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While heading back to Tampa International Airport (TPA) today, I had some time to check out one of the three Admirals Clubs® located at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). I’ve reviewed the location that’s in the middle of Concourses H and K before. My flight was not too far from this lounge, so I decided to check it out. The location is not the easiest to find and I initially walked past it. The area surrounding the lounge is under construction.
Access
Upon entering, you check-in at the desk staffed by several agents. It was busy and awkward to take a photo, so I did not. Access is granted to passengers with memberships (purchased annually), one-time pass holders (earned from various credit cards or purchased for $79), Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive credit cardholders, customers in First or Business on a qualifying departing or arriving international, transcontinental or other domestic flight marketed and operated by American, a oneworld® airline or Aer Lingus, those with non-AAdvantage® oneworld® Emerald℠ and Sapphire℠ status, ConciergeKey® members, those ticketed in a premium cabin designated as Flagship® between the United States and Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, South America (excluding Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela), select transcontinental flights also on a Flagship® designated ticket, select flights to Hawaii, and US military in uniform. AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum Pro®, AAdvantage Platinum®, Alaska Atmos™ Titanium, Atmos™ Platinum, and Atmos™ Gold members traveling internationally in any class of service are also granted admission. A same-day boarding pass is required to enter the American Admirals Club®.
Anthony’s Take: This has to be one of the most nondescript Admirals Clubs® out there. It’s the smallest of the three in the airport. The design is a bit industrial and kind of blah. I did like the views of the airport and the roadway outside. Big windows brought in a lot of natural light. There is a full bar and a buffet spread across several tables. It’s fine to spend some time in between flights (or if your departing flight is close), but the much bigger location mentioned above is much nicer.
Bar
There is a full-service bar as well as coffee machines, soda machines, and water throughout the lounge. The bar offers a small list of complimentary beverages including beer, wine, and mixed drinks, with many more for sale.
A coffee machine was located near the bar.
Drip coffee, tea, and condiments were also found there.
Water and unsweetened iced tea were on offer.
Near the entrance, there was some additional water along with snacks.
Food
Lunch was being served during my visit. There were several tables that made up the buffet and offered a decent assortment of hot dishes, soups, cold cuts, cheeses, hummus, and desserts.
Braised Beef
Mushroom Risotto
Baked Potato Soup
Vegan Mushroom Broth
Meats, cheese, and hummus (as well as a grain salad)
Pita and raw veggies
Fresh fruit
Magnolia Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Cannoli Shooters, and Triple Chocolate Cookies
Packaged snacks on the bar
I saw a sign on a table advertising pizza. I was pretty sure that the Admirals Clubs® had stopped selling food. When I scanned the QR code, there was no food and only a drink menu.
Seating & Decor
As mentioned above, there is not much in the way of decor in this lounge. There are lots of tables, high tops, armchairs, and other configurations around the space divided up into smaller sections. I liked that they were all segmented into smaller spaces. The space feels industrial and kind of boring. The lounge was packed and that made it impossible to take good photos of the seats.
There were people in most of the seats during my visit.
Amenities
This Admirals Club® offers free Wi-Fi, restrooms, the departure board (pictured above), and the food and beverages mentioned.
Overall Impression:
This Admirals Club® was rather bland, but had a full bar and a decent buffet. Service was friendly and I found space to get some work done. It’s better than sitting in the terminal, but nothing to get excited about.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
