American Express opened its first Centurion Lounge in continental Europe today at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). The outpost — the 33rd in the Centurion network worldwide and the first lounge at Schiphol run by a global credit card company — sits between Concourses E and F and operates daily from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
"Schiphol is a major travel hub for our Card Members in the Netherlands and around the world. That made Schiphol a natural place to bring the Centurion Lounge experience," Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, said in prepared remarks. "As the first global credit card company to operate a lounge at AMS, we look forward to welcoming Card Members in a premium space designed to reflect the character of Amsterdam."
The nearly 6,000-square-foot space leans hard into its home city. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the airfield; black quartzite, brass trim, and warm wood give the interiors their texture; and the color scheme runs to blues, greens, and earth tones — a reference to the canals that define Amsterdam, with lines and proportions borrowed from the city's canal houses. Dutch artists including Mieke Jonker, Reinder Schmidt, Geesien Postema, and Thirza Schaap contributed works throughout the lounge, and even the requisite Amex bulldog portrait — painted by Jonker — gets the Dutch treatment, rendered with Delft Blue plates, floral designs, and the silhouettes of former Dutch queens.
A nod to Amsterdam's coffee culture, the Blue Roast Coffee Bar offers a dedicated barista and locally sourced coffee. It is the fourth coffee bar in the Centurion Lounge network, following those at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). On the food and beverage front, the lounge has a full bar with beer and cocktails, along with a buffet of seasonally and locally inspired Dutch and regional European dishes.
For clients working (or hiding) between flights, the lounge offers quiet workspaces alongside armchairs, café tables, high-tops, booths, and group seating, plus a phone room, private restrooms, ample power and USB outlets, and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.
The hyper-local approach tracks with what Amex is seeing in its own research: the company's 2026 Global Travel Trends Report found that 83 percent of Millennial and Gen Z respondents would rather have an authentic, one-of-a-kind experience than tick off the big tourist sights.
Amsterdam won't be the network's last stop. Amex has new Centurion Lounges planned for Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), along with a Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge concept at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). All told, the Global Lounge Collection now gives eligible Card Members access to more than 1,550 lounges across 140 countries.
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