Lounge directory · CLE · Last reviewed 3 June 2026
Cleveland Hopkins Lounges (CLE): Every Lounge and How to Get In
Cleveland Hopkins runs exactly two lounges, and one of them will let you in without status or a premium ticket. Here is the honest map, plus what to do when both doors are shut.
- Lounge verdict
- Sparse but workable. Two lounges cover the whole airport: The Club CLE in Concourse B, which anyone can enter with Priority Pass or a 50 dollar day pass, and a United Club in Concourse C for Star Alliance flyers.
- Best access play
- Priority Pass or the 50 dollar day pass at The Club CLE. All three concourses connect behind security, so the Concourse B door is reachable from any gate without a second screening.
- The one thing to know
- Both lounges close before the last departures. The Club CLE locks up at 9 pm and the United Club around 7:30 pm, so a late evening layover means gate seating no matter what cards you carry.
Orientation
How the Hopkins lounge map works
The map is short. Cleveland Hopkins has three active concourses, A, B and C, all behind a single security perimeter, and exactly two lounges between them. The Club CLE sits near the entrance to Concourse B, to your right after the checkpoint. The United Club sits in Concourse C between gates C14 and C16. That is the complete airside list, confirmed against the airport's own lounge directory. There is no Delta Sky Club, no Admirals Club, no Amex Centurion lounge, and no arrivals lounge.
This is the legacy of the hub that left. United inherited Continental's Cleveland hub in the merger and dismantled it in June 2014. The flight banks shrank, Concourse D emptied out and has sat closed ever since, and the lounge count settled at the two doors above. The consolation prize for travelers is the connected airside: whatever concourse your flight leaves from, you can walk to The Club CLE without being rescreened.
Hours below were checked on 3 June 2026. Both lounges close well before the day's final departures, which matters more at CLE than at most airports, because the alternatives after 9 pm are gate seating and whatever concessions are still pouring coffee.
The full list
Every lounge at CLE
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Club CLE | Near the Concourse B entrance, right after security | 04:30 to 21:00 daily | Priority Pass, day pass 50 dollars online, entry up to 3 hours before departure, 3 hour maximum stay | The default move at CLE; runway views, a local vodka bar, and the only door open to everyone |
| United Club | Concourse C, between gates C14 and C16 | 05:00 to 19:30, some days listed to 20:00 | United Club members, Polaris and Star Alliance intercontinental premium cabins, Star Alliance Gold on Star Alliance flights, one time pass 59 dollars | Big and calm, a leftover from hub days; domestic first class does not get in |
| USO Lounge | Landside, north end of baggage claim, by carousel 1 | Mon to Fri 10:00 to 15:00, to be confirmed | Active duty service members and their families; retirees space available | A genuine rest stop if you qualify, but it sits before security |
The Club CLE is the lounge that matters for most people reading this. It is run by the independent operator behind The Club chain, opens at 4:30 am for the first bank of departures, and closes at 9 pm. Inside you get a buffet of seasonal dishes, a full bar with a signature cocktail built on Cleveland's own FLOH vodka, runway views, and enough seating that it rarely turns into the scrum you see at bigger Priority Pass lounges. Two house rules shape your visit: entry is permitted no earlier than 3 hours before your scheduled departure, and the maximum stay is 3 hours. Day passes cost 50 dollars and can be booked on the operator's website up to 6 hours before your flight. Children under 2 enter free.
The United Club is a different proposition. It was built for a hub that no longer exists, which means it is larger and quieter than the traffic justifies, with a full bar, hot and cold buffets, and plenty of workspace. The catch is the door policy. United Club membership, a one time pass at 59 dollars, Star Alliance Gold status, or an intercontinental premium cabin on a Star Alliance carrier gets you in. A domestic first class ticket on United does not. Hours run from 5 am to roughly 7:30 pm, with some schedules showing 8 pm closes on certain days, so check the United app before building an evening around it.
The USO deserves its mention even though it is not a lounge in the commercial sense. It serves traveling active duty military and their families from the baggage claim level, near carousel 1. It is landside, so factor a fresh security screening into any visit mid trip. The airport lists weekday hours of 10 am to 3 pm; confirm directly with USO Northern Ohio before relying on it.
After hours
What to do when both lounges are closed
The honest gap at CLE is the evening. The United Club winds down around 7:30 pm and The Club CLE follows at 9 pm, while departures continue later. If your layover lands in that window, the play is to treat the terminal itself as the lounge and pick your ground carefully.
