Lounge Review: Escape Lounge at Columbus International Airport (CMH)

During a recent United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Denver, Colorado, I had a two-hour layover in John Glenn Columbus International Airport. And, since my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a complimentary membership to Priority Pass Select as a perk, I was able to access the Escape Lounge free-of-charge.

While I wasn’t overly impressed with the appearance of this lounge when I first entered (the entire lounge is essentially just one large room), I was pleasantly surprised to find that this lounge offered delicious food, locally brewed craft beer on tap and a lovely staff. The Escape Lounge also had a lot of window-facing high tables with power outlets, perfect for getting some work done while enjoying a view of the tarmac.

So, while the Escape Lounge at CMH doesn’t offer a luxury experience like some premium lounges (such as Amex Centurion Lounges or Chase Sapphire Lounges), it’s definitely a comfortable place to work, relax and refresh during a layover in Columbus International Airport.

Escape Lounge at CMH Location and Hours

The Escape Lounge at Columbus International Airport (CMH) is located in Concourse B near Gate B32. There’s only one terminal at Columbus International Airport. The Escape Lounge website has a map of the where the lounge is located on their website, which you can view below:

Escape Lounge at CMH Access and Entry Requirements

First of all, if you don’t have any sort of premium credit card and you aren’t a member of any lounge network, you can still enter the Escape Lounge at CMH for as little as $45 if you pre-book online (which you can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your booked arrival time/date). If you walk up to the lounge on the day of your flight without prior-booking, you’ll have to pay an entry fee of $60. This is a relatively low entry price compared to many other lounges. Only credit card payments are available. You can’t pay with cash.

You can access the Escape Lounge at CMH for free if you have the American Express Platinum Card^® (rates and fees) simply by showing your credit card at the reception desk. If you have the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (rates and fees) you’ll need to show your card and also be traveling on a Delta-marketed flight that day.

Priority Pass Select members can also access the Escape Lounge at CMH free-of-charge by either showing their physical Priority Pass card or showing the QR code available in the Priority Pass app. Priority Pass memberships range from $99 to $469 annually. However, you can also get a Priority Pass Select membership as a benefit with certain premium credit cards, including the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (which is what I have), the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and more. We generally recommend getting a Priority Pass membership through a credit card rather than paying for a Priority Pass membership directly.

The Escape Lounge website claims that there is a “smart casual” dress code at the lounge. It also says that shorts above the knee are forbidden and that men can’t wear shirts that expose their shoulders. I wore a t-shirt at the Escape Lounge at CMH, so I’m not sure exactly how strictly this dress code is enforced.

Escape Lounge at CMH Layout and Amenities

The Escape Lounge at CMH consists of a single room with the reception desk located in front of the only entry door and a full bar on the right side of the room.

Once you enter the lounge, you’ll find several seating options both to the right and left sides of the reception desk. There are large plush chairs, which are great for relaxing and reading or streaming on your mobile device. There are also low tables with plastic chairs that are a good option if you’re traveling with a group. There’s a high wooden table with built-in power outlets that’s great if you need to work on a laptop. The back wall of the lounge is entirely made of windows that look out over the airport runways, along which you’ll find additional high seating with built-in power outlets.

There are two screens in the lounge that display up-to-date information about all upcoming flight departures.

On the right side along the wall facing the airport terminal, is a self-serve buffet. Next to the buffet on the right side of the lounge is a full bar.

One drawback of the layout of this Escape Lounge is the fact that there are no restrooms. If you have to use the restroom, you’ll have to exit the lounge and take a left to visit the public restrooms in the airport terminal.

There is free Wi-Fi throughout this lounge, which you can connect to by simply entering your name and email address and agreeing to the terms and conditions. There are also print, scan and copy services available if you ask the staff.

Overall, the layout and amenities at the Escape Lounge were subpar. The entire lounge was only a single room with no private bathroom available. Nonetheless, there were nice seating options and plenty of natural light coming through the many windows.

Food and Beverages at Escape Lounge at CMH

While the layout and ambience of the Escape Lounge at CMH left a lot to be desired, I found the food and beverage options at the Escape Lounge at CMH to be fairly good. The hot options available were garlic herb rice and chicken with sundried tomatoes, mac and cheese and parmesan roasted broccoli. And, while it would’ve been nice to have a greater variety of hot options, I found all three of these dishes delicious.

There were also cold options available, including a Greek-style salad (consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and feta cheese), a summer bean and corn salad, a charcuterie platter (consisting of cheese, strawberries, olives, cured meats and peppers) and small salami sandwiches.

The buffet also included small pastries (including brownies and lemon cake), M&Ms, chocolate chip cookies, Chex Mix-like snacks, tortilla chips, bean dip, salsa, three different types of breakfast cereal, coffee and iced tea.

If you want additional beverages, including alcoholic beverages, you can visit the bar on the right side of the lounge. This bar serves a wide variety of beer, hard seltzer, wine, spirits and soft drinks.

There were four options for beer on tap, two of which (the Blood Hound Orange IPA and the Labrador Lager) were from Akron-based brewery Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. . I opted to drink the Blood Hound Orange IPA and I thought it was absolutely delicious. The other two beers on tap were also craft beers but I was unable to get their names. They also had Labatt Blue available in cans.

The variety of liquor available at this lounge was impressive and included several different brands of all of the popular spirits, including some top-shelf options such as Bulleit Bourbon, Glenlivet 12, Johnny Walker Black Label, Grey Goose, Maker’s Mark and more. There are also a variety of mixers and liqueurs for cocktails.

There were two types of red wine and two types of white wine available as well as champagne and rosé.

Unique Features at Escape Lounge at CMH

There isn’t anything truly unique about the Escape Lounge at CMH. The only unique bit of decor within the lounge was a wall covered in several clocks displaying the times in major cities around North America, including Denver, Phoenix, Toronto and Minneapolis/St.Paul. The rest of the lounge was noticeably devoid of decoration.

In general, though, this Escape Lounge is a pretty standard airport lounge without any bells or whistles. If you’re looking for a place to relax before your next flight and enjoy some complimentary food and drinks, then the Escape Lounge is just fine for that. However, you won’t get anything special out of this lounge.

How Much Time Would You Spend at Escape Lounge at CMH?

I had a two-hour layover before my next flight from Columbus to Denver. So, I spent about 90 minutes at the Escape Lounge at CMH, which was more than enough time to sample most of the food offerings and have a beer.

Since this lounge is essentially just a room with complimentary food and drinks, you should spend as much time in this lounge as it takes you to enjoy all of the food and drinks that you want. After that, the Escape Lounge at CMH doesn’t have a whole lot to offer.

But, if you have a long wait before your next flight (as I did) and you’re deciding between sitting in the terminal or in the lounge, the lounge is a much better environment with its comfortable seating and abundance of power outlets.

Final Thoughts on Escape Lounge at CMH

The Escape Lounge at CMH is the lounge that’s part of the Priority Pass network in this airport. So, if your only lounge program membership is with Priority Pass and you’re awaiting your flight in Columbus International Airport, this is your only option in terms of airport lounges.

When I first entered the lounge, I was a bit disappointed to discover that it only consisted of one room (without a private bathroom). However, I was able to find a comfortable seat at a high table that was perfect for working from my laptop.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food offered at the lounge’s buffet and the variety of beverages offered at the lounge’s full bar.

So, you shouldn’t go to the Escape Lounge at CMH expecting to have a luxurious experience such as you might find at a premium lounge (like a Chase Sapphire Lounge or Capital One Lounge). But, this lounge is still a fine place to pass the time before your next flight and enjoy some complimentary refreshments.