ClubAcela rebranding back to Metropolitan Lounge

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I agree that the LA lounge is pretty nice but has a ways to go to equal the CUS metropolitan lounge. I never was in the aforementioned Traxx lounge, however. LAX should have a separate room for luggage as the bags lined up along the wall looks somewhat non first classish but I did feel the seating was comfortable and the snacks sufficient (loved the chocolate chunk cookies!).
I was in the LA Metropolitan Lounge a couple of weeks ago and found it quite nice, as with previous visits. The coast Starlight passengers were departing as I was arriving from the SWC, so the lounge was not crowded. I wanted to store my luggage for a while, use a clean restroom, go to new restaurant/brewery for lunch and watch part of the George HW Bush funeral. All was accomplished comfortably. Unlike previous visits, I was told to store my luggage in the conference room. It was out of the way and I felt it was more secure. 
 
I was there yesterday to board the CONO. I couldn’t agree more about your assessment. The only true perk of that “lounge” is that it’s quieter than the main boarding area. Otherwise it’s quite the sorry excuse for a “first class lounge” I must say!
I mean...there could just be no lounge like Seattle.
 
The only lounge with a fancy cappuccino latte machine is the Met Lounge in Chicago.  All of the NEC lounges, however they're branded, only have a device that dispenses semi-instant coffee, and a limited selection of cold soft drinks and packaged snacks.

Anyway, the point of the lounges isn't a gourmet dining or snacking experience, it's supposed be a quiet place where you can wait in more comfort than the main waiting room.
Unfortunately, the snack selection of the Chicago Met Lounge is limited to chopped carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. There’s a full soda fountain, which is nice, but the snacks really suck.
 
The press release says the Philadelphia ClubAcela is undergoing upgrades. Is this lounge still open? I'll be travelling out of PHL next month in a sleeper and so it'd be nice to have the lounge available.
The major upgrades have already been done. The lounge is open. 
Upgrades? From what I’ve heard about the new PHL lounge, it can be counted as an update, but not really an upgrade. :unsure:  
 
One would think that a press release by the public relations department  would be proof read before being issued.
 
 Somehow 'Metropolitan Lounge' doesn't convey the sense of exclusiveness or snob appeal as 'ClubAcela' or 'ClubAvelia'.  Maybe it's a generational thing and the millennials don't care one way or another how it's named.


And then some of us thought Acela was the stupidest name ever, conveying only a sense of... um... well... pointless rebranding. I would go back to calling the trains Metroliners too if I had my way.
 
I was there yesterday to board the CONO. I couldn’t agree more about your assessment. The only true perk of that “lounge” is that it’s quieter than the main boarding area. Otherwise it’s quite the sorry excuse for a “first class lounge” I must say!
I mean...there could just be no lounge like Seattle.
Believe me - the Lounge in Seattle is better than the Lounge in New Orleans.
 
I mean...there could just be no lounge like Seattle.

True. King Street for all the beauty of the architecture of the building, really is disappointing as a train station. No lounge, uncomfortable seating, just vending machines for food, no WiFi.....
 
cpotisch said:
Unfortunately, the snack selection of the Chicago Met Lounge is limited to chopped carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. There’s a full soda fountain, which is nice, but the snacks really suck.
I disagree totally about the snacks....you left out several items from the veggie bar, which also includes cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, pea pods, broccoli, ranch dressing for dipping and also about half a dozen types of cheese. That is available until the allotted amount is gone. Then they replace that with four different snack mixes in dispensers. Also sometimes the lounge attendant comes around and offers chocolates later in the afternoon and early evening. In addition there is a bartender if the adults would like to consume a libation or two before boarding. The thing that kinda sucks is you cannot consume outside food or drink in the ML. But even there are tables by the front desk exclusively for consumption of that stuff. In my opinion it’s all good!
 
The issue of branding is interesting.

It would make no sense to brand something outside the NEC with the word "Acela"  as part of the name. But it would not be a problem to name the first class lounges in the NEC as Metropolitan Lounges. That conveys a sense of exclusivity, setting the premium lounges, such as they are, apart from the less premium waiting areas coach pax use. Branding them all with the same name nationwide makes sense too.
 
Unfortunately, the snack selection of the Chicago Met Lounge is limited to chopped carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. There’s a full soda fountain, which is nice, but the snacks really suck.
Not much different from an Admiral Club in that regard. 

FWIW when I was there recently, they had rotated in some finger sandwich type offerings. Probably to correspond with the afternoon LD departures. It was perfectly fine, and much better than the DC location. 
 
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cpotisch said:
13 hours ago, cpotisch said:
Unfortunately, the snack selection of the Chicago Met Lounge is limited to chopped carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. There’s a full soda fountain, which is nice, but the snacks really suck.


I disagree totally about the snacks....you left out several items from the veggie bar, which also includes cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, pea pods, broccoli, ranch dressing for dipping and also about half a dozen types of cheese. That is available until the allotted amount is gone. Then they replace that with four different snack mixes in dispensers. Also sometimes the lounge attendant comes around and offers chocolates later in the afternoon and early evening. In addition there is a bartender if the adults would like to consume a libation or two before boarding. The thing that kinda sucks is you cannot consume outside food or drink in the ML. But even there are tables by the front desk exclusively for consumption of that stuff. In my opinion it’s all good!
Then maybe I was just unlucky when I was there, because what I said is all they had.
 
