Denver Capital One Lounge Review: To-Go Food is A+ – NerdWallet

The Denver Capital One Lounge, situated in Denver Worldwide Airport, is a superb place to go to if you happen to’re on the lookout for complimentary meals and drinks on-the-go.

It encompasses a buffet of thoughtfully curated dishes with elevated substances (like floor bison sloppy joes). And in contrast to most lounges, it really encourages you to take meals to-go. Paper baggage positioned subsequent to the cookies recommend it’s okay to deliver some with you in your flight. On the entrance entrance, there’s a wall of prepackaged meals like sandwiches. Workers hand out baggage to fill along with your to-go treats.

Whereas Capital One lounge entry is primarily touted as a complimentary perk for Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise cardholders, anybody can enter this airport lounge for a price. And since it’s not really that unique, the lounge can get fairly crowded, so it’s not all the time as stress-free as maybe it needs to be. But when you will get previous the crowds, it’s a worthwhile cease.

The lounge is situated in Concourse A on the airport’s mezzanine stage. It’s open every day from 5 a.m. till 9 p.m.

The lounge spans a single flooring on the mezzanine stage of the primary airport terminal. Most guests keep within the widespread areas, which have meals, drinks and different facilities.

If you would like a separate space, you possibly can reserve a personal work area or a small convention room. Although they’re free to order, count on to hitch a waitlist — as there are sometimes extra individuals searching for non-public workspaces than rooms out there. You possibly can ask to hitch the waitlist on the entrance desk.

There are additionally particular person telephone cubicles, although they often get snapped up shortly. Different areas within the Capital One Lounge embrace a mother and father room (sometimes for nursing) and a leisure room with a pod-like nap chair.

In different open seating areas, there’s bar seating, counter seating, seating at tables and lounge-like seating in plush couches.

Bogs are glossy, clear and decked out with wall artwork. Ambient music performs on the toilet speaker. The 2 bathe suites can be found on a first-come, first-served foundation.

The issue? Heavy crowds coupled with not very many loos means there’s often a line.

Plan on visiting the final airport loos earlier than stopping into the Capital One Lounge. For what it’s price, the Denver Worldwide Airport loos are among the many greatest airport loos you’ll discover. They’re even scented by way of an air freshener that smells like a winter forest.

Meals and beverage choices

The meals and drinks provided within the Denver Capital One Lounge are among the many greatest you’ll discover in any airport lounge, comparable in high quality to what’s served in top-tier opponents just like the AmEx Centurion Lounges.

Parts are served on small plates. As is the case with all Capital One airport lounge areas, dishes are curated to the area. In Denver, the star entree is the Colorado floor bison sloppy joe served on a brioche bun.

The perimeters are simply as intriguing, such because the mac and cheese with smoked gouda, cheddar cheese and bacon. There’s additionally a bacon-free choice. More healthy sides embrace lemon-garlic broccolini, plus an assortment of salads.

Mornings characteristic a sizzling breakfast menu, with gadgets similar to mini Dutch pancakes with blueberry compote and polenta with white cheddar cheese, chorizo and chives.

There’s additionally no scarcity of sweets, which embrace brownies, cookies (some with surprising taste mixtures, just like the chocolate chip lavender cookies) and honey-pistachio baklava. Within the mornings, there’s an array of croissants, muffins and scones.

The Denver Capital One Lounge’s centerpiece is the staffed bar, which takes up a lot of the principal eating space.

Beer comes from native breweries, together with Cerveceria Colorado, Upslope Brewing Firm and Odell Brewing Firm. Capital One partnered with Denver-based bar Yacht Membership to develop cocktail recipes, most of which use liquor from Colorado firms. There are additionally zero-proof choices.

Virtually all of the alcohol is complimentary, save for a handful of top-shelf choices. Capital One calls it the “Uncommon Bottle Membership.” For a further $10 to $20, you’ll get a 2-ounce pour of high-end spirits.

