American Express has opened a new Centurion Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport—its first in the U.K. Located past security in Terminal 3, this is the third Centurion opening from AmEx this year.
The Heathrow Centurion lounge comes in at 7,000 square feet and is packed with luxurious amenities, including dedicated workspaces, power outlets, private phone areas, wireless mobile charging, and high-speed Wi-Fi.. Additionally, it’s the greenest space yet from the financial services corporation and will partially run on renewable energy through solar panels.
The new lounge hosts the first-ever Centurion tea cart, featuring a selection of both hot and cold teas as well as pastries. Bar offerings have been created by mixologist Jim Meehan and include the Wayne Collins, a mingling of a Tom Collins with a White Negroni; as well as non-alcoholic drinks like the Hare of the Fog, another Negroni riff that’s made with Seedlip spirit and Aecorn aperitifs.
Assaf Granit, the Israeli-born, Michelin-starred chef of London’s Coal Office, is the lounge’s executive chef. His menu features signature dishes from his restaurant empire that stretches from London to Jerusalem and is a tribute to London’s multicultural heritage. Dishes include his Kubalah bread, a hybrid of challah and the buttery Yemenite bread kubaneh, served with labne, date molasses, muhammara (a blend of smoky walnut, red pepper and pomegranate molasses); a grilled chicken thigh marinated in milk, sumac, and the vibrant spice blend ras el hanout, served with freekeh; and an Oh ‘My Baklava’ olive oil cake with pistachio anglaise and rosewater diplomat.
Britain is the inspiration throughout the lounge’s design. There’s a moss wall that salute’s London’s Hyde Park, custom furnishings sourced from U.K.-based producers Konk, Naughton and Deadgood, as well as architectural pencil works by Minty Sainsbury.
A collection of bespoke scented bath and body care products from Samantha Jameson, founder of London-based Soapsmith, are available to visitors. The collection is made up of six signature scents, each inspired by a different area of London and made locally.
Art Story curated the lounge’s gallery, which features Norman Parkinson’s fashion photography as well as original pieces by Carne Griffiths and Stephen Marshall.
To get access to London Heathrow’s Centurion Lounge, you must hold a Platinum Card from American Express or the AmEx Black Card. Holders of a Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card can also enter the lounge with a same-day boarding pass for a Delta or Delta-operated flight.
For more information, head over to the lounge’s official website.
