Beautiful, but labyrinthine (and a bit crowded) Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport

'Labyrinthine' is the adjective that pops into one's head as one delves into the Centurion Lounge located inside the Tom Bradley Terminal, the one dedicated to international airlines at the Los Angeles International Terminal. It is also the only one in the entire terminal not operated by an airline.

Location
The entrance to the hall is located immediately after security checks and is accessed via a pair of elevators.

Access
E' reserved for American Express Centurion, Business Platinum, Platinum cardholders. Together with the card you must submit An ID and boarding pass for the flight. Access is allowed no earlier than three hours after the departure time of the flight, unless proof of connection is provided, in which case the stay may last for the duration of the stopover.

The lounge
The focal points of the room are three: the two bars (one in the 'American bar' style with a ten-foot counter and stool seats as well as a more conventional one, similar to European standards) and the 'work room' with a wooden table in the center that is an entire longitudinal section of a tree five meters long.

There are two 'coffee stations' (with undrinkable espresso), several side tables scattered here and there as well as around the buffet area, the toilets, two showers, a relaxation area with low lights, starry ceiling, and six chaise lounges.

Then a massage room, a children's area, and a dozen individual cubicles for those who need special privacy to work.

Two spaces dedicated to Centurion cardholders: an entire dedicated room and a space in the common area with four large armchairs located in front of a gas fireplace.

The furnishings, depending on the room, are sometimes elegant, sometimes shabby-chic. On the walls are vintage objects of various kinds and art photos of rock stars from the 1970s and 1980s. The lounge has no outside view and is therefore totally artificially lit.

Food & beverage
There is a buffet area, not huge, with Four to five hot courses as well as a couple of desserts. At the time of my passage (early afternoon) the offerings included pasta with tomato sauce (so-so), roasted eggplant (good), chicken nuggets in white sauce (good), two varieties of soup, salads, and two kinds of cake.

At a couple of stations around the lounge, the following are available cookies, sweets, candies, salty snacks, and fresh fruit.

For beverages (water aside, which could be served at the two coffee stations) one has to turn to one of the two bars. Among wines, two varieties of white and two varieties of red, plus bubbles (not champagne). As for soft drinks, beers and spirits, the range is definitely wide.

In conclusion
The hall is aesthetically very beautiful, although a bit labyrinthine and with somewhat narrow passage points here and there. The lack of external overlooking is definitely a minus. The not particularly high ceilings make it a little noisy, it must also be said because of Americans, who, if they drink two fingers of alcohol, immediately turn into big troublemakers.

• Centurion lounge

The verdict

Centurions hardly disappoint and fortunately for us Italians there is not the constraint of spending 75k $ per year to bring a guest as is the case for American Platinum cardholders, in contrast unfortunately we Europeans have only one lounge in London.

7

Rated Location

7.5

F&B

7

Services

7

Pro

• Aesthetically beautiful
• Two bars and several workstations

Against

• Labyrinthine plant
• No external views