Nice lounges in the USA are harder to come by than in other parts of the world, especially lounges that offer a decent selection of snacks/food and alcohol. Of course, international airlines tend to offer better selections than US airliners and this is the case at the KLM Crown Lounge in Houston.
The KLM Lounge in Houston is fairly small, but can easily accommodate 75+ people and is located in concourse D, where most of the international airlines depart from. The lounge offers a decent selection of finger food: Cheese, little sandwiches, soup, chips, fresh vegetables, cookies, M&Ms, Trail mix etc. In addition to the food there is a wide selection of self-serve complimentary alcohol, a Starbucks latte machine, and a couple of mini fridges with soda, water, and juice. There is also complimentary wifi and computer work stations.
The lounge does not offer a shower, but the idea of the this lounge is for traffic starting in Houston and flying to Europe and beyond, it is not for connecting traffic, since Houston is a Star Alliance hub, not a SkyTeam hub. Despite this, this lounge is a great place to kick back and relax while in Houston and offers a better selection of food and beverages than the United Clubs.
I was at the club on a Tuesday from around 1130am until 3pm, and I never saw more than 20 people in the lounge. Meaning it was spacious and quiet the entire time!
This lounge is not only a KLM lounge, but it is the ONLY Priority Pass Select lounge in IAH. To gain access to this lounge when flying domestic flights in the USA on a non SkyTeam partner you must have a priority pass membership. I was able to gain access thanks to my American Express Platinum Card (also available with the Business Platinum Card) which comes with a free Priority Pass Select membership (a $300+ value). And although I was flying internationally on a Star Alliance Business class ticket, I STILL chose to visit this lounge over a United Club because of the higher quality of the offerings.
