First-Class Comforts: Superb United Polaris Lounge Chicago

Welcome to a world of real luxury and indulgence at the United Polaris Lounge Chicago, located in the bustling heart of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

This is United Airlines at it’s best. Plush, ergonomic seating, fantastic views all enable the stress of travel be forgotten.  Here the finest amenities and services await you, including a premium dining experiences, an extensive selection of wines and spirits, and rejuvenating shower suites to refresh and revitalize before your flight.

So what can you expect from your experience?

Access & Location

Being the most exclusive lounge offering by United, access is accordingly reserved for the most premium of passengers. Flying domestic First Class? No chance of entry!

Passengers who are flying on a same day United Polaris international product, either at point of departure/ connection airport or arrival into ORD have access. Star Alliance First & Business Class travellers may also access the lounge at the point of international departure only.

If you are flying Star First Class, you may bring one guest with you.

This lounge is located in Terminal 1, Concourse C near gate C18. Open daily from 6am to 9pm

Layout & Design of United Polaris Lounge Chicago

You walk through an elegantly designed large reception area where you would be checked through..

The grand lighting piece of the room in some glances looks like stars in the sky and other times like it could be representing United’s global route network.

Right past the reception you have some concierge desks, available to assist you with anything you need for your travels.

Then you have an L shaped room which opens up with sweeping views, with buffet dining room on the right with a smaller seating area.

The various amenities available are conveniently signposted on the walls..

The whole place exudes a warm and inviting atmosphere, with elegant furnishings and tasteful decor, creating a sense of tranquillity and relaxation.

There is then a bar lit by striking blue ceiling and various wines and beverages proudly on display..

Walking into the room straight head you can enjoy sweeping views of the airport. More likely than not, you will have a United Aircraft parked right in front of you to enjoy in all its glory!

The lounge boasts a variety of seating options, including plush armchairs and cozy booths, all designed to provide maximum comfort during your stay. All seating options come with handy charging stations at hand with individual lamps.

Throughout the spaces you will find parquet flooring accented by areas of carpeting with sleek marble wall tilling in some areas and softened wall coverings in others..

The semi private working pods are all cleverly angled with some providing windows views and others facing away..

You have more self help refreshment stations and a further more darker room for quieter seating.

Buffet Selections At United Polaris Lounge Chicago

As I entered the lounge just before 11am, breakfast was being wrapped up but I managed to get a quick glance of the offering..

In that moment fresh hot dishes were being brought out for lunch…

There was plenty of chilled options too from salad stations..

To sandwiches and meat cuts and cheeses..

The buffet selection was certainly decent, and I would have happily enjoyed my lunch there, but there was a better option!

Dining Room At United Polaris Lounge Chicago

One of the highlights of the United Polaris Lounge is the exceptional dining experience it can offer. In the restaurant-style dining area, you can enjoy a delicious meal served by attentive waiters.

With a menu carefully crafted to offer a variety of options, catering to different tastes and dietary preferences.

This is where United takes a edge over the other 2 of big 3 US carriers. This is very much First Class territory! But no other US carriers offer this!

American Airlines equivalent Flagship Lounges do not have this, only Flagship First. And the only other Business Class lounges that offer this level of service for Business Class I can think of are Qatar & Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses!

You have to wait to be seated here. It is operated on a first come first serve bases. But I did not have to wait at all given only 2 other groups of passengers were dining around 12.15pm..

I was warmly greeted by one of the waiters and asked where I’d prefer to sit..

The menu was as follows:

Upon being seated, I was asked what I would like to drink first and I went with the waiters recommendation of a cocktail and some water..

To start I ordered the Belgium meatballs with hand-cut fries..

And for the entree I opted for the Arctic Char

Both dishes were superb ! I do not recall having Char before but it tasted and felt like a cross between Salmon and Sea Bass.

Finally to finish off I had the chocolate mousse..

I felt very satisfied at the conclusion of lunch. The food and service were certainly of a fine dining quality. Luckily for me, the portion sizes were small so it meant I could still have an early dinner on my first flight and late dinner on my second and final flight into London via Denver.

What was most impressive was the level of care and attention I had. Through the entire time, I had one dedicated waiter looking after me, and it felt very personal. The gentleman always addressed me by name, remembered my water preferences etc

It’s these little things that form an impression!

Shower Suites At Polaris Lounge Chicago

If you need to freshen up before your flight, United has you covered here! Take advantage of the luxurious shower suites available.

You need to book one of the Suites, again operating on first come first serve. Each come complete with high-end toiletries and Saks Fifth Avenue-branded fluffy towels and slippers

You have Sunday Riley toiletries as standard but can requests extra such as deodorant sticks and dental kits etc

The shower suites are very large with ample room for spreading out your luggage and belongs when you need to change. You can also have your cloths pressed while you shower!

And perhaps the best feature of all is the United Polaris showers have your own temperature control!

This is genuinely a godsend! I’ve unfortunately experienced far too many lounge showers, while nice were either too small/badly ventilated that get so hot and steamy that by the time you finish your shower and cloth up, you are already sweating again!

This was not the case at all here! And for once, came out of a shower, feeling fresher than I went in. As you should be.

Private Sleeping Rooms

In the same area as showers, you will also find several private nap rooms..

Each room comes with a relaxing lounger (you can request a bedding pack if you need it), power ports and electronically controlled privacy blinds.

While it would be ideal to have a proper bed instead, this is still a very useful feature to have!

Restroom Rooms

Last but not least, United Polaris lounges have what is perhaps the most fanciest corridor of restroom you will find anywhere worldwide! Just look..

Beneath the starry ceilings, each restroom has lighting indicators so you can see if they are occupied or free (green)

Inside, you have an equally plush setup

After my shower, I went to the bar for a cocktail before I boarded..

Overall Thoughts

My 3 and half hour visit to this lounge left me beyond impressed. I expected United Polaris lounges to be good, but this was so much better. It is a well designed, snazzy lounge with great attention to detail of your needs, amenities and service.

The expansive floor to ceiling views affords a great way to do some plane spotting with a nice cocktail at hand!

I am genuinely shocked to be saying this, but I have had a far better experience there than my visits to Lufthansa First Class Terminal (minus the Porsche transfer!), British Airways Concorde Room , or American Flagship First ! And that is saying something.

To put this into context, this is United’s third most important hub after New York EWR and Houston which have far bigger Polaris lounges!

My experience may not be entirely representative as my visit was during morning/early afternoon. During late afternoon and evening when United itself has most of its departures to London and Europe, this lounge is known to get super busy. Nevertheless I cannot imagine the experience would be much less impressive.

That said, this is undoubtably the best lounge network in USA. American’s Flagships are good, while Delta lagging behind by quite some distance  with its offerings.