Is Gatwick’s ‘Premium’ Clubroom Lounge Worth the £38 Entry Fee? After hearing numerous reports from fellow travel enthusiasts about difficulty getting into Priority Pass lounges, I wanted to ensure I could get into a lounge before my flight on Air Transat to Canada. 

Options at Gatwick’s North Terminal to Priority Pass, or in my case Lounge Key, holders include:

• Entry level: The Gateway by easyJet (operated by No.1 Lounges)
• Mid-tier: No.1 Lounge
• Premium: The Clubrooms by No.1 Lounges (surcharge for LoungeKey holders)

I opted for The Clubroom because of the lack of reviews online (gotta get that content in ) – as well as thinking the £15 reservation fee would mean a quieter experience. Both the No.1 Lounge and The Clubroom can be reserved here for those with a credit card lounge membership.

The lounge is found in the same area of North Terminal as all other lounges, including Emirates, although it is located on Level 1 – not Level 3 as per No.1 and easyJet.

For a premium lounge, the entrance is understated and frankly underwhelming. 

Directly after entering, I was welcomed by a member of staff almost one hour prior to my reserved slot who quickly validated my HSBC UK Lounge Key. The space is lit exclusively with lights due to the exterior light being blocked through the windows. There’s a rather odd seated area for two guests to watch television which I can imagine is rarely used. 

A bar, that had two staff during my morning visit, splits the lounge into two main areas – although the seating around it is all living room style. The lounge does not offer barista-made coffee. 

An area for hot drinks can be found towards the rear of the lounge – although it wasn’t entirely clear if this was self-serve or supposed to be used only by staff. 

The toilets were just behind here. Functional with a decent design but equally they weren’t spotlessly clean and they could certainly improve here.

Menus and table service are provided in this lounge – with surcharges for premium alcohol. Here’s a look at the breakfast offering, which was more substantial than suggested on the website, as well as the drinks:

The food was unimpressive, frankly, and should be improved for a premium lounge space with quality that left a lot to be desired. If you are paying the full entry price, you would do better to spend your money at a restaurant elsewhere in the terminal. 

While this is a quiet and comfortable space to spend a couple of hours, I would not go out of my way to visit again – and certainly not pay the £38 per person that No.1 Lounges charges for entry to this premium space. If you’ve tried the Clubroom outside of the morning period, I’d be interested to see how you found it – let us know in the comments below.

Like our Gatwick’s Premium Clubroom Lounge review? You can read more Airline Lounge reviews here. 

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Airport luggage meltdowns at Heathrow and Manchester already

Over the last week, there have been increasing reports of luggage taking a long time to arrive at Heathrow for arriving British Airways customers. Customers at Heathrow’s terminal 5 arriving on British Airways on Tuesday were told to prepare for an average of a 90-minute wait for luggage. Eventually, some customers were told that they could leave the airport and that luggage would be forwarded on to them. 

This same situation happened to me in March when a similar issue occurred due to lack of baggage handlers. I was told I must leave the airport without my bags and claim to get them back. In fairness to BA, they did pay for some essentials and a new outfit since I was due to be attending an event in London the following lunchtime and it was not feasible to get home without spending a fortune on a 3-hour round trip in taxi since it was late at night. I got my bag back after 4 days with some intervention on my part. Others were not so lucky and wait nearly two weeks to get their luggage returned.

Today, Sunday 18th passengers at Terminal 5 were told that they would have to wait at least 2 hours when they arrived at Heathrow this evening. Travellers from Doha were told they would have to a further two hours, having already landed two hours previously. 

Scenes in Terminal 5’s baggage hall were chaotic with bags piled up, and passengers sitting on abandoned luggage belts or lying on the floor as the wait for their bags dragged on interminably.

Those that decided to brave the lost baggage counter were in for a long wait with queues stretching past the barriers. 

Meanwhile, the British Airways customer service desk appeared abandoned. 

At around 10.30 pm passengers were told that British Airways would send luggage to their address and they could leave the airport. This will involve filing a claim with the luggage tracing system and could involve a significant wait to reunite customers with their bags. However, some travellers were lucky and after deciding to wait a little longer received their bags from a short-haul flight after only around an hour’s delay. 

