Posts Tagged ‘Jim Beam Suite Lounge’

The Jim Beam Suite Lounge at Yankee Stadium

We’ve already given you the inside scoop on standing room only Yankees tickets as well as The Audi Yankees Club and The Mohegan Sun Sports Bar. Next up on our list is another Yankees ticket option largely shrouded in mystery – The Jim Beam Suite. The Jim Beam Suite (also known as the “Terrace Suite” or sections 317, 318, 319, 320a, 320b, 320c, 321, 322, 323) at Yankee Stadium is advertised by the Yankees as one of their “premium seating options.”

When we think of premium seating options at a stadium, the first thing that comes to mind is amenities. We’re strong believers in the “a la carte” method of amenities for event tickets, but we recognize that with a modern stadium, there will be batches of Yankees tickets that cater to those who like to be spoiled.

Aside from a birds eye view directly above home plate, here are the main amenities that come along with a ticket in The Jim Beam Suite:

• A separate entrance to the stadium
• Padded seats
• Access to a special lounge with exclusive food options and a “private restroom.”

Unlike in The Champions Suite and The Legends Suite, unlimited food does not come with Yankees tickets in the Jim Beam Suite.

The face values of these seats directly from the Yankees are $100 for rows 5-10, $115 for 2-5 and $135 for the first row. Plenty of great deals can be found right here with FanSnap — often times for lower than face value.

Obviously, all of the amenities listed above are nice to have, but whether they are worth the premium is up for debate. The separate entrance definitely cuts down on lines to get into the game, the padded seats feel nice under your backside and the idea of an exclusive indoor lounge and restroom are great – especially during the colder months in the beginning and the end of the season.

For some fans, the amenities didn’t live up to expectations. Below is the story of one NYY Stadium Insider reader who had season tickets in the Jim Beam Suite and has since canceled:

“The “Jim Beam Lounge” was about what I expected – a full service bar. At the old Yankee Stadium, this would have been a great oasis in the cramped upper deck. Now, there is so much room and quick access to good beer and food around the terrace level, the value of having a full inside bar isn’t as great. The “private” restroom was disappointing – way too small and can’t accommodate the rush of fans at peak times. It offers no additional value. The Suite entrance and private elevator also didn’t offer any additional value to me, since it only takes a few minutes to enter the stadium via most entrances and there are elevators nearby in the Great Hall. The high end food wasn’t particularly special to me. Again, there was plenty of other “good” food around the stadium that was easily accessible. The specialty pizza, however, was very good and that was what I usually had.”

Another fan who still owns season tickets in The Jim Beam Suite chimed in with the following:

“Its a terrible experience knowing that the people behind me pay $25 [referring to the face value of Grandstand dugout seats in the 400's level]. The only thing the Jim Beam Lounge gets me is the option to buy more expensive food.”

Keep in mind, the fans quoted above purchased multiple season “leases” for these seats, so their opinions are based on a much larger investment. Many people reading this post are likely considering splurging on a couple of games in this section – not an entire season (or multiple seasons) of games.

At the end of the day, whether you find value in the Jim Beam Suite won’t depend on the amenities, but how much a great view from the upper deck is worth to you (and whether you can get it for a lower price in another section of the stadium).

It should be noted that in 2009, there were concerns about obstructed view seats around Yankee Stadium and the Jim Beam Suites weren’t immune to those issues. Rest assured, the Yankees have remedied those problems with minor tweaks in the off season. With those issues resolved, there is no denying that the views from these seats are the best that you can find in the upper tier of Yankee Stadium. Our issue is how close The Jim Beam Suite is to seats in the Grandstand Dugout section (400′s level) that are 4-5 times cheaper.

Over at NYY Stadium Insider, we tout ourselves as a fan advocacy blog. We’re trying to bring that same attitude here. Our goal isn’t to tell you which Yankees tickets to buy, but to help you make a more educated decision before buying them. Hopefully this information about the Jim Beam Suite will serve that purpose.

Ross Sheingold is a Yankees season ticket holder, the creator of the Yankee Stadium blog NYY Stadium Insider and a contributing writer at FanSnap’s blog.  You can find him on Twitter @StadiumInsider