Last month, I flew down to Philly to visit friends from college. Lucky for me, the new Amex Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport was open! While I am still curious about Minute Suites, I couldn’t pass up a chance to check out the new Centurion Lounge. Here’s my review of the American Express Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport.
The Amex Lounge in Philly is located in Terminal A West near gate A14. It’s open daily from 5:00am to 9:00pm. The lounge was located on the second floor to the right. The check-in process was efficient with three attendants checking people in. 
I went around 12:00pm and the lounge was surprisingly not very busy. The Centurion Lounge at PHL was beautiful. I loved the design in the main room especially the details on the ceiling, 
The bar was located across the main room with the buffet on the opposite wall. There were plenty of tables for dining in the center and couches along the perimeter.
The far side of the main room had bar seating overlooking one of the roads at the airport.
The decor on the bar matched that of other Centurion Lounges with an antique travel vibe. I didn’t see any sodas or juices in cans so I think you have to ask the bartender for these drinks in addition to alcoholic beverages.
The cocktail menu looked delicious but after a weekend of binge drinking with college friends, I wasn’t able to stomach the idea of ordering one. I think I would have tried the Getaway had I ordered a drink.
Now for the food! The menu was designed by Michael Solomonov, the owner of Zahav in Philly. I love Israeli food and have been wanting to go to Zahav for a while now, so this was exciting! The food was delicious. Definitely better than the Centurion Lounge in Seattle and by far the best food I’ve had at any lounge in the US. The buffet started off with malabi, an Israeli milk pudding. It looks a little strange, but it was quite good.
The buffet also included Israeli salad with feta, a mixed green salad bar, and kale tabbouleh with apple and pomegranate. 
For hot options, there was stuffed peppers, Bulgarian kebab with red peppers and white beans, carrot and jasmine rice pilaf, and meatballs.
Like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t see any non-alcoholic drinks other than these two juices, water, and coffee. I had to ask the bartender for a diet coke from the fountain. No problem there since fountain soda > canned soda.
The second room of the lounge was smaller and was more, lounge-y, if you will. The travel theme carried over to the wall decor.
This sectional was an interesting shape and was pretty comfortable!
The left side of the room featured more armchairs and tables. This side overlooks the terminal.
The right side of the room had a ton of private booths. In the Seattle lounge, all of these were reserved for Centurion cardholders, but at this lounge, they were all up for grabs.
There was also a large conference table with outlets which could be used for doing work. While the conference table lacked privacy, there was a private room at the back of the lounge specifically for taking phone calls.
There were more bathrooms available in this lounge than in Seattle. Instead of private rooms, there was a men’s room and a women’s room. However, the stalls were floor-to-ceiling which offered plenty of privacy.
While there were three toilets, there was only one sink. The sink area was well-maintained and featured L’Occitane products.
After taking all of these pictures, I posted up and enjoyed my delicious Israeli lunch! The lounge was very spacious with no worries of overcrowding like in Seattle so I was able to try out a few different seats.
Last but not least, you’ve got to love the touches of Philly love.
Final Thoughts
I was thoroughly impressed by the new American Express Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport. Not only was the lounge spacious and not overcrowded, but there was also a good variety of seating options. The food was plentiful and delicious. Since it’s pretty easy to move throughout the Philly airport, you should have no problem visiting the Amex Lounge regardless of the terminal you are flying out of.
