Review: Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne (MEL) is underwhelming

Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne – Introduction

As a frequent traveller and American Express Platinum cardholder, I appreciate the perks that come with the card, particularly access to The Centurion Lounges. These lounges are known for their quality, but they are primarily located in the USA, with a few international locations like London Heathrow, Sydney and Melbourne. On a recent trip through Melbourne Airport, I had the chance to visit The Centurion Lounge and wanted to share my experience.

Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne – Location and Access

The Centurion Lounge at Melbourne Airport is conveniently located in Terminal 2, next to the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Business Class Lounge and across from the Qantas Business Class Lounge. It’s near Gate 7 and accessible via an escalator downstairs. The lounge operates from 6 AM to 10 PM and is managed by the Plaza Premium lounge team. To gain access, you must have an American Express Platinum Card (personal or business), an Amex Centurion Card, or one of several eligible Amex cards in Australia.

List of Australian American Express Cards with access to Centurian Lounges

Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne – Seating and Layout

The Melbourne location is relatively small compared to other Centurion Lounges I’ve visited. Upon entering, you’re greeted by a countertop table with a few seats. To the right, leather seating extends further down, where dark mahogany tables with leather chairs are available.

Main seating area

Dining Hall with more seating options

More lounge seating

In a separate room beyond the dining area, another section of the lounge has more comfortable leather seating. There’s also a small children’s play area, though it’s not enclosed and doesn’t offer much privacy. The bathrooms, which include women’s and unisex options, were very clean during my visit, which is always a positive note.

Children’s play area

Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne – Food & Drinks

The buffet is situated to the left as you enter the lounge. The offerings included a salad bar, juices, yogurt parfait, and a cheese board during my visit. Hot food options included vegetarian pizza, roasted root vegetables, penne pasta, lemon pepper chicken wings, jasmine rice, and braised beef with mushrooms and onion.

Salad Bar

Cold Cuts and Yogurt

Pizza section

Hot food selection

Braised beef with mushrooms

There’s also a bar offering a standard selection of spirits, wines, and beers, including rum, Scotch whiskey, bourbon, vodka, gin, and tequila, along with liqueurs like Kahlua and Mollys (an Australian version of Bailey’s). Additionally, there’s a small snack area with chocolate chip cookies, nacho chips, and marshmallows.

F&B section of the lounge

Lounge Bar

Sparkling and Still water selections

Bar snacks

Amex Centurion Lounge Melbourne – Takeaway

Overall, my experience at The Centurion Lounge in Melbourne was underwhelming, especially compared to other Centurion Lounges I’ve visited in places like LaGuardia and Atlanta. The Plaza Premium team operates the lounge, showing that the experience felt more aligned with a Plaza Premium lounge than an authentic Centurion Lounge. Staff members even wore Plaza Premium name tags, reinforcing this impression.

If you can access another lounge at Melbourne Airport, I recommend exploring those options first. Unfortunately, this lounge doesn’t meet Centurion Lounge standards, and I would rate it a 3 out of 10. If you’re flying in Economy and have no other lounge access, it might be worth a visit, but temper your expectations accordingly.