One has to wonder when the staff shortages will ever be resolved as we are now nearly a year since normal travel resumed and Heathrow again seems to be crumbling even before the final Christmas rush has begun. However, the fact that it is the last full weekend before Christmas and it was the World Cup could have the cynical wondering if there was higher than expected sickness today among staff. 

At Manchester, there were also delays with baggage handling with Manchester Airport blaming Swissport for not supplying enough staff. Passengers were reporting that they had waited over 90 minutes to collect baggage. Manchester released this statement:

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Heathrow disruption

We have been waiting patiently for it to be announced how flights will be affected on Mionday, the day of the Queen’s funeral. Although I can’t see anything on Heathrow’s website itself, the BBC has published details of the disruption for 19 September. You can find out about road disruptions near Heathrow  expected in yesterday’s article. 

• all flights will be stopped for 15 minutes before the two-minute national silence which is being planned for noon on Monday, until 15 minutes after it has finished. (11.45am-12.17pm)
• There will be no arrival flights between 13:45 – 14:20 for the procession of the Queen’s hearse.
• There will be no departures during the ceremonial procession via the Long Walk to Windsor Castle between 15:03 – 16:45 BST.
• Reduced departure rate between 16:45 – 21:00 to minimise noise during the private family service in Windsor. This seems an excessively long time to me. It’s not clear if there will be any dispensation to the night curfew to allow flights delayed to still depart. 

Approximately 15% of Heathrow’s schedule for Monday will be disrupted.

A Heathrow spokesman says: “As a mark of respect, operations to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes in order to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times on Monday.”

Non-essential retailers at Heathrow will be closed, but others such as WH Smith, Boots, Travelex, restaurants, cafes and pubs will remain open.

British Airways and Virgin cancel flights

According to trade publication TTG, BA will cancel around 50 flights on Monday. If your flight is affected, you should be contacted imminently.

The cancellations are almost exclusively short-haul flights to Europe. These have been chosen for destinations where there are multiple flights per day so people can be moved to alternative flights more easily. Larger aircraft will be used on some routes to allow more people to be rebooked. So you even if your flight is not affected by a schedule change or cancellation, it’s worth keeping an eye on your booking in case you get a nice surprise with an upgrade to a long-haul aircraft.

BA has no outbound long haul cancellations announced so far but will retime some flights. BA’s Gatwick and London City flights will be unaffected.

In a statement to travel partners, BA said 

We are working closely with Heathrow Airport and NATS to minimise the impact of these restrictions on our customers. In order to observe these, we will need to adjust our schedules accordingly and this will mean a small number of flight cancellations and the re-timing of some of our operating services. ​

If a customer’s flight is affected by these schedule changes, we will be offering them the option to rebook onto alternative flights or request a refund.

Virgin Atlantic are cancelling four flights to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco departing on Sunday and Monday. Their Las Vegas flight on Monday will also be moved to the earlier time of 11.30.

You are unlikely to be able to claim EU261 compensation as a result of any cancellations or delays related to the funeral according to the CAA.

It is the view of the Civil Aviation Authority that cancellations and delays arising as a direct result of these airspace closures are likely to be considered extraordinary circumstances. As a result, we do not anticipate that compensation will be payable to consumers.

If a flight is delayed, airlines have an obligation to look after their passengers, which can include providing food and drink, as well as accommodation if people are delayed overnight.

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A review about Swiss A220 economy and how I pimped it up for lounge access & fast track. I have just returned from a press trip with Geneva Tourist board, where my flights and accommodation were covered by the Geneva Tourist Board. As I have often explained, I turn down many free trips as I will only accept those that I know will be a good experience, and with the understanding I will be honest about my experience. 

I was booked on an economy hand baggage only ticket (it’s not all glamour!), but on the way back I upgraded myself to business class for the review. I will write about that experience later. 

I first went to Geneva last year even though my family is actually from Geneva on one side! I fell in love with the relaxed feel, sophicated dining and relative peacefulness of the beautiful city, so was delighted to go back. With high prices and delays, it is understandable that many people are unsure whether to travel abroad at the moment. But with only a short delay outbound and no delay coming back, I would definitely recommend using airlines such as Swiss that are not experiencing such a big issue with lack of staff this summer. Geneva itself was hot and sunny but did not feel at all crowded. Everything was working well and lack of staff did not seem to be an issue in my experiences. 

