I stopped by the United Club lounge near gate C16 after a flight home to Chicago. The lounge was right next to my arriving gate, my cell phone battery was dying and I needed to recharge it before getting on the el.

The United Club lounge located near gate C16 in the middle of Concourse C in Terminal 1 is the largest United Club lounge at Chicago O’Hare. (There are four United Club lounges at O’Hare – three in Terminal 1 and one in Terminal 2.  See our reviews of the United Club lounges near gate B18, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2).

My first impression of this lounge was that it was very large and very crowded.  In all fairness, it was a busy time of day and the lounge did empty out a bit after an hour.

I walked around for a while before finding a seat next to an available outlet. Although there were enough available seats there was a shortage of outlets.  I did not love the seating configuration as it was very open and not very private.

A large business center with several cubicles was quiet and felt more private. It offered a printer/fax/copier and FedEx drop box.

Additional lounge amenities included a quiet room and showers.  This is the only United Club lounge with showers at O’Hare.

Windows offer great views and lots of natural light.

The bar in the middle of the lounge was pretty busy.

There were two food stations in the lounge, along with a few stations for complimentary drinks.

A sign notified guests that this lounge offered the new United Club food selection (United began upgrading the food at United Club lounges last March starting with O’Hare).

The new food choices for dinner included: sea salt pita chips, fresh red bell peppers, Greek olives, Mediterranean salad, Mediterranean style hummus, cheddar cheese, wheat crackers, fresh artisan bread, soup, snack mix, Skittles and Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle.

I found the new food offerings much better than the old food choices, but still not great.

Overall, the United Club near gate C16 at Chicago O’Hare was too busy for my liking.   Sure, it was better than the United Club near gate B18 but I personally prefer the layout of the United Club lounge in Terminal 2.   On the plus side, this United Club is large and offers more amenities including a business center, quiet room and showers.