LHR Centurion Lounge Review: A Tea Cart and Buffet for Travelers

With a tea cart serving British teas and treats like scones, clotted cream and finger sandwiches, the London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Centurion Lounge is a lovely send-off after a trip to London or a stopover between destinations.

It has classy seating areas, showers and a buffet designed by a Michelin-starred chef. Some of the British touches include toiletries from London-based soap company Soapsmith, custom furniture and lighting from UK designers, and an art gallery curated by Art Story, including work from British fashion photographer Norman Parkinson.

The LHR Centurion Lounge lounge is open primarily to Centurion Members and cardholders with The Platinum Card® from American Express, which has an annual fee of $695. Here’s what it’s like inside.

London Heathrow Centurion Lounge location

The lounge is located in Terminal 3, Area A. To get there, you must clear security.

Follow the signs for Flight Connection route Area A. After passing a few shops and restaurants, you’ll see a large Centurion Lounge sign on the right. That takes you through a dingy hallway to some elevators, which you’ll ride to the lounge on Level 2.

Upon stepping off, you’ll pass through another dim hallway that looks more like you’re walking to a mall bathroom than a luxury lounge.

The somewhat-dismal journey aside, the Centurion Lounge space is truly luxurious once you enter. The lounge is open daily from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.

» Learn more: Everything you need to know about AmEx Centurion lounges

The lounge spans a single, windowless floor. Most visitors stay in the common areas, which have food, drinks and other amenities.

There are also a few dedicated workspaces and private phone rooms that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The design mirrors the classic style seen at most other AmEx lounges. There’s the iconic, deep blue color palette, as well as the luggage wall, which is a common element in many AmEx lounges worldwide.

As is the case with most Centurion Lounge locations, there’s a variety of seating options, including tables, bar seating and cozier nooks.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms are stocked with locally made, scented bath and body products created by London-based brand Soapsmith. Because Soapsmith makes products based on scents inspired by various areas of London, AmEx rotates the scents periodically.

The lounge also offers showers, which can be especially welcome during a long layover. AmEx provides the bath products, including fresh towels. You’ll have to ask the front desk for a key to a private shower room which is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The food and drinks are the star of the London AmEx Centurion Lounge.

The buffet

Chef Assaf Granit, perhaps most famous in London for his Middle Eastern restaurant, Coal Office, is the lounge’s executive chef. Granit is also the head chef for Israel-based El Al Airlines, and he runs dozens of restaurants worldwide. He holds a Michelin star through Shabour, which is a Mediterranean restaurant in Paris.

The LHR Centurion Lounge buffet is Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired. Dishes vary depending on season and time of day, but can include homemade bread, fried pita chips with tahini, curry, polenta, plus proteins including beef and lamb. For dessert, don’t miss the “Oh 'My Baklava’" olive oil cake with pistachio anglaise (custard sauce) and rose water diplomat (whipped custard).

If you’re visiting during breakfast, menu items include eggs, yogurt and baked beans. Depending on the time of year, expect items like poached peaches or seasonal salads.

The tea cart

That’s not the only part of the lounge where you can nosh. On the opposite side sits a tea cart. Pour yourself a hot or cold tea, sourced from local tea companies and pair it with a pastry. You might also find other beverages on the tea cart like coconut water or immunity booster smoothie shots.

The bar

The lounge’s bar menu includes traditional and non-alcoholic cocktails. The booze-free versions use ingredients from Seedlip, which is a non-alcoholic spirit maker based in London.

Here’s how to gain access to Centurion lounges:

Hold the right cards

Many guests access the lounge with The Platinum Card® from American Express. It’s also accessible to people who hold a few other American Express cards, as well as Centurion members. Those cards include:

» Learn more: Which cards get me into AmEx Centurion Lounges?

Accompany a card member as their guest (maybe)

Centurion Lounge complimentary guest access is only available to card members who spend $75,000 or more in eligible purchases on their card each calendar year. Upon completing this requirement, cardholders can bring two guests per visit at no additional charge.

Otherwise, card members can pay the guest fee, which is $50 for adults and $30 for children ages 2 through 17.

People who travel often with the same companion (and also won’t otherwise meet the $75,000 minimum spending requirement) might opt to add an authorized user to their The Platinum Card® from American Express, giving them the same lounge access privileges. Though there’s a fee to do that too ($195 per additional card, up to three cards). Terms apply.

Know the lounge entry rules

Even holding a card (and paying the hefty annual fee) isn’t enough to just allow you to waltz right in. There are a few other rules to AmEx lounge access.

For starters, there’s a time limit. You’re only welcome within three hours of the stated departure time on your boarding pass.

Additionally, entry is permitted before departing flights only. Thus, you can’t land at an airport with a lounge and head inside (unless it’s part of a layover or connecting flight).

Heathrow Airport isn’t just the busiest of the London airports, but it’s also one of the busiest airports in the world. If you don’t have access to the LHR Centurion Lounge or it’s too crowded, consider some of the other top LHR lounges, like the American Airlines Arrivals Lounge or British Airways First Class Lounge.

To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

All information about the American Express Corporate Platinum Card®, The Centurion® Card from American Express and the American Express Business Centurion Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The American Express Corporate Platinum Card®, The Centurion® Card from American Express and the American Express Business Centurion Card are no longer available through NerdWallet.