NYP-Club Acela-Closed for refurbishment?

[Steve4031]

Iirc I read on here that this lounge was being refurbished and was going to be closed. If this is the case, when is this occurring?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/inside-penn-stations-fancy-new-amtrak-lounge

 

[andytiedye]

No need to close the old one until the new stuff is ready, is there?

 

[Steve4031]

Thank you AmtrakBlue. That clarifies what is going on. I will plan on my sing the CA in a week.

 

[Acela150]

Keep in mind that all of the NEC lounges have undergone renovations to include new carpet, furniture, etc. I believe the lounge in NYP will see these renovations soon.

 

[lonewolfette9847]

And Business Class... gets nothing?

 

[dlagrua]

And Business Class... gets nothing?

I would like to see access to the lounge by business and Acela passengers but the NYP and WAS lounges are small and would be unable to accommodate many more passengers.

 

[Acela150]

And Business Class... gets nothing?

In the Philadelphia and South Station lounges have day passes available for Business Class passengers.

 

[pennyk]

I just heard from someone who works from Amtrak (not in New York) who casually stated that the Club Acela in NYP is closed for renovations now. I sort of cross-examined him and he backed off and stated that it was scheduled to close, but he is not sure it is closed. He said he would check on this and get back to me. Steve, I know that you are very interested in the answer to this question and I will try to find out the answer and I will post here.
@Thirdrail7 : do you know the renovation schedule for the Club Acela in NYP? Thanks.

 

[Steve4031]

I appreciate your penny and thirdrail. This is hardly life and deaf. I enjoy the lounge. But since I’m in a sleeper on the Silver Meteor on Monday 4/15 I can always sit in the main waiting room. I wouytry to negotiate a later checkout from my hotel if I knew it was closed for sure.

 

[pennyk]

I heard from my friend, who heard from someone else that the lounge is open at this time.

 

[Winecliff Station]

I was just in there this past Tuesday, April 9... nothing inside looked like they were preparing to close anytime soon.

 

[Thirdrail7]

do you know the renovation schedule for the Club Acela in NYP? Thanks.

I believe they were going to perform a minor refresh during the summer, when traffic is down. However, it is not scheduled to close for a long period of time in the immediate future.

 

[Rail Freak]

I believe they were going to perform a minor refresh during the summer, when traffic is down.

Why is the traffic down in the summer?

 

[Thirdrail7]

Why is the traffic down in the summer?

A lot of the business travelers that utilizet the Acela first class service are on vacation. You also have the summer Congressional Recess which causes a ridership drop on a lot of the Acela trains.

 

[Rail Freak]

Gotcha, being a Florida Boy, it seemed a little odd. Do hotel rates go down also?

 

[OBS]

Gotcha, being a Florida Boy, it seemed a little odd. Do hotel rates go down also?

Not much as the tourists take the place of business/political travel. They just don't travel Acela FC...

 

[Rail Freak]

Not much as the tourists take the place of business/political travel. They just don't travel Acela FC...

OK,makes sense!

 

[andytiedye]

Are the business travellers in the lounge going first class, or just going often enough to get Select status and thus have access to the lounge?

 

[Bex]

I'm there weekly and I would say based on non-scientific methods like how people are dressed, whether they are alone or with a partner, and what their phone conversations are like, it is about 2/3 business travelers and 1/3 pleasure folks. Whether they are FC or Status doesn't really matter to the question of why there are fewer people there during the summer: there are fewer government and business travelers over the summer due to gv't off-season and business vacations and both FC and S+/SE travelers most often fall into those categories.

I'd tell you whether I notice fewer travelers over the summer except that I don't use it at all then, so one less person right there.

I'm just so relieved it isn't shutting down. It makes my life so much easier.

 

[Winecliff Station]

I'm relieved as well.... I'm there a few days each week, and even though it's only for about a half hour before getting on the 4:40 Empire, it's totally worth it. Just a quick run up the stairs from the A train, after grabbing my single serve Sauvignon blanc from the wine shop below. It's one of the reasons I don't take the metro north

 

[Steve4031]

The CA is open and functional. The agent greeted me and when I told her I was on 97 she confirmed I was in the sleeper and excepted my verbal confirmation. I was already taking my phone out to show my ticket. Nice touch.

The air circulation is poor and the drink station is out of service. Bottled water and sodas are kept in a refrigerator that is not refrigerating. As always the seats are comfortable so I’m fine. The new lounge will be interesting to experience.

 

[Acela150]

When I used the lounge back in February of 18 the soda machine wasn’t working and cans of soda were put in that fridge. So that’s been an ongoing issue.