A Visit to the American Express Lounge in Stockholm: Not Your Typical Amex Lounge [Review]

I’ve been to a fair number of American Express Centurion Lounges. During my 2 hours at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) in February 2026, I expected a lounge somewhat similar to those I had experienced.

That’s definitely not what I found.

The American Express Lounge by Pontus Frithiof is more of a restaurant than a lounge. Moreover, the space is divided into 2 separate Platinum and Centurion lounges, turning in opposite directions from the check-in desk.

Should you visit this Amex lounge in Terminal 5? That depends on what you’re looking for.

How To Access the American Express Lounge in Stockholm

You’ll need a premium American Express card to get into this lounge. The American Express Lounge by Pontus Frithiof doesn’t participate in any lounge membership programs like Priority Pass.

Those with the Platinum Card^® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express can enter the lounge and bring 1 guest at no charge, though children under 3 years old aren’t counted against the 1-guest limit. They’re admitted at no charge with an eligible adult. Additional guests cost $50 for adults and $25 for children ages 3 to 12.

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted. 

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Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than the Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash and Uber One, Resy, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, lululemon credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR+ credit, and Equinox credit)
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
• Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts and Amex International Airline Program
• Access to Amex transfer partners
• No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

 

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

 

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
• $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
• $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
• $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®.* Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

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Platinum-level cardholders get access to the Platinum Lounge. Located next door, the Centurion Lounge is available for those with the business or personal version of the Centurion^® Card from American Express.

Location of the American Express Lounge in Stockholm

The lounge is located near the C, D, and E gates in Terminal 5, closest to E gates. Signs leading to the lounge were easy to follow, with a sign after exiting duty free pointing toward the lounge. As I walked through the terminal, I noticed additional signs indicating which way to turn.

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Sign after duty free.

Large American Express branding made the lounge easy to spot in the concourse.

There was a long flight of stairs leading up to the check-in desk, but an elevator was also available to the left.

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Stairs up to the lounge.

Atop the stairs, I found a smiling employee at the reception desk. She checked my Amex Platinum card to confirm my account was still active, glanced at my boarding pass, and then indicated that I could visit the Platinum Lounge to my right.

To my left, there was a Centurion Lounge, available only for those with Centurion-branded cards like the Centurion card.

Seating in the Platinum Lounge

This space felt more like a restaurant than a typical airport lounge — definitely not like other Centurion Lounges I’ve visited.

Immediately inside the lounge, tables and chairs lined both walls. Those on the right were individual seats at a counter facing the wall, while the left side had tables with 1 chair and a bench.

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Seats nearest to the entrance.

Further into the lounge, there was an open space with lots of tables, each with 2 chairs, while high-top tables were available in the rear of the lounge near the restrooms.

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The largest seating area.

Platinum Lounge Food and Beverage Options

I visited the lounge for 90 minutes during breakfast hours. There was a small buffet set up on the lounge’s main bar, offering individual servings of yogurt and chia pudding, sandwiches, and hard-boiled eggs. The menu is curated by renowned Swedish chef Pontus Frithiof.

Guests could help themselves to coffee, tea, water, and juice. Espresso-based beverages and alcohol were available on request.

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Self-serve drinks during breakfast.

There was an à la carte menu available as well, and I received a laminated copy at check-in. Items like omelets and pancakes were available, but these weren’t included with my visit. Prices were listed clearly, which was nice, but I was surprised to see an Amex lounge charging for food.

Platinum Lounge Amenities

The list of amenities at this lounge is short.

A departures screen was available near the lounge’s entrance. The lounge had its own Wi-Fi network, and speeds were good, with nearly 37 Mbps for downloads and 48 Mbps for uploads.

There were also restrooms available at the rear of the lounge. These were clean and well-stocked.

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Inside the restroom.

Past the open area with the most tables, guests could look out over the concourse with only a half wall at the edge of the room.

Beyond these amenities, the Platinum Lounge lacked quiet rooms, showers, play areas for children, and even comfortable seating for relaxation. Restaurant-style seating was the only offering.

Final Thoughts

My visit to the American Express Lounge by Pontus Frithiof in Stockholm felt more like dining at a midtier restaurant than relaxing in an airport lounge. This space at Stockholm Arlanda Airport was convenient to my flight, and I enjoyed what I ate.

However, if I return to the airport and am looking for a place to relax before a flight — not just grab a meal — this isn’t where I would spend my time. The lack of anything but restaurant spaces (and restaurant seating) means the lounge doesn’t offer much for anyone who’s not hungry.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering: Yes, I heard an ABBA song while visiting the lounge. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear any Swedish metal bands during my visit.