This Review of The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia is part of a new trip report. Located near Gate A14, in Terminal A West at PHL. The good thing is that all of Philadelphia's terminals can be reached by walking from one to another airside, so you don't have to exit and clear security again if you're not departing from Terminal A.
The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia Hours and Access
The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia opened in late October 2017, so it's one of the newer Centurion Lounges. It's open daily from 5am-9pm, and as mentioned above is near Gate A14.
We were flying out of Terminal F, which is a 15-20 minute walk, but fortunately there's also a shuttle bus that runs every 5-10 minutes. While there are some places the shuttle has to stop and wait at a stop light as there's a single lane, it still took only 6 minutes in each direction, as the shuttle is only from Terminal A (near Gate A10) to Terminal F (by the food court).
AMEX Platinum and AMEX Centurion card members have access to the lounge. In the case of AMEX Platinum or Business Platinum cardmembers, the member may be accompanied by up to two guests on a complimentary basis, but there is no access on arrival (if it is your final destination and not a connection) and Centurion Lounges will not admit Platinum card members more than 3 hours before departure of the initial flight (this is waived if it is a connecting flight, and an onward same day ticket is produced). See AMEX Centurion Lounges: No Access on Arrival, 3 Hour Limit
The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia Amenities
As with other Centurion Lounges, the Philadelphia lounge has several seating areas. Furthest in the back, and most crowded, was one with some of the more private black seats with high walls, as well as a communal table area and some smaller tables.
Near to the bar, along one wall, were some lounge chairs that one guest was using as a day bed, even though it's not as long as a proper day bed.
In the main dining area, the buffet is along one wall, while at the opposite end of the room is the bar.
While I didn't have occasion to use it, the lounge also has a shower suite, and of course there's WiFi.
The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia Food and Drink
Each Centurion Lounge bar has its own specialty cocktails and curated wine list, so I was curious to see the cocktail menu and wine list for the Centurion Lounge Philadelphia. I asked the bartender what the most popular drinks are, and he noted that the Corpse Reviver No. Blue, Liberty Bell Ringer, and Blue Door are the most popular.
I asked if he could make half of a Liberty Bell Ringer, and he willingly obliged. It just may be my favorite cocktail from a Centurion Lounge, as I enjoy drinks that are a bit on the tart side, as this one was, and very refreshing.
Several sparkling, white and red wines are also available:
Chef Michael Solomonov of Philadelphia's Zahav Restaurant and a James Beard award winner for his Israeli cuisine, is behind several of the dishes served. During my visit, soon after the lounge switched to lunch at 11:45am, there was Brisket with Black Eyed Hawaij (a Yemeni spice mixture redolent of cumin, cardamom, black pepper and tumeric), asparagus, roasted root vegetables, potatoes, pilaf, tomato and squash soup, and a great kale salad. I was excited to try the brisket, given the Yemeni spice blend, but it wasn't as tender or as flavorful as I'd hoped for.
One of the things I appreciate most at Centurion Lounges is that there's always not only fresh salad on offer, but several other vegetable dishes–great not only for vegetarians but also anyone craving something fresh and nutritious, since a fair amount of airplane and airport food is still rather heavy and fatty.
Desserts were a Malabi custard with blood orange–the custard was very ordinary, but I enjoyed the blood orange topping–and tahini shortbread cookies.
The Verdict
During my visit on a weekend morning, The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia was busy, with the most of the more comfortable seating options and lounge chairs occupied, but plenty of seating on bar chairs by the window. I liked the friendliness of the reception staff and bartender, and especially enjoyed the Liberty Bell Ringer cocktail and the kale salad, although the brisket and other menu items weren't that impressive. I did think that the pears, many of which were bruised, should not have been served.
If you've recently visited The Centurion Lounge Philadelphia, what was your impression?
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