Chase Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia Review: Chic and Spacious

In a push to compete with Capital One lounges and Centurion Lounges from American Express, Chase is opening its own lounges at eight airports worldwide.

The Hong Kong and Boston Chase Sapphire lounge locations were the first to open, and a third spot is entering the scene: As of January 2024, the Chase Sapphire Lounge at New York’s LaGuardia Airport has opened its doors. We got a look inside during a press tour.

Here is what you can expect when you visit this two-level Chase lounge at New York-LGA.

Getting to the Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia

To get to the Chase Sapphire Lounge in Terminal B, pass through security and turn right. Go past the colorful falling water fountain. At the end of the concourse, you’ll find the entrance to the Sapphire Lounge, next to the Centurion Lounge entrance.

Take the elevator down to the ground floor to enter the lounge.

» Learn more: Centurion Lounge at New York-LaGuardia

Hours of operation

The Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia is open from 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. The private Reserve Suites are open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Layout

The Sapphire Lounge by The Club at LaGuardia beats out many of its competitors on square footage alone. At 21,850 square feet, this massive Sapphire Lounge can fit a maximum of 269 people. The Centurion Lounge next door comes in at less than half the size by square footage.

There are two levels. The lower level has seating areas, play areas (not just for kids), relaxation rooms and the main dining area and bar.

Ascend the set of stairs located to one side of the center bar and you’ll find yourself in what Chase staffers called “The Perch.” This mezzanine area features more seating and tables, a refreshment station and access to the Reserve Suites: three reservation-only rooms available to groups who want more privacy than the lounge affords.

Design

The theme of trees and greenery runs throughout, with several large “tree trunks” breaking up space on both the first and second levels. The pervasive woodgrain, mid-century furniture and colorful, abstract art on the tambour panel walls gives the feeling of walking into a particularly chic rainforest. There’s even a canopy of plants lining the railings of the upper-level mezzanine.

The womb chairs and light, oak-colored wood are in line with current design trends. Yet, the lounge has an air of timelessness that feels sophisticated but fun — falling somewhere between the retrofuturism of the TWA Hotel at JFK and the intentional whimsy of a hip coworking space. Elevated furnishings can be found in the by-reservation private suites, but more on that later.

The lounge doesn't have a lot of windows because of its location within the airport. However, even without natural light, there’s not a spot in the lounge that feels underlit. The sconces and variety of other lighting fixtures are a delightful detail.

Throughout the lounge, you’ll find touches of New York City, whether it’s a book of Bill Cunningham photos on the shelf or a series of photos featuring matchbooks from iconic New York restaurants like The Bitter End.

Seating areas on the lower level

The first floor of the lounge features plenty of space for work, relaxation, dining and even a little play. Cushy couches and chairs are scattered throughout.

A backlit, water vapor fireplace provides ambience in a more work-oriented section of the lower level where guests will also find two-person booths and a private phone room.

No need to worry about keeping your devices charged — there are outlets galore embedded in furniture, walls, tables and the floor.

Photo booth and arcade

On top of the areas for working or relaxing, there are a few rooms dedicated entirely to play. One is a photo booth that guests can use to snap photos with their traveling companions. Photos can’t be printed, but guests can have a digital copy sent to their email.

The photo booth doubles as an entrance to what Chase staff referred to as “the speakeasy” — a hidden arcade room featuring a pinball machine, tabletop shuffleboard and a jukebox. While there’s no drink service in the speakeasy, staffers indicated that there might be someday.

Children’s playroom

Families can use an enclosed playroom on the lower level without having to worry about disrupting other lounge guests.

Nursing room

A nursing room featuring a sink and changing table is available for use by families in addition to a dedicated changing room for those with babies.

The Reserve Suites

The Reserve Suites are three rooms that can be booked within the lounge that offer groups a private seating and entertainment area, access to fully-stocked showers and an upgraded menu. The privacy comes at a premium though.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can reserve one of the two eight-person suites and one four-person suite. The eight-person suites feature a movable wall between and can be booked together for use by up to 12 people.

Suites are available in three-hour slots. Each of the eight-person suites costs $3,000 to reserve (or $6,000 to combine the two suites) and the four-person suite is $2,200 for a reservation slot. You must book suites through the Chase mobile app at least 72 hours in advance.

So what does roughly $1,000 per hour get you?

In addition to private showers stocked with bathrobes and high-end toiletries from Oribe and Augustinus Bader, guests get access to a personal lounge staffer and a private menu from the New York restaurant Jeffrey's Grocery.

