Stgermainparis

Midweek late afternoon (3-5pm) the wait for shower was about 30 minutes. Wait for dining room during the same period was 75 minutes.

wysiwyg

So, I spent about 6 hours today in the lounge. Arrived close to 9am, place was empty. Maybe 20 people spread throughout. Dining restaurant was empty so decided just to grab buffet items instead. Nice options but everything was cold. Food was probably prepared earlier in the morning and had little turnover.

Went to get a day bed around 10am, once again, I was alone, but told I could just have it for an hour, but could stay longer, however they may come and ask me to leave if it got busy.

Then, relaxed in the regular seats until about 1:00pm and decided to get a table for lunch. Was full, but it was 30 mins or less wait. No issues, I wasn’t that hungry anyhow. About 20 mins, I got the txt that my table was available. Got the bruschetta, beet salad and Polaris burger. Food was decent, service was OK, but staff was forgetting to bring a lot of items. I observed not only myself, but those around me. No biggie though and no one was really upset.

then, around 3, I got a shower. Was surprised that there were no amenities in the bathroom. No toothbrush, shaving kits, little deodorant packets or spray, etc.. just slippers, and soap. Shower was nice. When I got there, I grabbed the last one, but when I Was done, 4 were available. Go figure.

place really became busy around lunch and especially after 2. When I left, around 4:15, it was hard to find seats. Now my flight is slightly delayed, so I’m sitting in the regular United Lounge near gate B14. It’s packed as well.

9elf S

Toiletries are kept behind the attendant's counter at the entrance. The attendant should have asked you if you needed any. That has always been my experience.

wysiwyg

Yeah, all I wanted was a shaving kit and was told none were available. I didn’t ask for other stuff but I did see things like toothbrushes at the reception counter.

loganre17

Does the place close at 9pm? I'm on the late flight to LHR soon and on a decently short layover this would make a shorty visit

Stgermainparis

I don’t know the closing time but the Dining Room menu says the last seating is 9:30pm.so presumably it is open at least an hour after that.

AirbusFan2B

I think it’s safer to assume last seating being 30 min before the PL closes as that’s when the bar shuts down. The UA app still has ORD PL closing at 9pm so either that’s wrong or what’s on the menu is.

I have also been on that last LHR flight (used to be 9:30pm-ish, now 10:15pm), and when it was delayed the PL did NOT extend its hours, just an FYI in case it’s a thing. Not sure about C10 UC in that case.

Seeing Lufty now has a 10:25pm to MUC and an 11:35pm to FRA, I’m wondering if PL is indeed staying open longer. There has sometimes been a sign outside B16 UC announcing extended hours, which is near LH departure gates.

searchforfulfillment

Polaris Lounge Comparison:
Perhaps others have noticed this, there is a difference in the service and overall vibe between Polaris lounges. ORD club is a favorite as the people there are really committed to providing a premium experience. The club at SFO falls short. It could be that now Bay Area tech firms are (post pandemic) allowing workers to fly business class. The SFO lounge has been observed as quite crowded the past 4x visited in the past 10 months. It is quieter on one side, so that is what I have recommended. On one occasion, the a/c being out caused a closure. The club at EWR is decent, but only experienced it once recently. IAD/IAH/LAX are not ones that I have visited yet. Overall, it is a nice benefit to business class travel that separates UA from others.

loganre17

I'm flying out Thursday. Will report back unless AC is delayed

Stgermainparis

It took 30 minutes just for the server to bring our drinks. Food arrived maybe 45 minutes after we sat and ordered. Maybe they sprint at 9:30pm.

wysiwyg

I was there last Thursday. The entrance says the lounge is open from 6:00am to 9:00pm but the dinning room menu states the last dinner seating is 9:30pm

searchforfulfillment

Anyone know the structure of UA financing of their lounges; specifically Polaris? If there is a business class component that provides funding, that makes sense. Just thinking that if UA sees their lounges as not a revenue source, but an expense, that it will lead to cost cutting and diminishing service.

goodeats21

I have no internal knowledge, but presume it is a mixture / complicated.

Capex for the buildout.
Cost of service for UA purchased tickets.
Revenue from *A airlines for entry of their customers. (This one I am not sure about, as some reciprocity may be in effect, especially with JV airlines).

I am sure United would consider (probably already have considered/implemented) reviews and cost cutting of operational expenses of Polaris Lounges.

phkc070408

Visited the ORD Polaris Lounge Yesterday. Everything went well, however the dining room had some issues. They had a brand new menu starting yesterday and we had lunch at 11:20am, so we (4 of us) were the second table to be seated with this new menu. We were there for over 100 minutes for Small Bites, Main Course, and Desert. Even soft drinks took 20 minutes.



Kid 1 had the soup and Fettuccini. Soup was good, (I tried a few bites) Pasta was just OK.
Kid 2 had the burger only.
Wifey had the Salad and Shrimp with Scallops. Only 2 stuffed regular sized shrimp - this should have been listed on the Small-Bites menu. She said it was good, but the portion size was horrible.
I had the Salad and the burger. I wasn't a fan of the salad, but I'm not a fancy salad person, thus don't take my rating seriously. The burger was awesome, and I'm a burger guy.

The kids and I had the Cookie skillet while wifey had the Chocolate Torte.

All food came out cooked properly.

DMSFCA

I agree on the burger! It's one of the better burgers I've had while traveling and I look forward to it. People often doubt me when I claim this.

I do wish they would serve shoestring fries or something more as a side instead of the three potato wedges. Although the wedges are good, they are a bit small in portion.