The espresso and tea choices are unremarkable, with some commonplace tea baggage and carafes of La Colombe drip espresso, served alongside a wide range of milk choices. You can too order espresso drinks like lattes or cappuccinos on the bar.

Whereas the espresso bar falls a bit flat, the soda bar is an absolute delight. In contrast to common soda fountains of Coca-Cola or Pepsi merchandise, Capital One serves soda flavors like pineapple cream, black cherry with tarragon and lemon berry acai.

Maybe probably the most notable a part of the Capital One airport lounges is the takeout part.

Whereas different airport lounges slap up indicators reminding friends that each one meals should be consumed within the lounge, Capital One actively encourages you to take meals to-go.

The lounge’s entrance encompasses a wall of prepackaged meals designed to journey. There are sandwiches and wraps, in addition to assorted cups stuffed with issues like fruit, pudding and hummus. There are additionally canned drinks and boxed water.

Once I was there, staff eagerly handed out baggage to fill with to-go meals.

The Denver Capital One Lounge is usually crowded. On each of my current visits, it was troublesome to discover a seat. However regardless of the place you sit, you’ll often have entry to an influence outlet.

Throughout one in all my visits to the lounge, there was a queue to get inside. However staff have been providing vacationers the choice to easily take a grab-and-go bag, slightly than wait to get inside the total lounge, which was a superb different.

When you’re a Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card or Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise cardholder, you possibly can be part of the waitlist for the Denver Capital One Lounge (and different Capital One lounges) on the Capital One app. Navigate to the Rewards & Advantages tile, and faucet the airplane icon.

From there, you possibly can choose a particular from the Capital One lounge areas and look at the capability. Then, you’ll obtain a textual content notification when it’s your flip to enter. To reduce ready time, you may wish to be part of the waitlist earlier than you arrive.

When you don’t have the Enterprise X and Enterprise X Enterprise playing cards, you’ll nonetheless have to attend within the bodily line.

How you can get into the Capital One Lounge

When you maintain a Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card or Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise card, you get limitless, complimentary entry to Capital One lounges. You can too deliver as much as two friends per go to at no cost. Any friends past that incur an $45 per go to, per particular person cost.

Simply know that the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card instructions a $395 annual price, which could not essentially be price it to you if you happen to don’t dwell close to an airport with a Capital One lounge.

There are a number of different entry necessities that intention to stop misuse of the lounge. . You could current a boarding go with a confirmed seat project for a departing or connecting same-day flight. You can also’t enter if you happen to’re arriving in Denver and aren’t heading to a connection elsewhere. And you’ll solely enter as much as three hours earlier than your flight’s departure time.

However you don’t want to carry a Capital One bank card to realize entry to this lounge. Anybody — Capital One buyer or not — pays $90 to enter. For a protracted layover the place you possibly can make the most of the meals and drinks, showers, and personal work areas, $90 could be price it

Different DEN lounges to think about

When you don’t maintain a Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card or Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise, then chances are you’ll wish to think about different Denver airport lounges.

As a United hub, Denver Airport hosts a number of United Membership lounges, together with a compelling grab-and-go lounge known as United Membership Fly. If you would like a day go to any of United’s golf equipment, United Membership Lounge entry is obtainable for $59, which is lower than the associated fee for most of the people to purchase a Capital One Lounge day go.

To view charges and costs of The Platinum Card® from American Specific, see this web page.

To view charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card, see this web page.

Is the Capital One Lounge at DEN price it?

The Denver Capital One Lounge most likely isn’t well worth the full day go value for many vacationers. But when you have already got complimentary lounge entry by means of your bank card, or if you happen to’re paying for the day go however planning to make good use of the facilities, it’s nicely price visiting.

The meals is among the many highest high quality you’ll discover anyplace within the airport. And since Enterprise X or Enterprise X Enterprise card members can seemingly keep away from the road by becoming a member of the waitlist by way of the app, then one of many lounge’s largest ache factors — the road to get in — will be prevented.