Denver International Airport's Massive Amex Centurion Lounge Is Finally Opening

After a two-year delay, the American Express Centurion Lounge in Denver International Airport's Concourse C is finally opening on Feb. 1. As any frequent flyer knows, the best spots in an airport are often its lounges, and the 14 Centurion Lounges around the world are no exception.

Denver's new space, which was originally scheduled to open in 2019, will be the second largest of the Centurion group at more than 14,000 square feet, which is just shy of John F. Kennedy International Airport's stunning space. Its interior decor is designed to cement a sense of place—everything from ceiling installation to a large-scale mural has been inspired by the nearby Rocky Mountains.

The lounge's biggest draw is undoubtedly its all-inclusive dining. James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson is the executive chef, and he's created a menu inspired by northern Italy. In a first for Centurion Lounges, there will be a live-action cooking station, where chefs will prepare dishes to a guest's preference. The lounge also has a craft beer bar serving local Coloradoan brews, but if you prefer other libations, you can try a cocktail by acclaimed bartender Jim Meehan or a glass of wine from a list chosen by sommelier Anthony Giglio.

If you've got more time to kill before your flight, you can spend time in the game room where you'll find pool tables, shuffleboard tables, and large-scale versions of Connect Four and checkers (all of which are sanitized after each use).

All in all, Denver's Centurion Lounge is a pretty solid place to spend a couple of hours before a flight—that is, if you're allowed in. Access to the Centurion Lounge is limited to specific cardholders with departing flights the same day as your visit. You must have an Amex Platinum Card, an Amex Centurion Card, or a Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card (and for that last one, you must be flying a Delta-operated or Delta-marketed flight in order to enter the lounge).