Also sometimes the lounge attendant comes around and offers chocolates later in the afternoon and early evening. 
No one offered chocolates when I was there. Where did I go wrong? :unsure: :giggle:

And in the "You just never know" category, the best cappuccino I've had on an Amtrak route was out of a vending machine in someplace we were waiting for a while during a Gathering (Olympia, Washington?), and it cost 85 cents :) .
 
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Then maybe I was just unlucky when I was there, because what I said is all they had.
Understandable.  Sometimes timing is everything.  What I listed (in addition to what you originally did) is pretty standard fare, however, yesterday when I was there, they didn't put out the cheeses for some reason.  The pea pods are new items on the veggie buffet as I'd not seen them before last Saturday.  They had them there again yesterday.  The veggies are available starting at 12:30, but before they provide them, there is a bowl of fresh fruit (apples, bananas, etc.) on the table along with packages of oatmeal.  That kinda sucks, I'd rather have what the old ML in CUS had, which was cinnamon rolls in the morning and chips and cookies in the afternoon with soft drinks.  The veggie table was rolled out when the new lounge opened.
 
No one offered chocolates when I was there. Where did I go wrong? :unsure: :giggle:

And in the "You just never know" category, the best cappuccino I've had on an Amtrak route was out of a vending machine in someplace we were waiting for a while during a Gathering (Olympia, Washington?), and it cost 85 cents :) .
I haven't seen the chocolates being handed out in maybe about a year.  When they do it, they will after the veggie table has closed up.  I think they do that to appease the later train riders, especially like the LSL passengers who don't get a meal upon departure.
 
The veggies are available starting at 12:30, but before they provide them, there is a bowl of fresh fruit (apples, bananas, etc.) on the table along with packages of oatmeal.  That kinda sucks, I'd rather have what the old ML in CUS had, which was cinnamon rolls in the morning and chips and cookies in the afternoon with soft drinks.  The veggie table was rolled out when the new lounge opened.
Yeah, that’s exactly my feeling. I mean, I appreciate that they want to have healthy options, and I know that there are plenty of people who want just that, but honestly when I’m taking a trip, I really am not thinking about the health aspect of what I’m eating, and just want something garbagey that tastes good which I can feel ashamed about eating after my trip is done. :p
 
No one offered chocolates when I was there. Where did I go wrong? :unsure: :giggle:

And in the "You just never know" category, the best cappuccino I've had on an Amtrak route was out of a vending machine in someplace we were waiting for a while during a Gathering (Olympia, Washington?), and it cost 85 cents :) .
I haven't seen the chocolates being handed out in maybe about a year.  When they do it, they will after the veggie table has closed up.  I think they do that to appease the later train riders, especially like the LSL passengers who don't get a meal upon departure.
Now you’re just making me sad. Last time I was in the CUS Met Lounge was February, when I was waiting for the LSL. :(

SpongeBob-Crying.gif
 
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I disagree totally about the snacks....you left out several items from the veggie bar, which also includes cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, pea pods, broccoli, ranch dressing for dipping and also about half a dozen types of cheese. That is available until the allotted amount is gone. Then they replace that with four different snack mixes in dispensers. Also sometimes the lounge attendant comes around and offers chocolates later in the afternoon and early evening. In addition there is a bartender if the adults would like to consume a libation or two before boarding. The thing that kinda sucks is you cannot consume outside food or drink in the ML. But even there are tables by the front desk exclusively for consumption of that stuff. In my opinion it’s all good!
Yes I too have seen plenty of items each time Ive been there including mixed nuts and trail mix from dispensers as stated above, cheese, stuff for dipping etc. My arrival times have been after lunch.
 
Yeah, that’s exactly my feeling. I mean, I appreciate that they want to have healthy options, and I know that there are plenty of people who want just that, but honestly when I’m taking a trip, I really am not thinking about the health aspect of what I’m eating, and just want something garbagey that tastes good which I can feel ashamed about eating after my trip is done. :p
I agree 100% about all of that.....however it being what it is, I do enjoy the veggies.  Of course, that's a snack for me after a visit to McDonald's in the food court. LOL
 
Yes I too have seen plenty of items each time Ive been there including mixed nuts and trail mix from dispensers as stated above, cheese, stuff for dipping etc. My arrival times have been after lunch.
My departure times are pretty normally well after lunch, being I've ridden nearly every LD train heading out of CUS. (I've been on every LD train that operates there but some were incoming)
 
I agree 100% about all of that.....however it being what it is, I do enjoy the veggies.  Of course, that's a snack for me after a visit to McDonald's in the food court. LOL
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my routine trip to Nuts on Clark too, when I'm headed home from CUS.
 
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Once when I was riding business class on the Carolinian, the agent at the old Raleigh station let we wait in the sleeper class waiting room.  Nothing special to speak of, but the padded seats beat the hard wooden benches in the main waiting area.
That's what I was going to reply about the lounge at NOL - not much in the way of amenities but far more comfortable and quiet than the public area.
 
Personally, the Los Angles Lounge met my needs.  A long wait between the arriving Sunset Limited and the departing Southwest Chief was what I experienced.  The staff were helpful/friendly, allowed me to "store" my carry-on luggage which permitted me to wander around the Station and the area, beverage choices and snacks were good and plentiful (was able to find Sara Lee pastries, coffee, and juice which were enough for my breakfast), and the seating was comfortable.  Having the Red Cap to meet us there and directly take us across tracks to the correct platform was a plus.
I like it too. But at times it gets jammed with arriving customers, I wish it was bigger. I agree about the Red Cap service, best I've seen in my limited experience.
 
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