Which United lounge at Newark airport is the best?

09.02.2024 - 09:56 / cntraveler.com

Wheeling my luggage past the sliding doors, it was hard to believe I was in the middle of Newark Liberty International Airport and not a hotel lobby. Upon entering the light-filled room, I walked past a wooden bookshelf lined with eclectic decor to the fruit-infused water station sitting on vibrant flooring. This was all far from what I'd come to expect of an airport lounge.

On my first visit to the United Club near Terminal C’s gate C123, shortly after it opened in May 2022, it became clear that the Chicago-based carrier was significantly ramping up its airport lounges. Every part of the experience stood out, from the self-scanning kiosks that eliminated standard wait times to its sophisticated design—think sleek recessed workstation booths and plush couches—and the firm sense of place delivered by New York subway-style wall tiles and signage. By my second visit, a few months later, I was hooked—and posted on Instagram: “If United sold United Club workspace memberships, I’d be at EWR every day.”

Since then, I’ve visited all four of United’s lounges at Newark, including two newer ones that opened in the last seven months and the upscale Polaris Lounge. Here’s what each of the experiences was like—plus, how to access the airline's secret speakeasy restaurant.

The United Club near gate C123 features a full-service coffee bar, premium bar, wellness room, and spa-like shower suites.

First welcoming passengers in May 2022, the 30,000-square-foot space with more than 480 seats puts design front and center. One of the first things travelers will notice is the wall art: United collaborated with the The Newark Museum of Art and Newark-based Gallery Aferro on murals by local artists including Gilbert Hsiao and Dahlia Elsayed, capturing the area’s musical and historical pasts. Each part of the lounge, which features a full-service coffee bar, premium bar, wellness room, and spa-like shower suites, has a distinct feel, mixing practical conveniences and connectivity with a chill pre-flight vibe. With chefs and servers stationed behind the buffet, the food—which includes a salad bar and entrees served in cast-iron skillets—tasted fresher than standard lounge offerings. As you take a breather from the chaos of the airport, be sure to peek out the vast windows for views of Manhattan's skyline rising in the distance.

United's newest airport lounge at Newark feels proportionally less spacious than its slightly older counterpart near Gate C123.

Take the escalator up to United's newest Newark airport lounge perched above the busyness of the terminal below. The United Club near Gate C74 opened in October 2023 and has a touch of the hip-hotel atmosphere mentioned above, but is far more practical—and frankly, feels less