For quiet, head away from the checkpoint. The far ends of the concourses tend to empty out between flight banks, and the seating there is the same as the seating by the busy gates, minus the announcements every ninety seconds. The airport also runs bookable Jabbrrbox private workspace pods if you need a door that shuts for a call, and an interfaith center if you want genuine silence.
For food, do not wait. Most airside concessions at CLE track the flight schedule and start closing from the early evening, so if you land at 8 pm with a 10:30 pm departure, eat first and find your corner second. The concession lineup rotates through the CLEvolution terminal works, so check what is open near your gate rather than trusting an old map.
One quirk worth knowing: the lounges here are concentrated where you might not be flying from. Southwest, Frontier, Delta and American passengers have no carrier lounge at all, but the connected airside means The Club CLE works for every one of them. A 50 dollar pass for a 3 hour stay with food, drinks and a shower of quiet is a fair trade against three hours at a gate, and with Priority Pass it costs nothing extra at the door.
Access decoder
What actually opens these doors
Priority Pass opens exactly one door at CLE: The Club CLE in Concourse B. Entry is subject to space, but capacity pressure here is mild compared with the big hubs, and the 4:30 am open covers even the earliest departures. The two house limits still apply to Priority Pass visits: entry within 3 hours of your scheduled departure and a 3 hour maximum stay. For when the membership pays off and when a day pass beats it, see the full guide to Priority Pass at CLE.
Paying at the door works at both lounges. The Club CLE sells day passes for 50 dollars through the operator's website, bookable up to 6 hours before a same day flight. United sells one time United Club passes for 59 dollars, subject to capacity. If you only buy one, buy The Club CLE: it costs less, stays open 90 minutes later, and asks nothing about your airline.
American Express has no Centurion lounge at CLE. Platinum and Centurion cardholders get in to The Club CLE through the Priority Pass Select membership that comes with the card, which makes the Amex route identical to the Priority Pass route here.
Status and cabin only matter at the United Club. Star Alliance Gold status gets you in on any Star Alliance ticket. Polaris passengers and intercontinental business or first on a Star Alliance carrier qualify. Domestic first class on United does not, which surprises people at the door every week.
Military travelers have the USO at baggage claim, free for active duty service members and their families, with retirees admitted when space allows. Active duty personnel on same day United flights are also admitted to the United Club under United's military access policy.
Rules shift and operators rebrand. Treat the table above as the map, and confirm the door you are counting on the day you fly.
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Both Cleveland Hopkins lounges sell entry regardless of airline or cabin, and Priority Pass covers the better of the two. Compare current access options, prices and hours before you fly.
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FAQ
Cleveland Hopkins lounge questions
Which CLE lounges take Priority Pass?
One: The Club CLE near the entrance to Concourse B, open 04:30 to 21:00 daily. Entry is permitted up to 3 hours before your scheduled departure with a 3 hour maximum stay. The United Club in Concourse C does not accept Priority Pass.
Can I pay to enter a CLE lounge without elite status?
Yes, both doors sell entry. The Club CLE sells day passes for 50 dollars through the operator's website, and United sells one time United Club passes for 59 dollars. The Club CLE is the better buy: it costs less and stays open later.
Is there a Delta Sky Club, Admirals Club, or Amex Centurion lounge at CLE?
No. Delta, American, Southwest and JetBlue all fly from Cleveland Hopkins without operating a lounge there, and American Express has no Centurion lounge at CLE. Platinum cardholders can use The Club CLE through the Priority Pass Select membership that comes with the card.
What are the United Club hours at CLE?
The United Club between gates C14 and C16 opens at 5 am daily and closes between 7:30 pm and 8 pm depending on the day. Check the United app for the current schedule before you build a layover around it.
Can I use The Club CLE if I fly from Concourse A or C?
Yes. All three concourses at Cleveland Hopkins connect behind security, so you can walk from any gate to The Club CLE near the Concourse B entrance and back without being rescreened. Leave a few extra minutes for the walk from the far end of Concourse C.
Is there anywhere to rest at CLE after the lounges close?
Not in a lounge. The Club CLE closes at 9 pm, the United Club closes around 7:30 pm, and the airport has no 24 hour lounge, so a late night means gate seating. The quietest spots tend to be the far ends of the concourses between flight banks.
More CLE guides
The rest of the Cleveland Hopkins cluster
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