Centurion Lounge London Heathrow review: it's about time, it's really TOP

We have been waiting for her for a few years and pandemic further delayed the opening, but now it is finally accessible and is really in a different category than other independent lounges, much better than so many official VIP lounges.

What are American Express Centurion Lounges.

First of all, it is necessary to make a small introduction to explain what are Centurion Lounges And who has access to these VIP rooms.

These lounges are directly owned by American Express and bear the name of the most exclusive credit card, the only one that cannot be applied for (it is issued only by direct invitation from Amex), namely the infamous black Centurion card.

This one in London is the first in Europe And one of the few outside the United States. At these lounges can only be accessed if you are a holder of the card of the same name or the more popular Amex Platinum. Each holder is also entitled to bring one guest, and additional cards are also entitled to entry.

It is good to remember that you need to show your card to gain access to the lounge.

Location

Those who are familiar with the London airport know that. Terminal 5 is the home of British Airways, the one where BA flights almost exclusively depart and the one that houses as many as five lounges of the British carrier. Instead, this lounge is in Terminal 3, the one where virtually all other premium airlines such as Emirates, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and many others depart.

BA also has minor lounges in this terminal, but the queen has always been Virgin Atlantic's Club House, unanimously recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Thus, Amex's choice was to open in a terminal where it is easier to intercept "mixed" passengers given the many airlines crowding T3 and nearby T2, rather than going to compete with BA in Terminal 5, not to mention that passengers can move (if they have enough time between flights). from one terminal to another Without having to leave the sterile area.

The hall is located at the far end of the terminal, near the tunnel leading toward the security checkpoints and the connecting passage to the other terminals. Spotting it is so easy, also because the signs are very visible, reaching it a little less so since you have to take an elevator and go up to the second level, passing through a backroom-looking hallway.

When you step out of the elevator, however, you immediately see the beautiful lobby, and it's a whole different story.

The lounge

It is not huge, and it will have to be seen when trafficking is back to pre-pandemic levels how it will hold up when passengers return en masse. It is also true that, as mentioned, there are plenty of other lounges in this terminal, so it is presumable that elite passengers, or those with premium tickets, will aim for the official lounges rather than this one.

After passing through the controls, one enters, after a corridor, the main hall. The one that houses the beautiful bar counter and buffet area.

Here there are several raised seats and tables equipped with outlets and places to charge one's devices. Then there are a number of lounges, all with beautiful and attractive designs. Amex, on the strength of its experiences in the other lounges, has brought all its know-how to bear, and it shows.

There are micro rooms, not for smoking of course, but dedicated to those who want to work and make calls isolated from what is happening in the room.

There is a room with less intense lighting and bulkheads that isolate it from the rest of the spaces suitable, for those seeking a little more calm and silence.

Finally, there is an additional room with a sofa island in the center; it is surrounded by cubicles suitable for seclusion and social distancing. Note how USB sockets are built into the pillows for charging cell phones.

Food & Beverage

Here Amex literally gives the competition the whitewash, even to the lounges of emblazoned airlines. I arrived at breakfast time and left that the menu had become that of lunch.

First of all, no buffet but individual portions, where flavor goes hand in hand with the aesthetics of presentation. Thus we range from a poached egg with truffle sauce to a rich selection of products designed for those seeking a healthy, balanced diet.

The bar's immense counter rivals that of many trendy places in Milan, both in terms of choice of products and care in presentation. Scattered around the lounge are then an island for hot drinks and tea and a wellness corner. All very nice.

In an airport it is normal to see at 8 a.m. people sipping cocktails with the passenger next to them instead intent on breakfast; it is a gift of jetlag. After almost 2 years of the pandemic, it is a wonderful feeling to breathe back, behind a mask, the air of a lounge.

The cocktail list is highly sought after, my visit being around the time of the Thanksgiving holiday, there was also a couple of cocktails designed for the occasion.

In conclusion

It's about time American Express opened a Centurion Lounge in Europe as well, hopefully the first of many. The service is impeccable and in some respects superior to that found in American sisters as well as many European companies. To give one example Air France's newest lounge in Paris is just as beautiful, but for the quality of the food offerings Centurion wins 3 to 0.

Admission is worth the price of the ticket, especially compared to some lounges always here in London that charge as much as £30 for offering little or nothing. Here, however, everything is free, included in the American Express Platinum card fee.

• Centurion lounge