There’s lots to do from museums to vineyards and watersports to spas as well as a lively bar and dining scene. I’ll be writing about everything I experienced soon, but for the first installment I will look at my flight out and getting to Geneva. 

Check-in and Swiss entry requirements

There are no Covid entry requirements for Switzerland, so I was able to check-in online and get my boarding pass in advance. Swiss have a rather meagre hand luggage allowance – 8kg! That’s for the main piece of luggage though which is the usual wheelie case size. Plus, you can have a personal item such as a laptop bag, backpack or handbag. 8kg is too small for most people not checking luggage. I have had several carry-ons that weigh 4kg and a laptop is at least 1kg.  You’d be lucky to get one change of clothes in and basic toiletries with that! However with a backpack with your heaviest items in you should be OK. 

Fortunately, my luggage was not weighed in either direction as I may *cough* have been “slightly” over. Apparently, most airports do not weigh hand luggage at the gate. I did not want to check luggage given the issues many airlines had been facing, and I was on a tight schedule once I arrived as well, as otherwise I could have paid to check a bag. 

Heathrow Terminal 2 experience

This was the first time I had flown out of T2 as I rarely fly Star Alliance from the UK. I arrived at 7am on a Sunday morning. The queue for security was long already and almost back to initial entrance for it with around 10 lines of queue or more. It was probably at least a 30 minute wait, I’d estimate. So I used a bit of a trick, albeit expensive for what it is.  Normally I would have bought fast track, but they are not selling it at the moment. There are two ways to get Fast track if you are in economy and have no status: American Express Centurion Card holders get it, as does anyone who has bought a Heathrow Express Business First ticket which costs £32 for an anytime day single (which is refundable if you choose not to travel.)

I took one look at the queue and purchased a Heathrow Express Business First ticket which I showed to the Fast Track entry on my phone and was granted access. So if you are travelling to the airport by Heathrow Express and don’t have Fast Track access then it is well worth upgrading to Business First. 

Fast track was relatively empty, and there was only a wait of 1-2 minutes which was much nicer.

Terminal 2 seemed strange as there was no Boots in the main area which I find odd, but there was another pharmacy-type shop selling all the essentials you may need if you are on hand baggage only. I liked the feel of the terminal, which like T5 felt light and airy.

There is a modern Chinese restaurant, Shan Sui if you fancy a proper meal which also serves great cocktails. The Perfectionists’ Café, created by Heston Blumenthal is also in T2 so it’s definitely one of the better terminals for food.

Lufthansa lounge access without status in economy

It’s a little-known perk of the American Express Platinum card that you can use certain Lufthansa lounges when travelling on any Lufthansa group flight the same day.

Since I was flying Swiss in economy I was allowed to enter the Business class lounge free by showing my Amex card and boarding pass. If I had been in business class I could go into the Senator lounge with Amex (although there are better lounges at Heathrow for Star Alliance – see this article).

I had heard pretty negative reviews of the Lufthansa lounge, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was busy but didn’t feel overly crowded.

There was a full cooked breakfast on offer as well as cereals, fruit and pastries. 

I tried a flat white from the bean to cup coffee machine which was passable. 

I wasn’t drinking but if you were even at breakfast there was a decent selection of alcoholic drinks. There were 3 whites and 2 reds as well as prosecco.

The spirits selection was small but had decent brands such as Plymouth Gin and Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt. It was also good to see Aperol there. For beer drinkers there were three beers including Becks and Erdinger Weissbier.

If you wanted to work there was a large work area with a printer and plenty of desk space with power points. I particularly liked the booths if you wanted to make a phone call and have a bit more privacy (or not annoy everyone else!). 

One half of the lounge was more of a sitting area, then there were tables and chairs for eating (could have done with more of those) as well as some booths with tables for eating or working.

They even had decorated one area in a Wimbledon theme which was cute!

Boarding

I was in the lowest boarding group, group 5, oh the shame of it! Boarding was well organised and better than BA. I hate the way that BA barely allow the first group they’ve called to stand up before they are onto the next or call 3 groups together. 

