Escape Lounge – The Centurion Studio Partner at Reno-Tahoe International Airport [Full Review]

When people think of American Express and airport lounges, they very likely first think of Centurion Lounges. I know I do. However, on a recent trip to Lake Tahoe, I visited an Escape Lounge, part of the  American Express Global Lounge Collection, for the first time.

The lounge provided a few creature comforts, but it wasn’t impressive by any means — I don’t think it’s a lounge I’d go out of my way to visit again. Food and beverage options were decent, and seating was comfortable, but the lounge lacked anything that would push it above an “average” rating.

Let me show you what I found on my visit to the Escape Lounge — The Centurion Studio Partner at Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) in early February 2025.

Location of the Escape Lounge at Reno-Tahoe

After passing through security at Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), the Escape Lounge was easy to find in the central corridor between the B and C concourses. It was next to the McDonald’s and had a large Escape Lounge logo on the wall.

Given the airport’s layout and the lounge’s location, you’ll likely pass the lounge after clearing security and heading to your gate. The lounge’s central location makes visiting easy, but it also means you should allow up to 15 minutes to reach your gate after leaving.

Hot Tip:

Check out our full guide to Escape Lounges, including locations, hours, guest policies, and other pertinent details.

How To Access Escape Lounges

Unlike American Express’ Centurion Lounges, which have more restrictive access policies, getting into the Escape Lounge is easier. Guests can enter when flying with any airline, and children under 2 years old can enter for free with an eligible adult.

You can purchase lounge access starting at $32 per person, which gives you a 3-hour visit. Additionally, Priority Pass members have access to some Escape Lounges, though the Reno-Tahoe location isn’t on that list.

Other access options include Dragonpass, TAV Passport Card, and Dreamfolks memberships.

The access method most people will recognize, however, is holding a premium Amex card. Complimentary access for an unlimited number of visits, including up to 2 guests, is available for those with The Platinum Card^® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Centurion^® Card from American Express, and the Business Centurion^® Card from American Express.

Finally, if you’re flying with Delta Air Lines and have a same-day boarding pass, you can enter the lounge if you hold either the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card. These visitors cannot bring complimentary guests, however.

Access to the lounge is permitted up to 3 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure. Passengers on connecting flights, though, can access the lounge for the entire length of their layover.

First Impressions

I’d never been to an Escape Lounge location before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Even if I’d had expectations, though, my first impression still would have been summed up in 3 words: “This is small.”

The lounge had a small buffet area near the entrance. Beyond that, the lounge offered seating for fewer than 40 people. With limited space comes a limited list of amenities, which I’ll discuss below.

Seating

Seating was divided into 2 areas. The front area felt more like a relaxation area, while the rear setting area gave off a dining vibe.

A partial wall divided the front seating area near the lounge’s entrance. In 1 corner, there was a pair of sofas, while high-back chairs lined the windows, providing views of the planes beyond. There were also a handful of tables with chairs here.

Past a central column, the rear of the lounge featured the other seating section — plus several clocks on the wall showing the times in Reno, New York City, Denver, and Guadalajara, Mexico. Here, I saw more high-back chairs along the windows, several tables and chairs in a cafeteria-like setting, and a booth-style bench with tables and chairs immediately next to the column.

Food and Beverage

I arrived before 9 a.m., so food options were focused on breakfast. When I left around 10:30 a.m., employees were starting to replace breakfast items with lunch-focused fare.

A central island in the self-serve buffet area held fruits, granola, and hard-boiled eggs in individual serving sizes. Condiments were also available.

Nearby, a hot plate kept dishes warm. These were served in miniature cast-iron skillet and pots with lids. The presentation for these gets 5 stars. By the time I arrived, though, these dishes had nearly run out. Options included a scrambled egg pot with veggies and meat or a skillet with sausages.

Oatmeal was also available at the end of this central island. On the glass above the food items, a sign explained the abbreviations on the tag for each buffet item. These included warnings for common allergens.

Plates, bowls, silverware, napkins, and a few pastries were near the window into the concourse.

When the buffet changed to lunch-focused foods, this area had much more to offer. There were cookies, chips and hummus, more pastries, and cold cuts.

Past the buffet was a cooler with Coke products. Next to this, I found a coffee machine, supplies for making hot tea, and a tap that dispensed filtered water.

In the rear of the lounge, there was a fully stocked bar. There were several bar stools here, as well as outlets under the counter. Premium alcoholic drinks weren’t free, but complimentary beverages included sodas, juices, and beer. There was a cost for purchasing premium liquors, though guests with the Centurion card or Amex Business Centurion card could receive a premium sparkling wine at no charge.

Amenities

Unfortunately, the Reno Escape Lounge’s list of amenities is rather short.

Internet and Outlets

The lounge had outlets in numerous locations, next to almost every chair and table. That made it easy to charge phones and laptops.

The lounge also had a private Wi-Fi network for guests. However, the airport’s free Wi-Fi network still worked inside the lounge, so I didn’t make the effort to disconnect from that network to join the lounge’s network.

Departure Boards

Departure boards were in multiple locations throughout the lounge. These helped guests keep track of their flight’s departure time, status, and assigned gate.

Amenities Not Available

Sadly, the list of amenities not available is quite long. You won’t find grab-and-go offerings like Capital One Lounges have. You also won’t find showers or even bathrooms in here. Visiting the toilet required going to the public restrooms across the hall and then returning to the lounge.

There were also no dedicated spaces for sleeping, working, or letting your kids play before a flight.

Staff and Service

I interacted with the staff minimally during this 90-minute visit. When checking in, I spoke to the employee at the desk. She smiled and said hi, but it wasn’t memorable.

Since the food was self-serve and I didn’t ask for any drinks at the bar, my only other interaction with staff was asking the desk employee to remember me when I returned from the restroom. When I left to board my flight, there wasn’t anyone at the reception desk.

Overall, the service didn’t impress, but there wasn’t anything wrong either. If you’re looking to be pampered during a lounge visit, you probably won’t find it here. If you are OK with a “do-it-yourself” lounge approach, this place is just fine.

Final Thoughts

I visited my first Escape Lounge — The Centurion Studio Partner in Reno — and it was average as far as lounges go. Staff interactions were minimal, as were the amenities available in this small space.

I’ve been to better lounges, but I’ve also been to some that are much worse. Since this was my first visit to an Escape Lounge, I now have a better idea of what to expect in the future.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit an Escape Lounge — nor arrive at the airport early for the sake of these lounges — but they provide comfortable seating, food, and drinks, and it’s worth stopping in if you’re passing by.