Let’s talk a little about the different airport lounges. Let’s start with the AMEX (American Express) Centurion lounges.

American Express Centurion

I must admit, the AMEX lounges are my favorite…but they are also the favorite of everyone else. They are also US only (as far as I know).

They are usually crowded unless you get in early. Las Vegas always has a line based on my experience.

In the Seattle airport, they built a huge one on the second floor or the main concourse.

The coffee is great and first thing, there is plenty of seating. But as I warned before, just like the Centurion lounge in Las Vegas and San Francisco…they fill up fast!

I think the AMEX lounge has the best food choices and I can never can complain.

and it is great when you can find one of the little cubby holes in the back in the quiet area which is perfect for waiting out your boarding time.

The Silver Kris Lounge

These are the Singapore Airlines lounges in Simgapore.

Yes, they are HUGE. Similar to the Emirates lounge in Dubai.

I must admit, they are much more relaxed than many other airlines. Lots of space, lots of food choices. It does not feel rushed or cramped.

They have all kinds of fresh soup, dim sum, and many other choices. No long lines.

They even have everyone’s favorite McDonalds Chicken Nuggets!

They have great bathrooms and showers. Very large and clean with complimentary toothbrushes, etc. But I do have to admit, their bar service is very limited and wine choices are not that desirable.

The Club Lounge

These are primarily Priority Pass Lounges which makes them convenient and a good alternative to the normal terminal seating…but they are also very limited,

I have used them in both Seattle and San Jose airports. Surprisingly, these are the lounges that Singapore Air, Emirates and Qatar use in Seattle for their business and first class passengers.

There is plenty of seating and not too noisy.

But if you are looking for gourmet snacks and premium drinks…good luck with that one!

Oh I forgot, there is a special “First Class” section in the Club Lounge. Premium service for sure!

Encalm Lounge

This is an aggregate lounge in the Hyderabad India intentional terminal.

It can be a little bit of a zoo and get a little crowded. It supports many airlines (including Emirates which I was flying) and also Priority Pass customers.

In the end, I found it was easy to get a seat and people do not stay in the lounge for long periods of time,

The food was very local, and I admit was quite tasty.

The bar was a disappointment. Only 1 red house red wine choice and it was almost $10 with tip.

United Polaris Club

I did not have an opportunity to visit the Polaris Club in San Francisco airport this time, but I have had the delight to visit this lounge a few times in the past. You can check out my previous review here.

It has one of the best food choices, but it sometimes gets a bit crowded in the time when all the international flights are leaving around the same time from SFO. It just means there are not as many free seats as you would like.

Emirates Lounge in Dubai

The Emirates lounge in Dubai is probably the largest airline lounge in the world. I did review it once before when I completed my Emirates Air review. It literally can take you 5-10 minutes to walk the entire lounge.

You can always find a seat and you can always find a spot that is not crowded and packed next to other people. One of the best attributes is all the different cuisine types and areas throughout the lounge.

They also have the largest and cleanest bathrooms and showers!

Bathrooms

Since I mentioned it above, I thought I should discuss this topic. This is one of the good and bad things in the lounges.

They are a little cleaner and and a little more private, but…they are very small and often there is long lines to use them during peak periods.

Airport Hotels

Let’s conclude with one final topic: airport hotels.

These are basically very expensive airport lounges. They have food, comfortable chairs, places to work, great WiFi, etc.

But the major perk/benefit is you get a full /comfortable room to have bed, television, desk, peace and quiet!

Full bathroom and shower are way better than the airline lounges. Sometimes when you very long flights and 8+ hour layovers, these are the best choice. I give kudos to my wife for finding this option in my latest itinerary and it was a huge benefit to survive and work during a 10+ hour layover.

I tried out the Dubai International airport hotel in Terminal 3 and it was awesome!