Rocky Mountain Low: Visiting the Capital One Lounge in Denver (Review)

Maybe I set my expectations too high.

My family and I recently visited the Capital One Lounge at Denver International Airport (DEN) and, in the words of Saturday Night Live character Stefan, this place has everything!

• Tasteful furnishings and a great grab-and-go selection
• An array of staff members: some great employees, but a few very loud and obnoxious staff members who will offend people who don’t like foul language (yes, for real).
• A bar that might have basic wine — if you’re lucky.
• An eclectic menu featuring food you might like.
• And that assumes you’re actually able to get in!

Here’s a quick recap of our visit. I took some pictures. But because we had limited time (we waited about 40 minutes to get in), the place was so crowded and loud, and, frankly, we just wanted to leave, I wasn’t able to snap as many images as I originally hoped.

Where Is the Capital One Lounge in Denver?

You’ll find Denver’s Capital One Lounge on the A concourse’s mezzanine level near gate A34.

The lounge has dedicated escalators.

A Flight Stop shop is on one side of the escalators.

Blue Sky Bar is on the other. You can see up into the club from the departures level.

The club is open daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Who Can Get Into the Capital One Lounges?

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business members and up to two guests can enter the lounges for free. (Both my wife and I have Cap One Venture X cards.)

Guests without one of those cards can enter the lounge for a $90 fee per visit.

There are hooks under some tables so you can hang a bag.

A Quick Demographic Observation

The crowd inside the Denver Capital One Lounge was relatively young, at least compared to most airport lounges we usually visit (Delta Sky Clubs, American Express Centurion Lounges, and the occasional The Club and Escape Lounges). There was a heavy 30s-40s demographic, with a smattering of mid-late 20s. A few folks in their 50s and older visited. But attendance was primarily made up of millennials.

While anyone can buy attendance into the Capital One Lounges, this club’s demographic indicates to me that Cap One’s products — especially the Cap One Venture X — are growing in popularity with younger people. That follows a trend I’ve read about: younger people are willing to spend more on premium travel experiences and rewards cards offering perks such as airport lounge access.

But I’d never seen so many people in the late-20s to mid-40s demo in an airport lounge. Whatever Capital One does to win over that market, it’s working.

Visiting the Capital One Lounge in Denver

We were initially very excited about our first Capital One Lounge visit. We’ve read reviews about the Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) location — and almost all of them are downright glowing. I think One Mile at a Time’s Ben “Lucky” Schlapping would move into that club if he were able! 🙂

When we visited on a busy Friday night, a polite and helpful doorman stood guard at the escalator and regulated admission because the lounge was at capacity.

We put our names and phone number on the list. He said we’d receive a text when our turn was available.

He explained wait times were between an hour and 90 minutes. But there were a growing number of no-shows, so it was possible we wouldn’t have to wait that long.

I won’t be surprised if the Capital One Venture X and Capital One Venture X cards’ generous guest policies eventually are curtailed. Remember, too, that Capital One Venture X primary members can add up to four additional cardholders for free — and they, too, get Capital One Lounge access.

We went to the Delta Sky Club and figured we wouldn’t be paged. We received a text about 40 minutes later and it was our turn to visit the Cap One Lounge!

So, we trekked back.

The doorman greeted us warmly and opened the velvet rope.

“Woooow!” our seven-year-old daughter said. “This is fancy!”

The check-in area — with a grab-and-go area behind it — was very nice. A kind woman scanned my boarding pass and Capital One Venture X card.

A hostess led our group of three to a table labeled “Reserved” in the buffet and bar area.

Color us impressed!

Food

The club features several small dishes served in, well, small dishes that help regulate the food’s temperatures. The small-plate approach is a practice I saw when I visited the Chase Sapphire Lounges in both Boston and New York-LaGuardia.

I applaud this method. It discourages people from wasting food they might otherwise load up on when visiting traditional buffets found in many other lounges.

