Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is experiencing a flurry of activity, and not just from the over 28 million passengers who pass through its concourses each year.

The airport recently unveiled sweeping additions to its B concourse ahead of the peak winter travel season, including 10 new gates, six concessions, and two lounges — a Delta Sky Club and an American Express Centurion Lounge. Both elevated spaces flung open their doors to travelers on October 28, and Food & Wine was invited inside for a sneak peek.

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The Delta Sky Club marks the airline’s second lounge in the airport, with another in the A Concourse.

“Between the two lounges we will now have 1,200 seats, and this one is the second-largest lounge in our system at 34,000 square feet. It’s built for the future,” says Claude Roussel, VP of Delta Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience.

Well-suited to its mountainous surroundings, the supersized space conjures up images of a chic ski lodge with a large central fireplace that greets guests as they ride up the escalator. Most of the seating is done up in neutral and jewel-toned shades, some of which face enormous floor-to-ceiling windows framing the airplane movement outside.

Artwork hangs prominently with pieces sourced from local artists, alongside rich wood tones, copper accents, unique lighting fixtures, and terrazzo mosaic flooring that are all meant to mirror the colors of Utah’s vast mountain peaks, lakes, and caverns. To see the state’s most iconic vistas, travelers should grab a seat in front of the lounge’s 4-D digital immersion wall, which is a panoramic viewing experience showcasing Utah landmarks, some of which are paired with the calming sounds of falling rain.

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Other amenities include nine sound-proof telephone booths, a wrap-around bar serving craft cocktails and mocktails, and in a thoughtful nod to a local staple, a make-your-own dirty soda bar, celebrating the nonalcoholic fountain sodas mixed with flavored syrups, cream, fruit, or other accouterments. Here, travelers have the chance to come up with their own carbonated concoction, with suggested recipes provided as well.

There are also beverage stations for tea and coffee, and an expansive buffet that on day one was lined with bagels, yogurt, and pomegranate-studded chia seed pudding for breakfast; salads, sandwiches, and soups for midday and evening meals; and sweet treats like chocolate croissants, double chocolate brownies, and maple pumpkin cheesecake parfaits for dessert. The menu, Roussel says, changes seasonally with the vast majority of items made in-house.

“That’s a big departure from where we were many years ago,” he says. “We build kitchens where teams can execute a menu that’s fresh and healthy. What you see on the buffet is all done in our kitchen.”

Elsewhere along the concourse, the doors to American Express’ Centurion Lounge are also open. The airport’s first-ever proprietary lounge by a credit card issuer is the 31st Centurion Lounge in Amex’s arsenal.

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The premium retreat covers nearly 18,000 square feet with 200 seats, three reservable meeting spaces, a VIP room for Centurion card members, a buffet, a shower facility, and two bars.

The decision to open a lounge here was easy, says Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. “It’s really driven by customers’ travel trends and interests and where we think they’re going to go next. Our customers love to ski, but (Salt Lake City) has become a 12-month destination; we see a lot of customers coming here.”

The team at American Express has woven many Utah-centric amenities into the experience, starting with an Après ski-inspired hearth room that invites travelers to gather around a cozy 360-degree fireplace — the first inside a Centurion Lounge. Additionally, a wellness-themed recovery room soothes weary skiers and hikers with compression boots and massage guns, while a year-round terrace bathed in natural light boasts an additional fireplace and views of the Wasatch Mountains and taxiing planes.

Likewise, much of the design takes inspiration from Utah’s natural landscapes, featuring warm earth tones and dramatic art, including a mixed-media Utah-themed rendition of American Express’ bulldog mascot by Erin Blundell, a Utah-based artist. Photographs also line the walls; one series captures Robert Redford who famously called Utah home and founded the Sundance Institute in nearby Park City.

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“This was a new build and that creates a fresh palette to do many things,” Hendley says. “We were trying to make the lounge feel indigenous to the destination with the fireplace, outdoor-indoor bar, and the type of food that’s served here.”

Much of the dining is curated by American Express’ The Culinary Collective by The Centurion Lounge, which is made up of lauded chefs Mashama Bailey, Sarah Grueneberg, 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi, and Mike Solomonov, in coordination with Bar Director Harrison Ginsberg.

The chefs collaborated on menus that rotate every 18 days, coming up with dishes such as grilled cabbage with tehina from chef Solomonov, a grain salad developed by chef Bailey, and a lemongrass chicken by chef Grueneberg.

“We each have a unique, different vision and approach to cooking, so it adds variety to the stations that we have,” says Gruenebergwho is the head chef and owner of Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio in Chicago. “Each lounge kitchen has different parameters, but most make everything from scratch.”

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This lounge has a Blue Roast by American Express coffee bar serving freshly brewed drinks, smoothies, on-tap kombucha, pastries, and the perennial Utah favorite: dirty sodas. For those in a hurry, an additional station has self-serve espresso-based drinks, iced tea, agua fresca, and on-tap still and nitro cold brews. And depending on the time of day, guests may be treated to passed-around small plates or ice cream, all in a bid to surprise and delight travelers.

The American Express Centurion Lounge is located in Concourse B and is open to eligible American Express cardholders including the Platinum Card, Business Platinum Card, and Centurion Card. For full policies regarding access at SLC, check here. The lounge is open every day except Tuesday, from 4:45 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. On Tuesdays, it is open from 1 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.

Also in Concourse B, The Delta Sky Club is open to Delta Sky Club members, Delta SkyMiles Reserve card holders, American Express Centurion and Platinum card members, passengers traveling in Delta One or a SkyTeam Premium Cabin, and those with Delta Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion status, in addition to some premium cabin passengers on partner airlines. Check here for the full list of admission policies. The lounge is open daily from 5:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.