Once on there was a bit of a situation where the person in the window seat next to me was in the wrong seat as the person behind. With a queue of people boarding it took a while for everyone to maouve round each other and get in the right seats!

The overhead bins were huge with plenty of room. They were also unsually low which was great for reaching your luggage but not so great if you were in the aisle seat as you couldn’t really stand up when they were open. However, the clever design meant when they were shut the cabin felt light and spacious. The seats are arranged in a 2-3 configuration in economy.

The Lite fares don’t include a seat but I had paid £10 to get an aisle seat on the A side (15C) which has two seats. 

There was plenty of leg room with 30″ seat pitch. Thanks to the design in the knee area with the curving of the seat back and lack of a proper pocket, it feels more spacious than that. There are two pouches which are big enough for a phone or a bottle of water. 

There was also room to fit a few bits in the top pocket but if you had a large laptop you would struggle to fit it anywhere. It’s shame being a new aircraft that they did not include a mobile or tablet holder like some airlines.

The tray table was curved which meant that whatever your size it would not cut into you. 

We were handed out a free bottle of water straight after take off and then the Buy on Board service started which was also very speedy and efficient. The selection looked very upmarket and not too expensive.

I was quite tempted by the champagne and “salty snack of your choice” but managed to resist!

I found the seat very comfortable and wide. My only real criticism of Swiss’s A220 was the fact there was no Wi-Fi or seat power which I found very surprising on a new aircraft. 

Just before landing we were handed a mini chocolate bar which Swiss is known for and was a lovely treat!

The flight departed around 30 minutes late due to a lack of baggage loaders but we made up about 10 minutes on the way. Given the delays I’ve had recently I was more than happy with that.

Arrival

Once at Geneva there was another short wait for the steps and buses as we were at a remote stand. I’m not sure why it’s necessary to drop you with a massive walk to immigration but once I got there, I was through in around 2 or 3 minutes. With no baggage to claim I was soon out of the airport.

If you are heading into the centre there are lots of ways to get into the centre. If you have a Geneva City Pass all public transport is free and this Uber Queen went on public transport the whole time pretty much. The exception was the journey from the airport as I was running late and a Taxi was slightly quicker (but expensive at around £37 for 20 minutes). Otherwise the train station is right outside and takes you directly into the centre of Geneva or buses such as the no 10 also take you into the centre, albeit more slowly.

There is currently a special offer  from July 1 to August 31. If you stay one night or more in Geneva you will receive a Geneva Resort Pass for free and enjoy more than 100 activities which are free or at a reduced price. You also get your free Geneva Transport Card by email one day before arrival. You can find out more here.

Conclusion and ticket prices

I was very pleasantly surprised overall with my experience, although the Fast track and lounge access helped. The crew were friendly and efficient and I loved the A220 for comfort and space. Swiss and Geneva airport certainly seemed to be experiencing less issues although we had a short delay on the way out. 

Tickets are still very reasonable in August with prices starting at £94 return in economy. In September it goes down to £81 return. Geneva is perfect for a short weekend break as it’s only 20 minutes to the centre or a longer break if you want to go and explore further afield such as Montreux and the Alps. 

You can check prices for Swiss and buy tickets here. 

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BA has recently been looking at returning all their long haul flights to Terminal 5 from T3 as well as some of the short haul flights. Today they finally confirmed the list of moves between the terminals. 

Why are they moving back to T5?

There’s been a lot of speculation about why BA has chosen to move large numbers of flights ahead of the summer at short notice. No, it’s not that they are fed up with BA Executive Members doing a T3 lounge crawl! It’s down to one simple factor that potentially will get a lot worse in a few weeks time. Ground Staff.

If you think logically, there are times when T3 may be experiencing a peak and T5 is quiet and vice versa. So it’s very inefficient to have staff across two terminals if you don’t have to.  While moving everything to T5 may could slightly longer queues at times, it allows staff to be deployed and moved around far more efficiently in one terminal. Hopefully with other airlines moving out of T5 (see below) T5 will remain with a similar number of passengers overall.

The reason why this is suddenly so urgent is that there is a potential BA ground staff strike likely to happen by the end of July unless a resolution with the union is found. It’s also not long until the peak of summer travel when the schools break up, so it’s prudent to do it as soon as possible. 