Other bloggers published Denver Capital One Lounge menus featuring a ground bison sloppy Joe. Unfortunately, that wasn’t available when we visited.

The crowded lounge was full of ravenous eaters. The chefs did an excellent job of keeping the buffets stocked.

Our daughter is a very picky eater and there was nothing there she liked. Even in the smallest Delta Sky Clubs with rather minimal food offerings, there’s something she can enjoy. A chef popped his head out when adding more food to the serving area. My wife asked if he had any plain rice available.

The chef graciously produced a small dish of white rice for our daughter! But it was coconut flavored and our little booger didn’t like it.

And that’s one of our criticisms of the Capital One Lounge’s food. It seems like everything needs to have a unique taste. You’re out of luck if you want something that’s not too exotic or spicy.

“It feels like they’re trying too hard,” my wife noted.

And that’s a good way of putting it. It’s almost as though the chefs are showcasing or insisting you try new foods — whether or not you like them.

That said, these Brussels sprouts were fantastic.

The Mac and cheese was quite good (it had a smoky taste).

Cream puffs: yum!

That’s pretty much all I ate.

Setting the Bar Low

Let’s talk about the crown jewel of most airport lounges: the bar.

Newer or renovated airport lounges are building grand bars that are often a club’s centerpiece. They’re splashy, classy, and pleasing to the eye. Many lounges feature specialty or signature cocktails.

The Cap One Lounge’s bar is pretty much all of those. I’ve seen more ornate bars. But its design isn’t popular with a lot of people online. I think it’s fine.

(Just a heads-up: the bartenders are very good about checking IDs. If you order two drinks at a time, make sure both guests and IDs are present.)

They weren’t totally on their game when we visited.

My wife wanted sparkling wine with a splash of cranberry juice. The bar was out of sparkling wine. I heard the bartender say they also ran out of Sauvignon Blanc.

If this is a premium lounge that wants to compete with American Express Centurion Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges, it needs to make sure it’s loaded up on bubbly and probably Sauvignon Blanc.

They also were out of a few other selections:

I ordered an Old Fashioned and it was quite good.

However, one of the bartenders’ boorish behaviors was somewhat concerning.

“Hey, no PDA in line!” one of the bartenders said to a couple of young males. “I saw that t*tty grab!”

Charming.

I also heard him say “S#*!” several times during conversations with other staff members or guests — in his manager’s presence.

But the manager also wanted to be part of the show.

He and several staff members carried on loud conversations most of the time we were there. The manager loudly (but jokingly?) graded his staff members so everyone could hear. (He gave the bartender on our side a “B.”)

Most people who know me can vouch that bad language doesn’t particularly bother me. It does get under my skin when my child is present. But even if my daughter wasn’t in the lounge that night, I know adults who take offense to swearing. Airport lounges shouldn’t be Dick’s Last Resorts or comedy clubs (though I thoroughly enjoy visiting those places, too!) Although, a Dick’s Last Airport Lounge would be pretty fun.

Toward the end of our visit, we heard that Prosecco and Sauvignon Blanc were back — but not chilled. So, my wife got her bubbly with cran — loaded with ice (as per our request). I don’t know what caused the 30-minute delay. Was the club waiting on a delivery from their liquor distributor? Or did the comedy stylings of the manager and his staff take precedence?

The staff was slow at clearing dishes after guests were finished. At most other lounges, plates and glasses are whisked away while you’re still eating or drinking.

Final Approach

I rarely visit the Denver airport and don’t know when I’ll get the chance to visit the Capital One Lounge again. Frankly, I don’t care to. Even the scaled-down Delta Sky Club is a better option for those with access.

The food program is a little underwhelming. The bar service was disappointing. I hope we visited during a bad day and it’s not like this all the time. I’m eager to check out the Las Vegas Capital One Lounge when it opens.

What are your experiences with Capital One Lounges? Have you visited the Denver lounge? What was it like for you?