By Meredith Carey, Conde Nast Traveler; January 23, 2019
Even Traveler‘s most avid Amtrak users didn’t know there was a premium waiting space in New York City’s Penn Station, and given the state of it, that’s probably not surprising. In the dark ClubAcela lounge, near tracks 7 and 8, you’ll find several dated blue chairs, a few bags of chips, a soda machine, and a coffee maker. That’s not exactly up to par with the airport lounges we love. (We see you, whiskey bar in the Senators’ Lounge at Zurich Airport.) It’s a good thing, then, that ClubAcela—rebranded as the Metropolitan Lounge—is getting a major makeover in the multi-million dollar renovation of Penn Station and the neighboring Moynihan Train Hall. And lucky for you, we’ve got a look inside the new space, which is set to open in early 2021.