Menu highlights include a hefty lobster roll and the Plateau le LaGuardia, a two-tiered tower featuring king crab legs, shrimp cocktail and a variety of tinned seafood. The suite-exclusive wine list is curated by New York City wine bar Parcelle and each of the suites includes caviar service in its price.

In the sitting area of each suite, there’s a beautifully incorporated TV on the wall that comes with a PlayStation 5 for guests. The TV can be turned off, leaving the design element of a stark, glossy black circle on the wall rather than a blank TV — a subtle touch that’s in line with the elevated feel of these private suites.

One of the few windows in the lounge is in the four-person suite, providing a near-panoramic view of The Perch and lower level of the lounge; though, there’s a curtain for privacy should you prefer it.

Meditation pods and treatment rooms

If you want to luxuriate a little but don’t want to shell out for the suites with their private showers, stop by the wellness area and treat yourself to some spa time.

The ordeal of engaging with commercial air travel can be more than a little de-centering. If you feel like you need some time to refocus and quiet your mind, the lounge offers two meditation pods, which can be booked in 30-minute slots via the Chase app or the QR codes found throughout the lounge. Meditation pod reservations are complimentary.

You can also book a free spa treatment, such as jade rolls and oxygen blasts, on-site on a first-come-first-served basis. The private treatment rooms are staffed by estheticians and feature products from New York facial bar Face Haus.

Bathrooms

There are several bathroom stalls in the men’s room and women’s room on the first floor and an all-gender restroom on the mezzanine.

Food

Cold plates and made-to-order meals

At the back of the lounge’s lower level is the main dining area. The kitchen serves breakfast (4:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.) and all-day fare (11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) with menus featuring more typical lounge options alongside special, made-to-order dishes from Joseph Leonard, a West Village bistro.

During breakfast and regular service, cold and hot plates are available at the buffet counter. For breakfast, guests can expect the usual fare like pastries, fruit, yogurt, eggs, pancakes and French toast. Made-to-order options — including omelets, egg and cheese baos, and vegan spinach bowls — can be ordered by scanning the QR codes found at every table.

All-day food choices include Korean fried chicken bites, pumpkin muhammara, grilled cheese and made-to-order dishes like burgers or seared salmon over braised leeks. The latter items punched a fair bit above the lounge food weight class, retaining the restaurant quality you’d expect from a curated menu.

A selection of sweets is also available at the buffet, including lemon squares, chocolate chip cookies and mini chocolate bites.

The bar

Situated amid the dining space and seating areas is a circular bar, beautifully appointed with white stone countertops, mauve barstools and brass accents. Chase teamed up with New York mixologists Apotheke for locally-inspired cocktails.

The cocktail menu includes drinks exclusive to the LaGuardia lounge, like The Blackburn’s Sour — a berry-forward rum drink named for one of the first passengers to disembark at LaGuardia when it opened in 1939 — and a signature cocktail that you’ll find at all Sapphire Lounge locations, fittingly and simply called Sapphire.

Other standouts include the Red Eye, an interesting take on the all-too-familar espresso martini that takes things in a more refreshing direction with the addition of black cherry.

A wine list curated by Parcelle, spirits and a selection of beers on tap round out the bar’s menu, with soft drinks, juices and coffee also available.

Refreshment stations

The lounge features three refreshment stations, two on the first level and one on the second. Each refreshment station includes a mini fridge of canned beverages as well as drip coffee, tea, a digital espresso machine, nonalcoholic drinks on tap and assorted fruits and biscotti.

In keeping with the locally-sourced beverages, coffee is supplied by Greenwhich Village roaster Joe Coffee and teas are from SoHo-based tea blenders Harney & Sons.

How to get into the Chase Sapphire Lounge LGA

Access to the Sapphire Lounge by the Club at LaGuardia is pretty simple: you need to carry a qualifying Chase card or have a Priority Pass membership. Some credit cards include a Priority Pass membership as a benefit.

Chase cards that get you Sapphire lounge access include:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

• J.P. Morgan Reserve. 

• The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders each get two free guests, per visit. Additional guests come at a fee of $27 each.

Meanwhile, Ritz-Carlton cardholders get unlimited guests.

Priority Pass cards that get you access to the Chase LaGuardia lounge include:

At the time of writing, Chase has only opened three lounges in the United States: Boston, New York-LaGuardia and New York-JFK. However, details reveal that additional airport locations are currently in the works in San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Philadelphia.

(Top photo by Steve Miller)

The information related to the J.P. Morgan Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.