[CLOSED] The Toluca (TLC) American Express Centurion Lounge [Location, Hours, Amenities]

Update: The Toluca Centurion Lounge is permanently closed.

American Express operates several lounges in Mexico under the Centurion branding. Access is included for specific American Express cardholders and provides a retreat where passengers can relax before their flight.

In Mexico, American Express operates one of its 40 Centurion Lounges in Toluca (TLC), an odd city for an officially-branded lounge, but one that’s welcome nonetheless. Having a space to grab some food or drinks, work, and use the Wi-Fi is invaluable no matter which airport it’s located in.

How to Access the Centurion Lounge Toluca

This lounge, like all Centurion lounges, can be accessed complimentary by using these cards, issued from any country worldwide.

• Platinum Card^® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Centurion^® Card from American Express
• American Express^® Gold Card (Mexico-only and can only access lounges in Mexico)

All cards include complimentary access for guests, and the Amex Platinum card will allow cardholders to bring in 2 guests, while the Centurion card entitles access to either immediate family or 2 guests. The Amex Gold card (Mexico-only) allows either your spouse or child, up to a maximum of 1 guest.

Like most Centurion Lounges worldwide, there are a few access rules you’ll need to keep in mind.

Technically, you cannot access the club until 3 hours or less before your flight unless you are connecting. However, since this lounge is operated by a third-party company, and is in a smaller airport, it’s doubtful that this specific policy will be too heavily enforced (though, based on the ratings of this lounge, there’s probably no reason to arrive more than 3 hours in advance of your flight, either).

To enter, you must have a same-day boarding pass and identification, such as a passport.

You also can’t use this lounge upon arrival, so if Toluca is your final destination, you won’t be able to access the lounge when you land.

Airlines That Use Toluca International Airport (TLC)

Toluca International Airport (also known as Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport) is an airport many people haven’t heard of — and probably for good reason since it isn’t served by that many airlines. It is a small low-cost carrier/alternate airport for Mexico City (MEX), 39 miles (62 km) to the east, serving mainly intra-Mexico flights with 1 route to Caracas.

Here are the airlines that serve Toluca (TLC) and their destinations:

• Conviasa to Caracas
• Interjet to Acapulco, Cancún, Guadalajara, Huatulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Monterrey, and Puerto Vallarta
• Viva Aerobus to Cancún and Monterrey
• TAR to Guadalajara, Monclova, Queretaro, and Saltillo

Toluca Amex Centurion Lounge Location

The lounge is located in Terminal 1, outside of security, in front of doors 3 and 4 — so if you use this lounge, you need to be sure that you leave plenty of time to go through security, as there may be a wait. The lounge does contain a flight information board where you can monitor flight departure times so you can depart the lounge accordingly.

Bottom Line: Leave plenty of time once you leave the lounge so you can head to your gate. This particular Centurion Lounge is located before security.

Hours of Operation

This lounge is temporarily closed, but when it resumes its regular business hours are as follows: Sunday through Friday from 5 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturdays. This should cover most flight departure times, as the airport has a fairly limited operation on Saturdays.

Food and Drink

The lounge has complimentary wine, beer, and spirits, as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

Common for some Centurion Lounges in Mexico, food is by purchase only, aside from a few small dry snack nibbles.

Prices tend to range from $5-$10 for most entrees, so dishes are reasonably priced.

For breakfast, you can enjoy an assortment of fruits, yogurts, eggs, pancakes, and sweet breads. For lunch and dinner, there are salads, soups, pizzas, and sandwiches. Throughout the day, there are also Mexican specialties served depending on the mealtime.

Hot Tip: Be sure to bring some cash to tip your server if you intend on ordering food in the lounge. Check out our ultimate guide to tipping around the world for more advice on tipping in over 190 countries!

Restrooms and Showers

The lounge features clean restrooms you can use throughout your visit, however, there are no shower facilities.

Wi-Fi

There is complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the lounge, and the password is located on placards throughout the space.

Seating

The lounge is definitely basic in some respects, and not nearly as stylish as Centurion Lounges in the United States.

There are plenty of chairs and tables, as well as seats at the bar. The lounge shouldn’t get too crowded since the airport does have limited departures, so you shouldn’t find it an issue to plug into a power outlet or take up a few seats. TVs are placed throughout, as well as an Xbox One station with 2 controllers.

Final Thoughts

The Centurion Lounge in Toluca is a limited-service lounge offering for American Express, though it certainly is a better option than having to sit out by the gates. With free Wi-Fi and a place to work or catch up with colleagues, it’s a serviceable option for those departing out of Toluca, but definitely not one worth arriving at the airport early for.