Admirals Club Lounges at Chicago O’Hare International Airport [Review of All 3 Locations]

I recently flew through Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on my way home from a quick weekend trip. Call me crazy, but I was actually excited to have this layover because it would allow me to visit and review all 3 Admirals Clubs at Chicago O’Hare.

I didn’t have much experience with Admirals Clubs prior to this trip since I only recently got an Admirals Club membership. There weren’t any other good lounge options at the terminal I was in at ORD, which made this 2-hour layover a perfect opportunity to dive into the Admirals Clubs.

In this post, I’ll show you around all 3 Chicago O’Hare Admirals Club locations, including the benefits and drawbacks of each one and how to gain access to these lounges.

How To Get Access to Admirals Club Lounges

I could access all 3 Admirals Club lounges at Chicago O’Hare because I have the Citi^®/AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®, which comes with an Admirals Club membership.

However, there are numerous other ways to access Admirals Club lounges without having the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. Regardless of how you gain entry, you must be flying on a same-day (arriving or departing) American Airlines, Oneworld partner airline, or JetBlue flight (through January 31, 2024).

Here are other ways to gain entry to American Airlines Admirals Clubs:

• Purchase an Admirals Club membership for $850 or 85,000 miles (discounts available based on American Airlines status).
• Purchase a day pass for $79 or 79,000 miles (access via day passes may be limited during busy times).
• Have a first or business class ticket on a qualifying international, transcontinental, or domestic flight.
• Have American Airlines Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum status and be flying on a qualifying international flight.
• Have Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status (not earned through American Airlines).
• Have Alaska Airlines MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, or MVP Gold 100K status and be flying on a qualifying international or transcontinental flight.
• Be uniformed military personnel flying on an American Airlines flight.

Bottom Line:

There are many ways to access Admirals Club lounges. The easiest is to have the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card since it comes with a complimentary Admirals Club membership.

Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Admirals Club Locations

There are 3 American Airlines Admirals Club locations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). All 3 lounges are located in Terminal 3 and are a short walk from each other.

Terminal 3, Concourse G

• Location: After security across from gate G8
• Hours: Open daily from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Terminal 3, Concourse H/K

• Location: After security in the crosswalk between H6 and K6
• Hours: Open Sunday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

Terminal 3, Concourse L

• Location: After security before gate L1
• Hours: Open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Hot Tip:

If you don’t have access to Admirals Clubs, there are plenty of other lounges at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

O’Hare Admirals Club: Concourse G

The first O’Hare Admirals Club location I visited was in Terminal 3, Concourse G, directly across from gate G8 (which, incidentally, was the gate I landed at). It’s open daily from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

The glass doors are covered in what looks like brown paper, making the lounge appear like it’s under construction and closed. Unless you saw people going in and out, it could be easy to take a glance and assume it wasn’t open.

The lounge is long and narrow, with the front entrance in the middle. Floor-to-ceiling windows with runway views provide plenty of natural light to give this lounge a bright and airy feeling.

Seating and Amenities

The lounge had rows of seats; most had direct access to plugs and a small table space.

At the far end of the lounge was a quiet room where cell phone use was restricted. In addition to the lounge’s standard armchairs, the quiet room had some chairs with footrests against the back wall.

Outlets in the lounge were plentiful, even near the tables by the buffet.

The Admirals Club in Concourse G had a small business center with a computer, printer, and scanner available for use.

There were monitors displaying flight information throughout the lounge, so you could easily keep track of any gate or time changes.

Additionally, there was an American Airlines customer service desk directly to the left after entering the lounge — however, it wasn’t staffed during my visit on a Sunday morning.

Food and Beverage

The bar and dining area were opposite the quiet room. There were small tables and seating that looked out the windows.

There was a bar next to the buffet.

A limited selection of complimentary beer, wine, and cocktails was available. Additional selections, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, were available for an additional charge.

The Admirals Club breakfast buffet wasn’t gourmet, but it was decent. You may be disappointed if you’re expecting Centurion Lounge or Capital One Lounge quality. However, if you’re looking for a quick bite to eat while waiting for your flight, this lounge fits the bill.

There were a few hot items, including scrambled eggs (that were actually pretty tasty), bacon, and oatmeal.

There was fruit, yogurt, bagels, and muffins on the buffet. A 4-slice toaster and individual containers of jelly, peanut butter, cream cheese, and butter were available.

There were a few cold cereal choices, but interestingly, they were set up all the way down by the quiet room at the far end of the lounge.

I visited this lounge early in the morning, so coffee was a must. While it was a far cry from the full-service coffee bar at the Capital One Lounge in Washington Dulles Airport, this worked out just fine. In addition to regular and decaf La Colombe coffee, there was a self-serve espresso machine.

Hot Tip:

In addition to the complimentary buffet, you could order additional food items from the Admirals Club menu.

Bathroom

The bathroom was clean but otherwise unremarkable.

Hand soap and lotion from D.S. & DURGA were in full containers by each sink.

Bottom Line:

The Terminal 3 Concourse G location was my favorite of the 3 Admirals Clubs at Chicago O’Hare. It was bright and modern, with plenty of space and a quiet room perfect for getting some work done.

