your experience like?
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For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.
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