Inside Amex’s attractive new Centurion Lounge in Seattle — an enormous improve!

Centurion Lounge Seattle access

The lounge is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Centurion Lounge Seattle location

The new lounge occupies an all-new space in the airport’s existing Central Terminal just beyond security checkpoint number three. In fact, the lounge sits on a newly created mezzanine level above the existing restaurants in the rotunda.

For most travelers, the new location should be a big upgrade, as it’s more centrally located in the main part of the departures area.

You’ll find the entrance to the Centurion Lounge tucked behind the Ever Greens restaurant. Just look for the elevator bank near this restaurant, and you’ll quickly find your way into the lounge.

You can either ride the elevator up one level or walk 32 stairs (featuring great airside views) to get to the reception area.

All gates in Seattle are connected post-security, so you can access the Centurion Lounge regardless of which airline you are flying. Just give yourself enough time to get to some of the satellite terminals if you plan to use the Centurion Lounge.

Centurion Lounge Seattle layout

Headlining the upgrades is the fact that the new lounge now occupies a footprint that’s nearly three times the size of the previous location.

Measuring 14,000 square feet, the new Centurion Lounge has space for just over 400 guests, according to the fire safety code

Once you enter past the green living wall, you’ll find yourself in one of the lounge’s main dining and relaxation areas.

Lining the perimeter of the lounge are some recliners and high-top barstools, while the center of this space is decked out with plenty of two- and four-top dining tables that are flanked by a new signature bar.

The dining area is lit from above by an array of eye-catching gold beams, which together give off a luxurious vibe. Plus, the open-air layout in this atrium means that there are soaring-high ceilings and amazing views of the airfield and Olympic Mountains out of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Just beyond these tables is the first-ever coffee bar in an Amex lounge — more on that below.

As you enter the “inside” of the lounge, the ceilings get lower, and you’ll find yourself in a more traditional lounge space that features a few dining and high-top tables.

Just beyond this space is the lounge’s second dining room, which is adorned with beautiful green and gold wallpaper, brown wood ceiling accents and brightly lit yellow and gold sconces.

This is one of the nicest dining rooms I’ve seen in any Amex lounge to date. There are 10 two-top booth tables lining the wall here.

Beyond the dining room is the lounge’s main relaxation area, which features a variety of seating options — many of which you’ve seen before in other Centurion Lounges worldwide.

There are couches, individual recliners, personal workstations arranged in a zig-zag pattern, a co-working table and more.

My personal favorite place to sit is in one of the two-person nooks that are built around the perimeter of the relaxation area.

These seats offer unparalleled views of the B gates — it’s just a shame that the windows are lined with a dotted film that makes it impossible to grab clean pictures of the planes.

As Amex builds its next generation of lounges, I’ve been impressed with the issuer’s renewed focus on local artwork. That’s on display here with a brand-new signature mural commissioned by Amex from Harold Caudio, who created a 40-square-foot display of the Seattle skyline using just coffee beans.

From tall ceilings to stylish artwork to copious amounts of natural light, Amex knocked it out of the park with the new design.

It feels decidedly more premium and elevated than the original Seattle outpost and turns the issuer’s Pacific Northwest flagship into one of the nicest Centurion Lounges in the country in terms of design — all while seating many more travelers than ever before.

Centurion Lounge Seattle food and beverage

Amex is also overhauling the food and beverage experience in Seattle with the debut of a brand-new dining concept and a revamped food menu.

Seattle is perhaps most famous for its coffee culture (as the birthplace of Starbucks), and Amex is leaning into that with its first-ever full-service coffee bar within a lounge.

Dubbed “Blue Roast by American Express,” the issuer worked with local Seattle roaster Caffè Umbria to create this counter-service outpost within the lounge. On-staff baristas will whip up espresso beverages, cold brew and rotating seasonal specialty coffee drinks — all included with lounge access.

The coffee bar will also double as a wellness-themed cafe, and you can order items like a mixed berry smoothie, crispy kale chips and oat-based power bowls throughout the day. There’s even kombucha on tap here.

I personally love this concept, and I hope that Amex considers expanding it to other new lounges, so long as the baristas can serve customers quickly and efficiently.

Speaking of bars, Amex is also debuting a new cocktail list at the flagship bar located just near the entrance. Unfortunately, the menu wasn’t available during my tour, but I’ll be sure to report back on what I try during my next visit.

In terms of food, Amex is upping the ante through a new partnership with Chef Kristi Brown, owner and chef of Seattle-based Communion Restaurant and Bar.

Brown will bring her “Seattle Soul” cuisine to the lounge, which focuses on bringing together flavors from communities represented in the Pacific Northwest, including Southeast Asia and East and West Africa.

I visited the lounge during breakfast, so I only got a chance to take a look at some of the early-morning offerings, but I left impressed. I was especially liked the sinfully tasty “Peach Cobbla” French Toast and the (far healthier) sweet potato frittata.

All-day dining options include tuna croquettes with remoulade, Trinidadian-spiced pork belly and blackened chicken cobb salad.

All of these food offerings will be served on the buffet, which was built with access from both sides to help alleviate crowding.

Finally, you’ll find three self-serve drink stations, which feature Eversys coffee machines and water dispensers, located throughout the lounge.

Centurion Lounge Seattle amenities

Though the new lounge doesn’t offer any “special” amenities (aside from Amex’s first-ever coffee bar), it’s got many of the basics that were sorely lacking in the previous location.

Perhaps the biggest improvement is the restroom situation. While the old lounge featured two single-use toilets, the new space has two sets of gender-specific restrooms that each feature multiple stalls.

There’s also an all-gender single-use bathroom that features a walk-in shower — marking the first time that Amex has offered this amenity in Seattle.

The lounge also does away with the dedicated family room in favor of a so-called multi-purpose room that looks eerily familiar to the family rooms of yesteryear. The only things missing are the games and colorful walls.

Additionally, there are two (tastefully decorated) small phone rooms in the back of the lounge in the center of the relaxation area.

As you’d expect for a newly built lounge, there is access to power outlets and USB-A ports at nearly every seat. Fast and free Wi-Fi is also available throughout the lounge.

Bottom line

So, how does the new Centurion Lounge in Seattle stack up?

Well, it’s no doubt a night-and-day improvement compared to the previous Centurion Lounge both before and after the expansion.

The new space isn’t just significantly larger. It also features a more luxurious design, better views, more seating and some all-new dining concepts, including the first-ever coffee bar in an Amex lounge.

This will quickly become one of, if not the best lounges in the airport, and it’s sure to be great news for Amex’s top cardmembers who frequently pass through Seattle.

But is it the world’s best Centurion Lounge? Well, that’s harder to say, but it’s certainly up there.

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