I think while it’s going to catch a few people out by turning up at the wrong terminal, overall it makes far more sense. Other airlines like Virgin Atlantic consolidated their operations (they moved it all to Heathrow) and moved terminals. Heathrow has shown how easy it actually is to move terminals during the pandemic with musical terminals going on for the last few years. 

Which flights are moving and when?

The list of flights moving does not seem to be completed yet online but all long haul routes will be returning to Terminal 5 from Terminal 3. A number of short haul flights will also move back. All British Airways terminal changes are effective from Tuesday 12 July.

Which short haul flights are moving back to T5?

Algiers
Bologna
Brindisi
Budapest
Faro
Krakow
Ljubljana 
Marseille
Nuremberg
Olbia
Pisa
Prague
Split
Toulouse
Valencia
Zagreb

Which routes will stay at Terminal 3?

Bastia
Billund
Bucharest
Gibraltar
Gothenburg
Lyon
Naples
Oslo
Porto
Pula
Tirana
Vienna

Will Iberia and American still operate from Terminal 5?

As a result, Iberia will also transfer all their flights from Heathrow to Madrid to Terminal 3 from 12 July 2022. I am also expecting American Airline flights at Terminal 5 to move back to Terminal 3 as well, but that is yet to be confirmed as far as I’m aware. 

Do I need to do anything if I was supposed to be travelling from T3?

No, you should not need to do anything but I’d strongly advise checking your terminal information in the next day or two when everything has been updated. If you have something booked such as parking or transfers from T3 that can’t be changed, it’s very easy to hop on the Heathrow Express for free between the terminals. 

HT: London Air Travel

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With Heathrow struggling to cope especially at terminal 5, how is it flying with British Airways from Gatwick’s South Terminal now it has reopened?

British Airways has restarted flights including short-haul from Gatwick. I will shortly be reviewing the main BA Heathrow lounges but in the meantime, my friend Steven sent in some pictures and information about his experience at Gatwick.

This is just meant as a quick update. If you want to read my reviews about the facilities and see more pictures of the Gatwick lounges you can read more here:

• Gatwick Club Lounge
• Gatwick First Lounge 

Check-in

This has changed slightly but is still in Zones A and C. The difference is that there is no more First check-in since no flights have first from Gatwick and judging by the fact they have removed the check-in desk, it doesn’t sound like they are planning to have any in the future. Instead, there is Club World/Club Europe and a separate World Traveller Plus queue as well as the regular check-in. As you can see it was quiet. 

The lounges

Not a huge amount has changed with the lounges. I always preferred the Gatwick lounges to Heathrow as they were fairly recently refurbished and the staff in the first lounge have always been excellent. The work areas are still available which is good to hear after they disappeared but then had slightly smaller work areas brought back in. 

Here are the opening hours:

First Lounge

The first lounge is available for Gold cardholders. Like Heathrow, it has a food menu that you order through your phone. 

Here is Steven’s full English which looks pretty good:

You may also notice the First-class china from onboard that is it served on. I need to book some flights to get the missing items from my order when they were selling it off !

Drinks were self-service with the usual coffee machines and champagne bar. On offer was Canard Duchene and Hattingley Valley English Sparkling wine. There have been rumours of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle but I’d guess these were just for the initial opening. 

There were also 3 white wines and 3 red wines to choose from.

For Whisky lovers, you’ll be pleased to know that Johnnie Walker Blue label has reappeared as well. 

If you are a gin fan they now have Aviation Gin, Tanqueray, and Gordons to choose from.

And, of course, there are hot and cold soft drinks you can help yourself to.

If you are in a hurry there are pastries that are on display to grab as well as fruit and crisps. Sadly due to UK law, the calories are on everything! But of course calories in an airport don’t count….

Galleries Club

In Galleries Club you can also help yourself to drinks and they do have help yourself Champagne – Canard Duchene again.

There is food to order which is pretty much the same as used to be out on display – rolls of various descriptions:

Have you travelled from Gatwick South with BA recently? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.

