Have you ever heard the phrase “once you’ve had better, you can’t go back”? That’s 100% what my experience was like with airport lounges. Having visited the Centurion and Capital One Lounges, comparing them with The Club is just a little bit unfair. I’m probably just setting the bar too high 🙂

Access

The Club is a Priority Pass lounge, so anyone with a Priority Pass subscription can access it. Having the right credit cards gets you in for free. You can also purchase access to this lounge, but they are subject to capacity restrictions.

Location

When I visited this lounge I was flying Southwest out of the B Gates in Terminal 1. There is another lounge in the D Gates, but I decided to try out the one in T3 because of its seclusion, so normally it should be pretty quiet. Boy was I wrong…

After checking in near the C Gates, I took the tram to D, then took another tram to T3. Up a secret elevator (really super hidden) and to the end of T3, near E2. Catching my flight was the same way, just in reverse and an additional walk between C and B Gates. Here’s a map just to illustrate the route I took.

I had perfectly timed my visit to right when all the flights to Mexico were departing, so the lounge was very full. Kids were running around and videos were playing max volume on speakers. Not the most conducive for working. Oh well, I already committed so I stayed.

Lounge Details

The lounge is divided into four sections. There is a buffet and bar, a dining section, and two seating sections with mostly chairs and single-person couches.

The lounge lacked windows to let natural light in. The only window was a small one at the far section that looked out at the terminal. The furniture was decent, but the room itself looked a bit tired.

The buffet itself had a good mix of cold and hot food options. On offer were hot fried cauliflower, pulled pork sliders, roasted carrots, and waffle fries. Most of it was soggy and sitting under the heat lamp for quite some time. But the pulled pork sliders were quite good (by lounge standards). The salad bar was untouched the whole time I was there, and some people had the soup but commented it was very watery and bland.

The bartenders were very nice and efficient. They were both constantly checking the beverage section (with flavored waters, sodas, and desserts) and were wonderful to chat with! I didn’t order a drink since I was still technically working.

Final Thoughts

Did the lounge satisfy most needs? Most definitely. Their showers were inoperative, but the food selection was decent, the lounge itself was quite clean, and the staff were quite kind. But given how out of the way it is for most flights, I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. The D Gates lounge (with new QR Code ordering) is a bit better and also is more convenient for most travelers.