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I had almost two hours in Philadelphia on my most recent travels. I thought I’d check out the Centurion Lounge for some great food and some free wi-fi. The Centurion Lounge PHL opened about a year ago, and was the first in a series of expansions for the American Express Centurion Lounges.
Where’s the Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International?
You’ll find the Centurion Lounge in Terminal A right by Gate A14 and the British Airways Executive Club. It’s on the second level of Terminal A, there’s easy signage that points to the entrance, hop on the elevator or climb the stairs, and you’re greeted by the iconic blue doors of the American Express’s famous lounges!
Blue doors, green walls. That’s how you know your’e at the Centurion Lounge! Well, the giant centurion profile on the wall helps too…
I walked through the door to the low buzz of chatter and I could hear silverware clinking beyond the next wall. It was breakfast time, so I handed over my Platinum card…only I forgot my American Express Platinum card.
Both of them. Luckily, the concierge at the front desk was able to look me up with my license. She confirmed my identity with a few questions, and I was on my way to the food!
The Centurion’s Claim to Fame – The Menu!
Chef Michael Solomonov runs the kitchens at the Centurion Lounge PHL. Solomonov is a four-time James Beard Award winner, and brings an interesting twist on Isreali and Middle Eastern food to the lounge.
The food was great! From right to left: eggs, some kind of potato-mushroom turnover type thing, homefries, pancakes with apples and blueberries, and oatmeal. (Forgive my ignorance, I believe the turnover had some sort of Hebrew name, and I forgot to write it down. If you like mushrooms though, they were really good!)
Plenty of fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, and toppings. I tried the carrot/coconut bread and was very happy. (In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth…)
There were also plenty of beverages to choose from. I’m not a coffee drinker, but the Centurion Lounge offered a full espresso (I think?) machine.
I didn’t drink the coffee, but I did enjoy the mint infused water on the far right side of the counter.
Centurion Lounge PHL Amenities
The Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International has plenty of seating options. Workstations, couches, lounge chairs, and a full bar. Whether you want to get work done, relax, watch TV, or stuff your face (like me), there’s a spot for you.
There’s even conference table in one corner of the lounge, as well as an additional, walled off conference room.
A shot of the bar, a little small, but plenty of beverage options to put in your cup!
Overall, the lounge was a good fit for folks looking to camp out and get a bit of work done, or some quick breakfast. As with any Centurion Lounge, I think the Philadelphia International location could get crowded easily. At the time, it was only maybe one third full, and there were plenty of seats (and food) left for some of the folks walking in.
Although the chairs were comfortable, they didn’t have beds. After a great breakfast, I walked down the connector to Terminal B, and found the Minute Suites at Philadelphia International Airport!
Check out the Other Centurion Lounges!
Points With a Crew Centurion Lounge Las Vegas Reveiw (LAS)
Points With a Crew Centurion Lounge La Guardia Review, New York (LGA)
Have you been to one of the other Centurion Lounges?
Are you most excited for the new lounge coming to Denver, LAX, or JFK??
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
The “turnovers” were likely Bourekas 🙂
You broke that famous rule from American Express — “Never leave home without it…” 🙂
I have been there twice and it was so crowded and loud. I did not think the food was good. The drinks not so hot. Only good spot was the phone room.
One problem I found with this lounge and other Centurion Lounges is the tiny bathroom. For the amount of foot traffic these lounges have, the bathrooms are way too small, and as a result they get messy fast.
I’m glad you mentioned that! The bathroom absolutely felt small to me.
Centurion Lounge is not a convenient location and from pictures it appears very spartan. United Polaris Lounge at SFO is superior with food, drink, and furnishings.
Kind of apples to oranges though, right? SFO is a much larger airport, and a United hub, so it better have a great Polaris lounge!
We were there September 1st. We thought the drinks were ok, the dessert we tried were ok but the food did not look good nor did it taste good. We were there from about 4 pm to 6 pm, it was busy but not crowded, so there was no excuse for the type of food that was sitting out (I mean food that sat and sat there). We ended up eating elsewhere. I liked the lounge otherwise but I’ve had much better food and choices at random Priority Pass lounges.
Nice atmosphere and the staff are polite, helpful and friendly, food and drink good. Cant fathom why the general manager was arrogant and rude, out of place and unexpected.