Background
Terminal D at Houston isn’t short of lounges, but walking towards the United / Star Alliance Lounge I saw signs for the Centurion lounge, lots of them, and decided to investigate. I realised before too long that the reason there are so many signs is that without them you could work in terminal D for a couple of weeks and still not know where the Centurion Lounge is, so well hidden is the entrance.
So a word to the wise – it is accessed via a lift / elevator, behind a duty free shop. The elevator takes you down to a mezzanine level and at the end of a long corridor you will find the lounge.
What’s it like?
A pleasant surprise from start to finish.
Receptionists at lounges spend most of the day refusing passengers entry, and for that reason often become quite fierce over the years, and sometimes are derogatively referred to as “lounge dragons”. Well not here. The lady on reception could not have been friendlier, especially since I couldn’t find my platinum American Express card, and then couldn’t find my passport or boarding card, two things that are generally considered essential in an airport terminal. She told me not to worry, she would be working for at least a few more hours, and sympathised with the mess in my bag.
When I did find the items, she then told me they were serving food in the dining room and where I would locate the dining room, where the men’s restrooms were, where the bar was and what the wifi code was. I think those four things are pretty much the main questions I have wherever I go, so presumably long experience has told her it’s easiest explaining it all to people, or at least men, when they first arrive. Especially when they seem so disorganised.
The lounge is a big space, split into several distinct areas – the most distinct of which is the kids play area, which is behind full-length floor to ceiling glass windows, so you can see them but not hear them, which as we know, is how all children should be.
The decoration on the walls is of suitcases, which works well, and this continues behind the well-stocked bar, where polite bar men mix drinks and chat with customers, while live sport was on the large TV screen.
The restaurant had a delicious selection of food, and a great bar with a cocktail list, wine list, beers on tap as well as bottled beers. It was the sort of place which, were it not for the rather bright lighting, could have been the bar of a four-star hotel – and the barman was friendly without pushing a plate in front of you for tips the whole time.
Verdict
A simply excellent lounge – and an impressive benefit for Platinum card holders (and Centurion ones).