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POD Parking

As flights from Heathrow ramp up, there have been a whole load of positive changes with new openings. Sadly there has been one negative impact with the Heathrow pod parking pods being suspended. This is a massive shame and they are now being replaced by a bus service which surely is far less environmentally friendly given they have just introduced a charge to drop off people for the sake of the environment. I can’t see why anyone would pay more for Pod parking now if its just as bus as you could do valet parking through someone like FHR for less with less hassle. 

EL&N London

The most Instagrammable café in the world unlocked its doors to their first airport location at Heathrow Terminal 3 earlier in November.  The brightly coloured café also offer passengers a selection of on-board meal boxes and iconic pink merchandise to take with them when boarding their flight as well as the usual picture-perfect treats such as a Turkish Delight hot chocolate that looks too pretty to actually drink!

They are open 5am-8pm by heading towards gates 23-42.

Kanishka Kitchen

A fine dining Indian restaurant, run by celebrity Michelin-star chef, Atul Kochhar opened last week at Terminal 5 landside. Serving a wide selection of dishes with a vibrant Indian culture, the restaurant caters for all dietary requirements. Having eaten at several of Atul restaurant’s I’m a fan so I look forward to trying this sometime soon. Prices seem very reasonable 

As well as sit-down meals from breakfast to dinner they do grab and go plus picnic boxes insulated to keep it hot. The Curried Lobster wrap comes in at £7.50 and has Coconut sauce, tempered mayonnaise. You can add a handful of Masala Fries for £1.50 which all seems great value. 

Shan Shui

A new Southeast Asian restaurant will open its doors in Terminal 2 next month. Heathrow passengers can enjoy speedy  ’10-minute meals’ while appreciating the panoramic views of the runway. It is the latest Asian fusion restaurant from Singaporean restauranteur Ellen Chew and the original one is in Bicester Village. It will have a blend of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Shanghainese cuisine.

Food takeaway service via the app

Heathrow now offers passengers a food and drink pre-order service which can be accessible on their mobiles via the airport’s app. Putting delicious food at peoples’ fingertips, the app allows travellers to pre-order, check turnaround time and collect from a dedicated collection point.

JD Sports

JD Sports arrived at Terminal 2 last month. A leading UK retailer of fashionable branded, sports and casual wear, passengers will find the latest trainers, sportswear and accessories in their store.

Chanel N°5 Spaceship Pop-up

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chanel N°5 fragrance, a Spaceship pop-up transported in the departure lounge at Terminal 5, inviting travellers to discover N°5 through an immersive treasure hunt, complete with prizes to be won. An augmented reality digital screen also enables clients to virtually try on products, with the pop-up being the only travel retail location to sell Chanel’s advent calendar.

The Chanel N°5 spaceship experience begins with a ‘Find N°5’ Game which invites travellers to explore the pop-up space and find all the hidden N°5 stickers.

Shoppers receive a special Chanel boarding card to write down their guesses (I really want one of these!!). Afterward, they can choose from a trunk of golden envelopes to win various prizes from Chanel. I’ll try and pop in when I am at T5 in the next week or so. 

American Express’ Centurion Lounge

Located in Terminal 3, American Express opened its first Centurion Lounge in Europe at Heathrow in October, part of its signature airport lounge programme. Chef Assaf Granit of Coal Office in London will serve as the Executive Chef. You can read my review here.

Heathrow has also recently launched Heathrow Highlights – an online guide to the best shopping and food and beverage options at the airport this Christmas, perfect for gift inspiration. Don’t forget you get 10% off anything you pre-order with Heathrow. You can read how to save more on your airport shopping in this article.

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A few weeks ago I did a round-up of which hotels are Heathrow were open given that many of them were being used as quarantine hotels for red list arrivals. You can find which hotels have already reopened since the pandemic here.

Now that the red list had been reduced to just 7 countries, most airport hotels are reopening. Here is the list of what’s opening and when.

Hilton Heathrow T5

This is around 5 minutes drive to T5 and is now open again. I really like the T5 Hilton as it has a great Indian fine dining restaurant and a good spa too. Rooms are typical Hilton style from a few years ago but good enough for an airport stay. The Hoppa is the easiest option to get to the hotel but it’s pricey and takes 10 minutes to cover the one-mile journey. 

