When United Airlines debuted its first Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in 2016, it wasn’t just a bar up. We’ve reinvented what a business class lounge is. At the time, it was the first lounge designed exclusively by US airlines for long-haul business-class travelers (since then, Delta announced one concept for Delta, and American Airlines launched its flagship lounge iteration). Now, after a drastic renovation, the original Polaris lounge is back.
The vast 25,000 square feet of space doubles the footsteps of its predecessors, is large enough to accommodate up to 350 guests, offering sophisticated seated dining, a dedicated wellness area and a speak-easy style bar with premium wine and champagne.
United have recently been bullish about opening a new lounge and revamping the old one. The airline has been holding ribbon cutting ceremonies for nine airport lounge sites since 2022.
Later this year, United will open a new dining room at United Polaris Lounge at Newar Liberty International Airport (EWR), with a renovated and expanded United Club Lounge coming to Denver’s B West Terminal (a sister lounge with a previously renovated and expanded club lounge located at B East Terminal). In 2026, United will open a new United Club Lounge in San Francisco and the largest United Club space ever in Houston.
This is a view inside the refreshed United Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Food and drink
Don’t fill up with stroopwafels or other in-flight snacks before visiting the new Polaris lounge. The dietary options are worth the starving.
Short layover travelers may want to consider bumping into a self-service buffet. The self-service buffet features hot and cold dishes, from morizades and salads to main dishes such as flavorful glazed salmon and stewed balsamic chicken.
However, for those who have time to go for a while, find a spot in the 50-seat dining room where meals are ordered like a cult from the server. Breakfast menu (serves until 11am) includes dill and smoked salmon flatbread, lemon raspberry mascarpone pancakes, or a made-to-order omelette. Lunch and dinner share menus. This serves as a 3 course event. Think of a cheese plate or a prosciutto Parmigiano Crostini as a starter. A short rib burger of beef with shrimp, scallops, spring vegetable risotto, or Wisconsin brick cheese. Aperol sprouts cake with rhubarb attacked by a chocolate chip frying pan cookie or dessert.
The lounge has two full-service bars. Although there are mainly overlaps between wine and beer, each bar has its own cocktail menu. The main bar, located in the same location as before, offers a wide range of spirit and signature drinks, including Chicago-style Bloody Mary, combining Ancho Reyesti Liqueur, Tomato, Lemon, Lime, Waushershire, Soy Sauce, Horse Salt, Caradish, Cerere Mustrodo, Caradish, Cerere Mastrodo and Gardiniera. There are also several creative non-alcoholic cocktails available, including the Loose Method, Aperol Splitz Take, Myonet’s Alcohol-Free Prosecco, Zifardo Perithiff Syrup, Strawberry and Lemon.
Another watering hole has a speedy atmosphere, offering a small list of Chicago-inspired cocktails, including top-notch bubbles like the Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut, as well as a mix of second city sour, Rittenhouse Rye, Malort, Malort, Lemon, Egh White and Lingua Franca Pinot Noir.
Wine lists are calling for global vinners, while beer lists distort locals. Currently, there are Chicago-based costume breweries, including Dovetail Brewery, Right Bee Cider and Maplewood Brewery.
Design and amenities
While it is becoming increasingly popular for airport lounges to tap local artists to create paintings, collages, printed photos and sculptures to create sculptures for the space (the lounge displays the works of, say, nine Chicagoland artists), it does not use local tableware or decoration companies. For O’Hare’s Polaris Lounge, United worked with Chicago-based Crate & Barrel on everything from glassware and plates to furniture and salt and pepper shakers.
The expanded lounge also features wellness and relaxation wings with a variety of Cerabody massagers, including zero gravity chairs, marble-covered shower suites and Recoveryair Jetboots (compression boots designed for muscle recovery and strengthening circulation). Another perk for business travelers is the telephone room. This provides a private, quiet area for calling or finishing a project before a flight. However, the best amenity for aviation nerds is the runway view.
How to get to United Polaris Lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport
The United Polaris Lounge in Chicago O’Hare is located at Terminal 1 near Gate C18. Open daily from 7am to 9pm
Access is quite restricted. Only those flying on a service of comparable (or higher) services from United Polaris Business Class Cabins or Star Alliance partner airlines are eligible to participate. People flying United Business, not Polaris, are inaccessible. Guests are not permitted unless you are flying first class on your partner airline. Neither United Club membership nor does he participate in Elite Status levels in United’s MileagePlus program.
