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behind a thick velvet curtain. The room is replete with retro-themed armchairs, a jukebox with a selection of records, shuffeboard table, pinball machine and a photo booth. Travellers looking for privacy can visit the lounge’s Reserve Suites, Chase’s lounge-within-a-lounge concept. For a fee, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can access a dedicated suite with exclusive menus and signature caviar service. Each suite features bespoke artwork,
CHASE SAPPHIRE, LAGUARDIA
Offering private suites, arcades and New York cuisine WORDS JACLYN TROP
U
pon entering Chase Sapphire’s largest lounge, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a
luxury hotel and not at LaGuardia Airport. For its flagship site, Chase Sapphire challenged New York- and Dallas-based design frms ICRAVE and Corgan to create a space that would expand travellers’ perceptions and expectations of modern air travel. Open daily from 4.30am until 9.30pm, the lounge is designed as a haven for travellers to relax, work and dine inside bustling Terminal B. The open foor plan, spanning 2,030 sqm across two levels, evokes a high-end hotel outftted in clean neutrals, soothing blues and festive pops of red and purple. Modern and spacious, the lounge features art curated by the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection and pumps Chase’s signature Sapphire scent to invoke a sense of serenity in harried travellers. With a dual focus on comfort and
convenience, the lounge provides ample power outlets and seating for groups or solo travellers. Visitors can choose from a variety of confgurations, with cosy booths, couches and armchairs aplenty.
‘Reserve Suites cost up to US$3,000, offering private bathrooms’
50 BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
The lounge also features a digital ordering system that allows travellers to select food and drinks directly from their seat by scanning a QR code. They can even book a complimentary 30-minute facial treatment by Face Haus in the lounge’s dedicated wellness area. Access is complimentary for Chase Sapphire Reserve and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders, along with two guests each. Priority Pass holders are granted one free visit per year. Guests or additional visits cost US$75. Non-Priority Pass holders pay US$100 to enter. While the lounge maintains a hushed
quality, visitors can let loose and blow off steam in the lounge’s speakeasy arcade, a vintage-themed game room tucked
FROM ABOVE: Reserve Suite; the lounge’s arcade
soft velvet furniture and private bathrooms with rainfall showers, plush bathrobes and Augustinus Bader and Oribe products. The two larger suites cost US$3,000 for a three-hour period, while a smaller suite costs US$2,200.
These are the types of fourishes that Chase hopes will redefne luxury travel. “Through engineering feats to create a double-volume space, this transformation sets a new standard in lounge and airport hospitality,” says Chris Gwilliam, senior VP of global business development at Airport Dimensions, a Plano, Texas-based frm that partnered with Chase Sapphire to design the lounge. With its dynamic energy and bold design, the lounge represents the aim to continually reimagine the airport experience, according to Dana Pouwels, head of airport lounge benefits and strategic partnerships for JPMorgan Chase. For dining, Chase Sapphire has applied its typical approach, sourcing high-quality local food and drink options. Travellers can enjoy complimentary meals, snacks and beverages such as made-to-order dishes by West Village bistro Joseph Leonard, speciality coffee from Joe Coffee Company, and inventive cocktails at a full-service bar. Fairfax, another West Village eatery,
crafted the dining menu, which includes a variety of meals rotated seasonally. The 360-degree bar anchoring the
lounge, meanwhile, serves an extensive wine list curated by Parcelle and cocktails by Apotheke, a popular bar in New York. The signature Sapphire cocktail is a blend of gin or vodka, blueberry and goldenberry juices, lime, ginger, bee pollen and a mix of spices.
Business Traveller Awards judge Gilbert Ott prizes the lounge’s experience, which can range from enjoying caviar with friends in a private suite to consuming a variety of top-notch food and drink at the bar. “For a lounge that anyone can access via a credit card, it’s very, very well done.”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
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