The credit card airport lounge wars has a new battleground: the nation’s capital.

On Tuesday, American Express took the wraps off of its hotly anticipated Centurion Lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C.

The outpost, which was first announced in 2021 and opens on Wednesday, becomes the first credit card-branded lounge at DCA, which will be welcome news for Amex’s most premium cardmembers passing through the airport. (Until now, DCA has only been home to airline-branded lounges.)

Amex’s move is a strong one. The DCA Centurion Lounge measures nearly 12,000 square feet and has a slew of amenities and relaxation spaces, along with a first-ever culinary concept for the Amex club network.

Of course, Amex has also long been the leader in the credit card-branded airport lounge wars. It opened the first Centurion Lounge in 2013 and has since expanded the network across the country and to major cities worldwide.

That said, Capital One and Chase are very much playing fierce catch-up; the former is even planning to open a new dining-focused “Outpost” concept at DCA in the coming months.

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So, what’s it like inside Amex’s new Centurion Lounge? Read on for all the details.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA location

Amex’s new Centurion Lounge at DCA is located in a newly built extension to the airport’s Terminal 2.

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You’ll find the lounge in the airside National Hall near the entrance to the pier for the B Gates. The space is located just past the south security checkpoint, so I’d recommend clearing security here if you’re planning to use the lounge after completing check-in and security screening.

It’s hard to miss the entrance once you’re in National Hall. It’s located right opposite Lucky Buns, and the glass-lined entrance couldn’t be more prominent.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA access

The new lounge opens daily at 5 a.m. It closes on every day at 9 p.m., except for Saturdays when it closes at 7 p.m.

American Express cardmembers with a Centurion or Platinum-branded card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express have access to Amex Centurion Lounges.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members also get complimentary access to Centurion Lounges when flying on a Delta-marketed or -operated flight.

You can’t purchase Centurion Lounge access even if you carry another American Express card.

Note that Centurion Lounge guest policies changed last year to clamp down on overcrowding.

Platinum cardmembers cannot bring complimentary guests into the lounge unless they meet a new $75,000 annual spending requirement on their cards. Otherwise, you’ll pay $50 per adult guest and $30 per child (ages 2-17). Children under two can enter for free. Centurion and Corporate Platinum cardmembers can continue to bring up to two complimentary guests into the lounge.

For more about accessing the Centurion Lounge network, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA layout

The new Amex lounge is located on a newly constructed upper level to the departures hall.

After entering the space, you’ll need to either take an elevator or climb about 50 stairs to reach the reception desk.

From the moment you enter the space, it’s unmistakably a Centurion Lounge. Between the wood tones, the green living wall and the signature Amex scent, the issuer brought all of its flagship Centurion Lounge elements to the space.

After you’re admitted to the lounge, you’ll turn left and enter the various relaxation areas. The first, located just next to the welcome desk, is a pseudo art gallery featuring pieces crafted by local Washington, D.C.., artists. I particularly loved Maggie O’Neill’s colorful canvas depicting the Capital Building.

The gallery is bookended by a beautiful rendition of the Amex signature watchdog that’s found in every Centurion Lounge. This piece, however, is an updated take on the historical Amex logo and beautifully blends in with the space.

Lining the halls of the gallery are some couches and individual chairs.

As you walk past the gallery, you can continue straight into more of the traditional lounge seating. Here, you’ll find a mix of couches and reclining chairs — all in the same dark blue and deep grey tones that you’ll find across Amex’s newest Centurion Lounges.

There are also some chairs lining the perimeter of this rectangular relaxation area.

As you reach the end of the lounge, you’ll find two open-style living rooms. The first is more of an entertainment area with a TV built into Amex’s signature library wall.

Behind this library wall is the second living room area; this one likely will be popular with business travelers.

There’s a long coworking table here, along with bar-style high-top seating lining the perimeter of the space, perfect for those looking to catch up on work. This is also where you’ll find the lounge’s shared printer.

