American Express Debuts Centurion Lounge at Washington National Airport

The long-awaited Centurion Lounge by American Express has finally opened at Washington National Airport (DCA). The lounge features a menu curated by three chefs and a private area reserved for holders of the invite-only “black card.”

This space marks the first credit card-branded lounge at DCA and is part of Amex’s efforts to attract young travelers and dominate the lounge market.

Photo: Courtesy of American Express

As the first credit card issuer to open airport lounges over a decade ago, Amex has recently encountered competition from Capital One and Chase.

Capital One has a “Landings” lounge in the works at DCA, which will reportedly revolve around dining.

Starred Catering

Not to be outdone, Amex has recruited three lauded chefs – Michelle Bernstein, Ravi Kapur, and Michael Solomonov – to design the menu for its own DCA space. The chefs have individually curated menus for Centurion lounges at Miami (MIA), San Francisco (SFO), and Philadelphia (PHL), but this is the first time their dishes, representing Latin, Israeli, and Hawaiian cuisines, have been featured on the same menu.

And for Amex, too many cooks haven’t spoiled the soup.

Photo: Courtesy of Washington-Reagan National Airport.

“Traveling has always had such a strong influence on my cooking and the mix of flavors that go into the dishes I serve guests at my restaurants throughout Miami and in the Centurion Lounge,” Chef Michelle Bernstein said. She’s contributed lemon ricotta pancakes and chimichurri grilled chicken to the menu.

Traveler favorites from other Centurion lounges also make an appearance, including tamari honey-glazed tofu and pineapple, creamy polenta, and Shabazz-spiced salmon with pomegranate BBQ sauce.

Guests can wash down their meals with complimentary drinks from a full bar or bespoke cocktails designed by mixologist Jim Meehan. As in other Centurion lounge locations, the cocktails draw inspiration from the local area: Meehan’s Haku Hanami pays tribute to the city’s iconic Japanese cherry blossom trees, and his ambrosia spritz uses bitters and Italian herbal liqueurs from local crafter Don Ciccio & Figli.

The wine list is also firmly rooted in the DMV area, featuring the products of Virginian vineyards and the region’s flourishing wine scene.

Design Cues

D.C.’s history and heritage are everywhere in the lounge. In the dining area, a ceiling sculpture uses 260 lanterns to outline the city’s original boundaries when it was established as the nation’s capital in 1791.

When guests enter the lounge, they’re greeted by a gallery of work from established and emerging D.C. artists, including a pop impressionist rendering of the Capitol Building by Maggie O’Neill and a mixed media piece by Claudia “Aziza” Gibson-Hunter, playing with ideas of flight and spirituality.

Photo: Courtesy of American Express

Travelers who want to cram in work will find high-speed Wi-Fi, download and upload speeds topping 300 Mbps, dedicated workstations, a co-working table, ample outlets and charging ports, a printer, and a conference room.

Those who prefer to rest will find couches, relaxation nooks, a television, and a digital library. Two drinks stations in the lounge allow guests to perk up with coffee from Eversys machines, water from Vivreau taps, and chocolate chip cookies.

The space also features a shower suite, a first for DCA. It can be booked for 15- or 30-minute slots, depending on whether you’ve gained entry to the lounge with an American Express Reserve card or the more selective Centurion or Black Card.

Photo: Courtesy of American Express

That’s not the only perk afforded to black card holders, who must be invited to apply for the card and reportedly must spend between $350,000 and $500,000 on their Amex annually. Those guests can access an exclusive, roped-off corner of the lounge, with a dedicated coffee machine and snack bar. For guests used to splashing out that much cash, those perks may not be very exciting, although the high-backed chairs in the space look comfortable and lend a sense of privacy.

The Centurion Lounge is located in DCA’s Terminal 2, just beyond the south security checkpoint, on the newly constructed upper level of the departures lounge. It’s accessed by an elevator or a set of stairs.

The space is open daily between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM, except for Saturdays when it shuts at 7:00 PM.

As with other lounges in the Centurion network, it’s open to American Express members with the following credit cards:

• American Express Platinum Card ($695 annual fee) — access regardless of airline, two complimentary guest passes if you spend $75,000+ on the card each year.
• American Express Platinum Business Card ($695 annual fee) — access regardless of airline, two complimentary guest passes if you spend $75,000+ on the card each year.
• Amex Centurion Card (The Black Card) — Access regardless of airline, with two complimentary guest passes.
• Delta SkyMiles American Express Reserve Card($650 fee) – must be flying with Delta that day, no guest passes
• Delta SkyMiles American Express Reserve Business Card ($650 fee) – must be flying with Delta that day, no guest passes

Not headed to D.C. anytime soon? Amex’s Centurion Lounge network now spans more than 25 airports, with lounges due to open in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) in 2025 and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in 2026.