Centurion Lounge
I’ve done a couple of lounge hopping adventures so I didn’t have high hopes for the Centurion Lounge when I visited San Francisco, at least not after reading at least a half dozen Reddit reviews about the long line to enter. But I was wrong; this was the best lounge experience I had so far.
While there was a line to enter, it wasn’t unreasonably long. It took five minutes to queue to the counter where a staff member took my name and phone number to join a virtual queue by SMS. I got some work done in a quiet corner of the airport and got a text about 15 minutes later telling me to return to the lounge for access. While I’m not a fan of the fact that half the lounge was closed (meaning there could be more capacity), the experience inside was enjoyable without a crowd. Turn up to the airport early and you can enjoy the place for more than two hours.
There’s a lot to enjoy.
The first thing I did was ask for access to the shower suite. It was very clean with fresh towels, shaving kit and toothbrush available. All the toiletries were from L’Occitan and the water was sufficiently hot, but the water pressure varied depending on how much water the kitchen used at any time. There was a rain shower and an independent showered for those who need it.
The buffet is created by an award-winning chef, no, not Michelin, but some other US award I can’t remember. At least a dozen wait staff efficiently cleared the tables of about a hundred hungry travellers and two bartenders were quick and helpful. Make an ally of the bartenders who will be the key, pun intended, to your access to the wine wall, where there are 17 bottles of wine on tap, and can pour you a flight of any four. Most signature Centurion lounges have their own speciality, San Francisco has wine, New York has a speakeasy, Seattle has a coffee bar, and Dallas has craft beer.
The seating is comfortable with generous spacing between tables to make guests feel at ease. Unlike many other lounges, even airline lounges, the floor is kept clear of scraps by constant sweeping and the buffet counter is regularly wiped clean. I still think the kimchi tofu soup is my favourite.
Maple Leaf Lounge
This lounge is so new it doesn’t have a Facebook location tag yet. I didn’t get a chance to use it in May as it opened in June, so I used the Centurion Lounge instead. But I made a return visit in October to enjoy Air Canada’s new facility during a four-hour layover.
I was offered a shaving kit and dental kit with my shower booking. I cleaned and freshened up in about 20 minutes after a 13-hour flight from Hong Kong. The helpful departure board lets me know whether my flight is on time and which gate to embark from. I had a plate of breakfast service of scrambled eggs, sausages, hash browns, and pomegranate juice.
Moments after I finished breakfast, a generous lunch was served. I had shrimp and scallops rice pilaf, lobster bisque, and Puerto Rican chicken. I ate indoors in comfortable seating, but a unique outdoor terrace is also available for the more adventurous. I didn’t think I could get some Californian tan on me during my 26-hour journey.
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