O’Hare Admirals Club: Concourse H/K

The next lounge I visited was the Admirals Club in Terminal 3, Concourse H/K. This lounge, located between H6 and K6, is open Sunday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

This lounge is the largest of the 3 Admirals Clubs at Chicago O’Hare, and there’s an American Airlines Flagship Lounge in the same location. The AA Flagship Lounge has different entrance requirements (flying on a qualified first or business class ticket marked “Flagship”), so don’t assume you can use that lounge if you have Admirals Club access.

The entrance to this lounge is much more inviting than the other 2 locations at Chicago O’Hare.

After entering and checking in, you’ll take the elevators up to the Admirals Club on the third floor.

Seating and Amenities

Like the location in Concourse G, floor-to-ceiling windows along the length of the lounge offered plenty of natural light and runway views.

The Admirals Club in Concourse H/K is quite large, so numerous seating options exist throughout the lounge.

There were many different spaces with unique types of seating, some with runway views and some near TVs.

Plenty of seats had direct access to outlets and table space.

Some unique seating options reminded me of what I’ve seen in some Centurion Lounges that are ideal for a bit more privacy.

Additional amenities available at the O’Hare Admirals Club in Concourse H/K include:

• Kids’ room
• Showers
• 2 8-person conference rooms (bookable for an additional fee)

Food and Beverage

Admirals Clubs include complimentary food and drinks, and additional options are available for purchase. The Admirals Club menu (the same across all 3 lounges) was accessible through QR codes placed throughout the lounge.

I stuck to the free food and drinks because isn’t that the beauty of being in an airport lounge?

I arrived at the Admirals Club Concourse H/K location around 10:30 a.m., and the staff had started switching breakfast items with lunch items. I got a quick look at breakfast, nearly identical to what I saw at the Concourse G location.

One of the main differences I noticed was that this location had a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine.

Since the Concourse H/K lounge is the biggest of the 3 locations, it has multiple buffet areas.

There were some light snacks like fruits, veggies, cheese, and hummus.

On the day of my visit, a Southwestern Chopped Salad was included in the buffet.

Plus, there were hot items, including lemon-herb roasted chicken and rosemary-roasted potatoes.

For travelers with a sweet tooth, there was fresh fruit, snack mixes, and desserts, including marshmallow treats, brownies, and cookies.

There were 2 full-service bars, but just like the Concourse G location, only a few beer, wine, and spirits varieties were complimentary.

Bathroom

The modern bathroom had the same D.S. & DURGA hand soap and lotion as the Concourse G location.

Bottom Line:

The Admirals Club in Terminal 3, Concourse H/K, is the largest of the 3 locations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). It had the most amenities but also felt the most crowded.

O’Hare Admirals Club: Concourse L

The last lounge I visited on my whirlwind ORD layover was the Admirals Club in Terminal 3, Concourse L. It’s located after security before gate L1 and is open daily between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Despite a giant Admirals Club sign on a post outside the lounge, I had difficulty finding this location. It’s off to the side, so it’s easy to miss if you’re following the regular traffic flow toward the gates. After you pass security, the gates are to the right, while the lounge is to the left.

The sliding glass doors at the entrance to the lounge were covered in what looked to be brown paper, just like the Concourse G location. This made it look like the lounge was under construction and closed to visitors.

Seating and Amenities

This is the smallest of the 3 Admirals Clubs at Chicago O’Hare and was my least favorite. While it wasn’t crowded and offered a quiet place to relax, it felt old and dark.

There were plenty of seats available, but very few outlets.

The lounge had an industrial feel, but not in a way that felt intentional. It felt like the lounge was an afterthought in an unfinished corner of the airport.

The lounge had large windows, but instead of the runway views offered by the other 2 locations, this Admirals Club looked out onto the highway.

The front section of seating, right behind the entrance, had covered windows, so there was no view.

The bathroom had a similar feel to the rest of the lounge: dark and dated but functional.

Food and Beverage

The food options at the Admirals Club in Concourse L were very similar to those offered at the other 2 locations, just on a smaller scale.

There was a small selection of salad items along with fresh fruit.

There were 2 hot entrées: meatballs and a vegan sweet potato dish.

There were also 2 different soups available: minestrone and chicken.

Desserts and snacks were similar to what I saw in the other lounges: cookies, brownie bites, marshmallow treats, and snack mixes.

There was a bar at the far side of the lounge. Even though the views were of the highway, this side of the lounge was much brighter than the rest of the space, so it wouldn’t be a bad place to grab a quick drink before your flight.

Bottom Line:

My least favorite Chicago Admirals Club was the Terminal 3 Concourse L location. It was the smallest of the 3 lounges and felt dated. Not to mention, it had freeway views instead of runway views. On the plus side, only a handful of people were in the lounge so that you could claim your own space.

Final Thoughts

There are 3 Admirals Club lounge locations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and on a recent layover, I visited them all. While each one felt different, they offered the same food and beverage options.

The lounge in Concourse H/K was the largest and offered the most amenities, while the smallest location was in Concourse L. The Concourse G location was my favorite, offering plenty of food and seating while not being too big.