Chase Sapphire Lounge Phoenix: Small but Sleek

The Chase Sapphire Lounge at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) brings a fresh design aesthetic to airport lounges with a retrofitted Airstream serving sandwiches and a bar with runway views.

But at just 3,500 square feet, this lounge is relatively small. There’s often a waitlist to enter if you’re there on busy days. Compare that to the 21,800-square-foot Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia that spans two stories and can fit a maximum of 269 people, or the Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego, a 10,000-square-foot lounge with a treatment room for complimentary facials. The Phoenix outpost offers little in the way of extra amenities besides food and drink. Still, it’s a sleek little lounge with a unique design that draws inspiration from the Southwest landscape.

Most guests enter by holding the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which offers complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounges for the cardholder and up to two guests. Chase invited NerdWallet for a tour on a weekday a few weeks after its grand opening, which was in November 2024. Here’s what it’s like inside.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at PHX is located in Terminal 4 South 1 (S1) Concourse. It’s possible to walk between all gates in Terminal 4, which serves major airlines including American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

The airport consists of two terminals: Terminal 3 and Terminal 4. Though it’s relatively easy to commute between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 via the PHX Sky Train, you’ll have to clear security twice if you want to access the lounge but are flying out of Terminal 3, which may not be worth it to those passengers especially those on a time crunch and who don't have TSA PreCheck.

To access the Sapphire Lounge at PHX, you must hold a qualifying Chase card or have a Priority Pass membership.

Chase cards that provide the cardholder with unlimited Sapphire lounge visits include:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

• J.P. Morgan Reserve. 

• The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders can bring two free guests per visit. Each additional guest is $75. Ritz-Carlton cardholders can bring unlimited guests.

But those aren’t the only ways to get in. Priority Pass members who did not enroll through one of the cards above also receive one complimentary visit to a Chase Sapphire Lounge once per calendar year. Subsequent visits for Priority Pass members cost $75 each.

Here are some credit cards that include Priority Pass access:

The Phoenix lounge features the same, luxurious design with blue and gold accents that you’ll find across the Chase lounges at other airports, but with some local flair. That includes a massive art piece over the fireplace in the main lounging area by Navajo Nation artist Matthew Kirk.

The water vapor fireplace below uses steam and lights to create the appearance of flames. These types of fireplaces are a signature feature across all the Chase Sapphire lounges.

Then there’s something you likely won’t find in other lounges: an Airstream RV set up as a food truck. An employee stands inside doling out small bites like sandwiches. Even the Airstream has unique touches, such as hand-painted license plates by Arizona-based artist Timmy Ham.

The bar is backed by large windows that overlook the runway. The space is a little tight, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it gives the bar a bustling, high-energy vibe.

For more space, you’ll likely head around the corner toward the Airstream. Unlike most airport lounges, which are tucked away behind walls or frosted glass, this section of the lounge flows into the terminal. No windows (and no walls) make it so travelers wandering through Terminal 4 can actually see inside the lounge.

This unconventional design has some pros and cons. For one thing, it makes for a more airy, open atmosphere and is a refreshing change from walled-off lounges.

On the flip side, this openness might make the space feel less exclusive. The visibility into the lounge blurs the line between it and a high-end airport restaurant, which could detract from the private, premium feel some travelers expect from airport lounges.

Though tiny, the lounge maximizes space, all the way down to the pegs and power outlets underneath the bar.

The Phoenix Chase lounge has a coffee machine, taps with nonalcoholic drinks like cold brew, a buffet of small plates and a bar that serves alcoholic beverages.

The coffee comes from Press Coffee, which is an Arizona-based coffee roaster.

Food comes from James Beard Award finalist Stephen Jones, who famously runs a Phoenix restaurant called The Larder & The Delta. When you order from the Airstream in the morning, you can select from a breakfast taco and grain bowl. Outside of breakfast hours, you can choose a turkey and mushroom wrap and/or cauliflower doused in buffalo sauce.

Over in the main dining room, you can select as many small plates as you want. Items include a curry quinoa salad and a corn chowder made with coconut milk.

Many menu items take allergies and dietary preferences into account. The menus are clearly labeled with letters like GF (gluten-free) or VG (vegan).

For example, the Sapphire noodles are a spin on Asian-style noodles with peanut sauce. Since they’re rice noodles, they’re okay for gluten allergies. And since the dish uses SunButter sauce (made from sunflower seed butter) rather than peanut butter, it accommodates folks with nut allergies.

The bar serves locally inspired cocktails like the Cardinal Cooler, which is a fruity cocktail with vodka. As found across all lounges, there’s also the signature Sapphire cocktail, which is also pretty fruity but throws in some unique ingredients including bee pollen and pearl dust.

Bathrooms are individual rooms rather than stalls. Perhaps unsurprising given this lounge’s small size, there are no showers. Bathrooms are well-stocked with toiletries including dental floss and feminine products.

While the lounge is undeniably small, the interior design is impressive. Every detail, from the color palette to the modern furnishings, feels intentional and upscale. The space makes smart use of its limited square footage with cozy seating nooks and natural lighting.

However, the size might feel limiting during busy periods, especially when compared to its closest competitor, the sprawling Centurion Lounge at PHX. The Centurion Lounge, which is open to customers with The Platinum Card® from American Express, offers significantly more space and a wider variety of seating options. That makes it a better choice for larger groups or those looking for a guaranteed seat during peak times. Still, the Centurion's design feels outdated compared to the Sapphire Lounge’s refined and cohesive aesthetic.

But for travelers accessing via Priority Pass who have to be judicious with their lounge visits (Priority Pass members only get one complimentary visit one lounge within the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network per calendar year), it might be better to skip the lounge and save it for one that’s more impressive.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge Phoenix is ideal for travelers who value aesthetics and a boutique feel over expansive amenities, offering a glimpse of what Chase Sapphire Lounges could evolve into as the network continues to grow. Travelers who have complimentary access through a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® should make a point to stop by.

The information related to the J.P. Morgan Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.