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.
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.
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 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 Club® 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:
- American Express Platinum Card® (review)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (review)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (review)
- Amex Centurion Card
The information and associated card details on this page for the Centurion Card have been collected independently by OMAAT and have 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.
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.
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.
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.
There’s also a space called The Reserve by American Express, a whiskey bar serving signature cocktails.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Those snacks including things like coconut bars, fruit bars with chia, mandarin oranges, banana smoothies, etc.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The men’s room had half a dozen sinks, four stalls, and three urinals, and was well maintained.
The lounge also has three shower suites, and reservations can be made via a tablet at reception.
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.
The shower suite itself was nice, with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower, plus L’Occitane amenities in wall-mounted containers.
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?
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