Prices are fairly reasonable from around £122 per night.

You can read my review here and find prices and availability here.

Courtyard by Marriott

This hotel was brand new and went straight into being a quarantine hotel. Personally, I’d be giving it a couple of weeks before I stay to let them find their feet as a proper hotel. They are due to reopen on 8 November and rates are very reasonable. I’ll be reviewing in late November. The bars look good including a Skybar with views of the airport. There’s also a 24-hour shop. 

It’s situated on Bath Road so easy to catch the bus to Heathrow in around 10-15 minutes depending on the terminal.

Prices start from a very decent £75. You can check prices and availability here. 

Sofitel Terminal 5

This reopened at the start of September. Prices are cheaper than they used to be at around £165 a night. I’ll be reviewing it again in December. Personally, I find it quite dated, but it is fairly comfortable and has a decent spa and choice of restaurants. 

It’s worth noting that most Sofitel’s get a special package of benefits if you book through our partners Debonair. You also still can get your usual Accor points and perks. 

The special benefits include:

• Breakfast for 2
• Upgrade on availability at check in
• Early check-in/late check-out, based on availability
• Complimentary WIFI

If you don’t plan to spend any money on food and drink there, it could also be worth seeing if it is available on Last Minute.com as a Secret Hotel from £107. It is titled ” Luxury Hotel offering unforgettable stays at Heathrow Hotel “.

You can read my review here.

Renaissance hotel

I find the Renaissance a solid reasonably priced option that’s very convenient for a short bus hop to T2/3 in less than 5 minutes with regular buses going from just outside. There is the Hoppa too if you have a lot of luggage.

The lounge has good views of the runway or you can ask for a runway view room, but you can hear a little noise in those rooms. I last stayed in October 2020 to see the BA B747s last flights and it was still good. 

The hotel opens on 19 November and costs from £70. I think this is a great price for a very comfortable room so close to the airport with good transport links. 

You can read my review here and find prices and availability here.

Crown Plaza T4

This is a modern well-designed hotel that is attached to the terminal and opened in late 2018. The issue with all the hotels at T4 is the lack of transport options to the other terminals. You can get a bus 490 or 482 or the Hoppa, although at £5pp you’d be better getting an Uber for £10! 

I really enjoyed my stay there and it felt quite luxurious with a decent restaurant and swanky bar. You are also next door to the Hilton T4 which gives more dining options. 

The hotel opens on 4 November and costs £89 a night. 

You can read my review here and find prices and availability here.

Novotel T2/3

I normally wouldn’t consider a Novotel after my one and only Novotel experience in the old Heathrow hotel out me off for life! However, this one is new and actually very nice. Roving Reporter enjoyed his stay there and prices are reasonable. It’s close to the local bus stop or there is the Heathrow Hoppa that both go to T2/3 and T5. 

The hotel reopens on and prices start at £69.

You can read our review here and find prices and availability here.

Radisson RED and Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre

These reopen on 4 November and are situated adjacent to Bath Road. A short walk to the local bus or the Hoppa gets you to any of the terminal. This is a relatively new hotel and I have not stayed there yet, but it’s on the list. Initial reviews looked good and the Radisson RED rooms look smart and modern.

The hotel reopens on 4 November. Prices for the Radisson start at £82 or £97 for the Radisson RED. 

There’s a 30% off sale currently for Radisson Rewards members so it could be worth a look. You can check prices and availability here.

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This is my review of the American Express New Centurion Lounge at London Heathrow T3.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a tour and sample the facilities for American Express’ first Centurion lounge in Europe. Heathrow’s Terminal 3 has always been a great terminal for lounges and the new Centurion lounge is a worthy opponent to many of the established favourites such as the Qantas and Cathay lounges (both still closed). 

The lounge opens for the first time today, 12 October, but I was lucky to get a sneak peek yesterday.

Overview

“We are thrilled to introduce the Centurion Lounge experience to our Card Members traveling through London’s Heathrow Airport and make their return to travel even more special,” said Pablo Rivero, Vice President & General Manager, Global Lounge Experiences. “From bespoke interior design to signature bites from a Michelin-Star chef, we continue to raise the bar for airport lounges by providing truly unique, top-notch premium experiences.”

