I wrote about American Express’s Centurion Lounge at Denver International Airport two years ago, which has practically become my pre-flight happy place. It was clean and comfortable and a great alternative to the cramped, noisy seating at the usual gate waiting areas. I admit I pay for the privilege, but I also get other worthwhile perks like airline fee credits, hotel credits, upgrades and discounts on travel services.
But in 2022, as RAS and I traveled to Los Angeles for a cruise, we encountered a surprise at Denver International Airport’s lounge. To decrease the crowd sizes at Centurion, Amex implemented a guest fee for anyone who didn’t have a platinum or (at the time) black card. Adults could enter for $50 each, and children under 10, $25.
Luckily, a kind man with two cards used his to allow him entry. Since then, I have only paid for this once, when we were in Miami for five hours and needed a more luxurious place to hang out. Now, when I’ve traveled with my family members, I do not go to the Centurion Lounge. Instead, I’ll sit with them in the regular waiting areas and save my Amex visits for solo travel.
I can go to their new lounge now that I have a Capital One Venture X card. And here’s the best part – I can bring in two guests free of charge. That alone makes it my preferred lounge when the family travels with me. But here’s what I also like about it.
More spacious areas
The Capital One Lounge has two large rooms, one centered around the bar and dining area and the other for more general seating. In the first area, there are tables with ample seating and a light and bright atmosphere. It features muted white walls, medium parquet ceilings, windows overlooking incoming and outgoing planes, and the mountain range-shaped main terminal. The seating lounge offers views of the A gates below.
Creative culinary options
I don’t have much to evaluate in this area, as NLS and I only visited once at breakfast. But I appreciated the dishes the lounge served, and the food was better than what I’ve had at the Centurion Lounge. She got an overnight oat yogurt parfait with berries while I tried a chorizo empanada with pico de gallo. The fountain also had a tempting biscuit and gravy dish with eggs and bacon and some uncommon soda flavors.
Rooms for relaxation and families
While the Capital One Lounge and Centurion Lounge have dedicated rooms for families with small children—with deliberately scaled-down, cushy furniture—the former also offers a calming relaxation room with enclosed lounge chairs. Since it was morning during our visit, I wasn’t tired enough to try this sensory-blocking chair out. I should have because nobody was using it.
Honoring local art
Noticing that I was looking around and taking photos and videos, the lounge manager approached me and asked me what I thought about it. I told her I enjoyed it, even though it was my first visit. She pointed out that the art on the wall was from local artists only and adorned all the rooms, including the smaller, more private lounging areas. I’m unsure if Denver’s other lounges have this, but I thought it was a nice touch.
A closer location
Being in Concourse A, which has the closest gates to the main terminal, the Capital One Lounge is relatively easy to access. It’s the first train stop, meaning you’ll only have to endure the packed ride briefly. By contrast, the Centurion Lounge’s location is Concourse C, three stops from the terminal. If you visit Capital One, leave time to get to the right gate for your flight.
The verdict
I like having two lounges to wait for my outbound flights. And I haven’t seen enough of Capital One’s to make a legitimate comparison to the Centurion Lounge. But I like that I can bring in two guests for no charge, and their food seems to be of better quality and variety. This might be my go-to Denver lounge if repeated visits can hold up.
