On a recent trip to Denver, I had some time before my flight and headed to the United Club Denver Concourse B East. This was my third United Club visit of the day, after stops at the club in Concourse A West and the United Club Fly grab and go concept near gate B60.
United Club Denver Concourse B East Location
United has been expanding like crazy at Denver International Airport (DEN) with flights across multiple concourses but, Concourse B is still the airline’s primary base of operations. The airline operates two full service lounges in Concourse B, one on the west side which is currently closed for remodeling, and one on the east side. There is also a United Club Fly location, which I mentioned above, near Gate B60.
The United Club on the east side of Concourse B is located between Gates B43 and B44. The lounge is easy to spot thanks to a large United sign that spans the concourse above the entrance.
United Club Denver Concourse B East Hours of Operation
This United Club is open between 5:00a-9:00p daily, covering almost all of the carrier’s departures from the airport.
United Club Denver Concourse B East Entry Requirements
There are a few different ways to access United Clubs. The most common is via a United Club membership. These annual memberships can be purchased directly and range in cost from $650 for general Mileage Plus members along with Silver and Gold elites, $600 for Platinum, and $550 for Premier 1K. Chase also has a United Club card that comes with access for a $525 annual fee.
In addition to a membership, select premium passengers can access the United Club. Of the big 3 US airlines, United is the most lenient when it comes to club access on premium tickets.
United Polaris Business Class passengers, Business Class passengers on an international or transcontinental flight, and First Class passengers heading to Canada can access the United Club. First and Business Class passengers on a Star Alliance airline and Star Alliance Gold members also have access. Finally, you can purchase a day pass for $59 and prices are discounted for those flying in Premium Plus.
United also offers bundles after booking such as a United Club trip pass & Wi-Fi which is how we accessed the club. The full list of access requirements and terms and conditions can be found here.
With club memberships and day passes connected to your MileagePlus account, all I needed to do was scan my boarding pass and I was welcomed into the lounge.
Layout
The newly remodeled lounge spans the two levels above the concourse and is a large, warm, and inviting space. After checking in at the concourse level, you head up to the first floor of the lounge where you’re greeted by a large lobby area. A massive art installation hangs from the ceiling
The first floor of the lounge is split into two distinct areas. Off to the left is a large bar area which had a variety of craft brews from the area. The bar was long but only had a few barstools as most of the space was reserved for walk-up customers.
In front of the bar are large, communal bartop spaces as well as two person high top tables. Couches and lounge chairs are located closer to the windows.
For AvGeeks, the best seats are the countertop seats along the window. Massive floor to ceiling windows provide great views of the ramp below. A shuffleboard table was also located in this area though the lounge was busy enough that I never saw anyone attempt to use it (If anyone knows how I can get one of these for my house, let me know).
In the rear of this portion of the lounge, there is a small dining area with some beverages, snacks, and two rows of high-backed, semi-private dining booths.
On the opposite side of the first floor is the main buffet space on the lower level. This area is set up more like a traditional lounge with a mixture of dining tables, lounge chairs, and counter seating. The lounge was crowded across the board but seats were open throughout during my visit.
The floor to ceiling windows on the opposite side of the lounge also carried over to this side. It’s safe to say that you’ll have plenty of chances to do some planespotting if you want to.
Upstairs, the main features of the lounge are similar to what you have on the first floor, though with a slightly different layout.
The buffet area on the upper level is much larger with a slightly expanded selection than I found at the buffet on the first floor.
The bar on the second level is along the eastern wall and makes you feel like you’re hanging out in a ski lodge. It was busy during my visit but the bartender managed to keep the drinks flowing without rushing guests. I saw him answer questions from guests while working on other drinks.
On the north side, to the left of the bar, is a large seating area that features warm woods and a fireplace that somehow doesn’t seem out of place even in the summer months. There are lounge chairs and couches arranged around the fireplace which had a cozy, but not cramped feel.
My favorite space in the lounge is also located up here. Chairs with ottomans are located along the windows which provides fantastic views out over the ramp as well as the front range in the distance.
Food and Beverage
There are two main buffet areas in this lounge, one on the lower level and one on the upper level. The upper level buffet was larger though both had the same dishes available. I find that the United Club has the worst food and beverage options of the big three U.S. carriers, behind Delta and American but, I was surprised by the extent of the offerings in the lounge during my visit.
A small salad bar had a few different options but nothing over the top.
Sandwiches and wraps were offered for folks that wanted something lighter or looking to grab something fast.
Two soups were available, a corn bisque and chicken noodle soup.
For the mains, a cochinita pibil pulled pork and summer citrus chicken were featured alongside rice and plantains.
On the dessert front, lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate eclairs were on offer.
As I mentioned earlier in this review this lounge has two bars, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. I find that United Clubs are the most stingy of the big three carriers when it comes to the complimentary selections at the bar. Shockingly, the carrier doesn’t even have a complimentary tequila on offer.
Fortunately, if you’re not looking for alcohol, there are plenty of beverage stations featuring coffee machines, tea, water, flavored water and, at some locations, Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Finally, rotating jars of snacks were scattered throughout the lounge and the staff did a great job of keeping everything restocked.
Atmosphere
Overall, I was extremely surprised by this lounge. While the space was busy, the sheer size of it made it feel quite open. The darker colors and the warm woods made the space feel very inviting and relaxing even with the large size.
The United Club Denver Concourse B East may be the best United Club that I’ve ever visited and I would have loved to spend more time in the lounge. While busy, it managed to feel inviting and the staff did a fantastic job of keeping everything stocked and cleaning up to prepare the space for the next wave of guests.
Summary
The United Club Denver (DEN) Concourse B East is the carrier’s largest lounge at its mountain west hub and the space certainly lives up to expectations. The lounge has a fantastic location with great views of the ramp and plenty of space to spread out. I found the food offerings to be slightly better than most United Clubs but the complimentary beverage selection still lags behind the offerings from Delta and American.
I used to visit Denver more often than I do now and, while the American Express Centurion Lounge is still my favorite lounge at the airport, the new offerings from United are solidly in second place. If you’re flying through Denver on United or one of its partners, this lounge is worth checking out.
