I had just gotten the Platinum card in time for our honeymoon so I definitely knew we were going to hit up the Centurion Lounge in JFK before our flight. It was a Friday evening at around 7 pm and it was packed. In fact, there was a waitlist to get in. They quoted us a wait time of 20 minutes and would text us when we can come in. Once you receive the text, you have 10 minutes to get back to the lounge, so don't wander far. There was Priority Pass lounge nearby so that gave us just enough time to go grab a quick drink there and then head back to the Centurion Lounge.
The food is very mediocre. This was my first time in a Centurion Lounge and I guess I was just expecting better quality. They had some pasta, rice, chicken, sauteed vegetables, lentil soup, and some desserts - so at least there was a variety to select from. It just didn't taste very good.
My two favorite parts of the lounge were the create your own seltzer station, and the speakeasy. The seltzer station is seltzer on tap and you can add syrups to it. We really liked the mojito one (non-alcoholic). The speakeasy was pretty awesome. It is limited seating in there, which I'm not mad at it. I have a feeling a lot of people don't know about it. It's behind a large door and a sign next to it that just says 1850, so I can see it easily being missed if the door is closed or if you didn't do research beforehand. Inside, there are a few small table and maybe about four little nooks. We were lucky enough to nab one of these nooks, which were nice and cozy and (probably?) Covid safe, since you're sort of blocked off from your neighbor. They also have their own specialty cocktails in here, that I don't think they serve in the regular lounge area. My favorite was the espresso martini. I could have easily drank two of these but since we were flying at night, I didn't want all the caffeine to keep me up.
Would definitely love to check out the other Centurion lounges...
Read moreI found a large piece of a sharp plastic or glass in my plate of rice. Moreover, I consumed a smaller piece till I noticed the big one.
I immediately reported the issue, however the manager was absent, and their assistant Oscar Serrano called for airport security. I have accepted the risk and decided to take my upcoming flight which was highly disturbing and traumatizing experience for me. Oscar Serrano assured me that someone would follow up with me regarding the incident, but got immediately relaxed after I made a hard decision to go with the flight and not to a nearest hospital.
I understand that in this case Amex avoids hospital charges, but for me as a customer it is highly unacceptable.
I expected a swift response to such a serious issue, but it's been almost two weeks with no follow-up from the lounge or American Express.
I politely and respectfully called the lounge manager Angel Gomez (their assistant Oscar Serrano gave me their card). Unfortunately, the manager's response was incredibly rude and unprofessional, and he even hung up on me during our conversation. This level of customer service is unacceptable, especially for a brand like American Express.
Furthermore, even after notifying the assistant about the incident, that potentially dangerous rice was left on display for others to eat. This was a clear lapse in food safety and public health standards.
I wanted to express my deep disappointment with this entire experience.
It's not the level of service and care I expect from American Express for which services I pay a premium and which I am treating as a primary card.
The safety and well-being of customers should always be a top priority.
Customers should be able to enjoy their time at the lounge without worrying about their safety or encountering unprofessional...
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This is by far the best Centurion Lounge that I have been to to date. I know that the lounge at JFK is supposed to be even better, but I cannot imagine one better than this.
This lounges super popular, and can get packed, so as soon as you get in, take the first available seats you find.
It is a huge lounge that has plenty of windows to look at the terminal below.
The bar area is a little small, however, they have a vast variety of complementary drinks.
The real star of the show here is the food. I stayed here from breakfast until lunch and had the best lounge food I’ve ever had. And even some of the best food items I’ve ever had.
With breakfast, they had numerous things such as eggs, potatoes, sausage, and French toast. When I say that this was the best French toast I have ever had, I am not exaggerating. The French toast was massive blocks of perfectly fried bread with a super soft, custard filling on the inside. topped with a blueberry, compote and syrup, I have actually never had better French toast in my life.
At lunchtime, they brought out incredible roasted chicken, savory, roasted sweet potatoes, and a garlic rice. The chicken was tender and delicious. The sweet potatoes were seasoned and cooked well. And the garlic rice was so garlic-y and flavorful that it would be delicious on its own.
They even had a few soup choices. I tried their Thai chicken soup, and it had a spot on flavor.
Finally, they had a variety of desserts, but I highly recommend their chocolate mousse, which was fluffy and had just the right amount of sweetness in it.
Overall, this experience ranks as one of the best lounges that...
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