Review: Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale (FLL)

Background:

I was flying out on a night flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to New York (LGA) on JetBlue. JetBlue flights depart from Terminal 3, and that is where the Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale, an AMEX Centurion Studio Partner, is located. I’ve only been to one Escape Lounge before, and that was in Oakland, California (OAK). As of this posting, there are 14 Escape Lounges across the United States.

The Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale just opened in October of 2022 and is boutique- sized at just over 5,000 square feet of space.

Access and Hours:

You can get complimentary access to the lounge with an American Express Platinum or Centurion Card (with 2 guests too).

Or, Delta SkyMiles Reserve Cardholders (for yourself only) get complimentary access as well. Note: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members must be traveling on a Delta-marketed flight that day. Since Delta operates out of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale, this might be a bit hard to visit as the two terminals are not connected post-security.

The Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale is located in the airside connector hallway between Concourses E and F of Terminal 3. Terminal 3 is also connected to Terminal 4 post-security, but not the other terminals. Current hours of operations are from 5:30 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

My Visit:

I entered the lounge right before 6 PM Monday and was helped by a friendly agent. The lounge was pretty full, but we were allowed in. About a half hour later, I overheard guests having to join a waitlist to visit the lounge.

Behind the check-in deck, is a collection of sofas style seating and oversized chairs for lounging around. The decor is calm and comforting, which vibes with the South Florida beach theme.

Across the back wall contains more seating. Plus, views of the runway with natural light are always a positive.

If you head to the left of the lounge, you’ll encounter some high top tables, and then see the main buffet and bar area.

My friend and I got a seat right behind the buffet area, and it was a nice dining table with USB and power ports for charging.

Dining:

The menu is curated by Chef Colin Smith and includes two local guest dishes from Chef Laurent Tourondel of the acclaimed Fort Lauderdale restaurant, Dune.

For dinner, highlights of the food offered included a rice dish with hints of Jerk Chicken, Deviled Eggs, and a cucumber salad. My favorite was the Cuban sandwich. I highly recommend you try it.

On the drinks side, there is a complimentary selection of spirits, wine, and beer plus additional selections for purchase at the bar.

Self-service drinks include water, coffee and tea. I did find it a bit annoying to have to order from the bar if I wanted a Coke. Perhaps they can add a soda machine in the lounge.

Other Amenities:

There are 2 individual restrooms in this lounge, which is a bit short. At peak dinner time, there was a line for the restroom, so I walked outside into the terminal. Thankfully, there’s a large, clean restroom just down the hall. Toward the end of my visit, there was no line for the lounge restrooms and I was able to use one and thought it was sufficient.

Additionally, there is one shower stall, but there was a sign that it was temporarily out of order.

In the corner near the bar, there is a conference room that can be rented by the hour.

Lastly, the lounge offers print, scan and copy services.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is a solid place to relax before a flight. Especially as Terminal 3 is still undergoing renovations, and the gate sitting areas were quite packed and looking in need of a revamp. The food selection is good enough for a heavy snack, and the lounge is comfortable to catch up on some work and emails.

Have you visited the Escape Lounge Fort Lauderdale before? How was your experience? Comment below!

Cheers,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!