One thing that I particularly appreciate throughout the lounge is all of the natural light — the lounge has windows on all sides, providing copious amounts of light throughout the day.

Finally, there’s a small dedicated lounge area reserved for those with the Centurion card, Amex’s invite-only charge card that’s popular with the rich and famous. This area has no more than 15 seats, but it’s cordoned off and looks like it’ll be the most relaxing in the entire lounge.

All in all, this new Centurion Lounge looks just like most of Amex’s other Centurion Lounges. This isn’t a one-of-a-kind space like the newly opened outpost in Atlanta, but it covers all the basics (and more) in a relaxing and inviting environment.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA dining

Though the lounge itself may resemble other Centurion Lounges, Amex is debuting a unique dining concept in this lounge.

The menu is designed in partnership with three award-winning chefs who have partnered with other Centurion Lounges nationwide. These include Chef Michelle Bernstein, Chef Ravi Kapur, and Chef Michael Solomonov, all of whom have incredibly successful restaurants in Miami, San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively.

With this trio, travelers will be able to enjoy a wide range of cuisines on the lounge’s all-day buffet. As with all Centurion Lounges (and unlike the Capital One Lounge and Chase Sapphire Lounge), there is no a la carte dining here.

That said, the dishes that I tried at the media preview were all delicious, especially the Shabazi-spiced salmon.

I’m personally a big fan of Chef Solomonov’s Zahav restaurant in Philly, so getting to sample some of his creations in another Amex lounge is a big win in my book (especially given how hard it is to snag a reservation at his flagship restaurant).

At the bar, you can order from the cocktail menu curated by Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan or from the wine list designed by Anthony Giglio, the issuer’s wine director. Amex always invests in offering a pretty extensive and elevated drink list, and this lounge is no exception.

In addition to the buffet and signature bar, there are two drink stations located throughout the lounge. Here, you’ll find Eversys coffee machines, Vivreau water taps and even some delectable chocolate chip cookies.

While the culinary experience is highlighted by delicious food and drinks, you definitely don’t want to miss taking a glance at the dining room, which has a beautiful light fixture hanging from the ceiling. This fixture is a collection of 260 lanterns that are designed to resemble the topography of the Potomac River.

There aren’t many tables in the dining room, though, so during peak periods, I imagine guests will need to take their plates to other areas of the lounge.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA amenities

Although this space doesn’t offer a spa or an outdoor terrace, it does have all the basics covered (and then some).

There is one phone booth and one meeting room in the lounge. They are soundproof, and they feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I love the design of the walls in these rooms.

Instead of a family room, the lounge features a multipurpose room, which can be used by families and those traveling together as a group. This space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

There is one set of restrooms in the center of the lounge. The men’s room features three stalls and a few urinals.

There’s even a shower in the lounge, located just next to the reception desk. Be sure to reserve a time with the front desk when you enter.

The shower suite is beautiful and look like it might just be the single nicest shower in the airport. After all, it wins by default because it’s the first shower available to travelers at DCA.

Most seats are within an arm’s reach of power outlets and USB-A ports. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any USB-C charging ports here, despite this rapidly becoming the new charging standard.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the space, and download and upload speeds topped a whopping 300 Mbps.

Amex Centurion Lounge DCA bottom line

The long-awaited Centurion Lounge in Washington, D.C., is finally here.

This is DCA’s first credit card-branded lounge, and it sets a very high bar. With plenty of space to relax, delicious food and drinks and thoughtful amenities, expect the location to be a hit with travelers. (So much so that I’d imagine overcrowding will unfortunately be a reality during peak departure windows.)

While this space might not feature special amenities like a spa or outdoor terrace, it fits the bill for what Amex’s top cardmembers passing through DCA likely need most.

As long as you can find a place to relax, this lounge is certainly worth a visit. I, for one, will certainly be back for Chef Solomonov’s salmon.

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