Spanning over 7,000 square feet (650 square meters), the new lounge has a very British feel with a focus on London in particular. But Centurion fans will be pleased to know it still has all the things you would expect from an Amex lounge. I love visiting Centurion lounges in the States as they are consistently good with modern decor and high-quality food and drinks. London is no exception and I’d say it’s the best one I have visited. 

The lounge features:

• Curated Global Menu by Michelin-Star Chef Assaf Granit: Chef Assaf Granit of Coal Office in London will serve as the Executive Chef. Chef Assaf Granit’s menu ties back to London’s rich multicultural heritage through signature dishes from his top restaurants across the globe. Dishes include his staple homemade Kubalah bread, fried pita chips with tahini, shakshukit, a beef & lamb dish with confit tomatoes and tahini, and for dessert, a “Oh ‘My Baklava” olive oil cake with pistachio anglaise and rose water diplomat.

• British-Inspired Tea Cart with Hot and Cold Beverage Selections: Celebrating the nation’s tea tradition, the first-ever Centurion Lounge tea cart will host a selection of local hot and cold teas as well as pastries. In the mornings, Card Members can stay energized during their travels with immune booster drinks, mango infused coconut water, peach iced tea and more. The bar will have offerings from legendary mixologist Jim Meehan, whose menu features British cocktails like the Wayne’s Collins, a mashup of the Tom Collins and White Negroni, and non-alcoholic mixtures like the Hare of the Fog, a Negroni riff featuring England’s own Seedlip spirit and Aecorn aperitifs. The lounge will feature global wines sourced from France, Italy, Argentina, and more, exclusively selected by Wine Director Anthony Giglio.

• Seasonal Soapsmith Products by Samantha Jameson: The new lounge will host a collection of award-winning, bespoke scented bath and body care products from London-based Soapsmith. Founder Samantha Jameson’s line of six signature scents is inspired by different areas of London and made by a family of highly skilled soapsmiths with local ingredients. The scents will be rotated seasonally in the lounge, starting with “Hackney,” a tribute to the borough where Samantha grew up.

• British Art and Design: From a moss wall that nods to London’s famous Hyde Park to a series of architectural pencil artwork by Minty Sainsbury, the lounge interior will transport guests on a journey to discover London through design. The lounge will feature custom furniture sourced from UK-based producers Konk, Naughtone and Deadgood and an art gallery curated by Art Story, including Norman Parkinson’s fashion photography as well as original pieces by Carne Griffiths and Stephen Marshall. Each artwork contains a QR code so Card Members can digitally engage with it and learn more about the piece and artist. The lounge will also feature luxury and modern lighting designs by Lee Broom and Tom Dixon, two of the UK’s leading product designers in lighting design.

Location

All the other lounges in the terminal are grouped together in a row. This one is located where lounge A was (no one can remember what it used to be).

You need to look for Accessorize which is no 20 below on the map and the lift to go to the lounge is right next to it. If you turn right as you come out of security and keep going you should come to it eventually!

Hours and access

The lounge will be open from 6am to 6pm. 

Centurion lounge access is a benefit for Platinum and Centurion America Express Card Members. You can find a lounge at the Global Lounge Collection website or by using the American Express App. You can also check into select Centurion Lounges through the mobile check-in tool within the American Express App.

As well as American Express Centurion Lounges you can also access Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Delta Sky Club for Card Members flying on Delta, Priority Pass Select Lounges upon enrollment, Airspace Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, select Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, and Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges– with lounges across 140 countries and counting.

The lounge

The lounge entrance is fairly typical for a Centurion lounge and you then sign in at the desk before being escorted to a seat due to trying to maintain social distancing. You are still free to move around when in the lounge.

 The living wall behind the desk represents Hyde Park. 

As you walk down the corridor there is an impressive display of art along the wall, which you can scan the QR codes from to learn more.

This was my favourite painting.

First is a work area with a communal desk which had pop-up power points in the desk. Much of the design and most of the lights in the lounge are by British designer Tom Dixon OBE. 

I liked the way the lounge is divided into different areas and functions. It feels like a very substantial lounge and almost every traveller’s need has been thought of.

The individual booths in this area are perfect for work in peace and quiet and they even have wireless charging through the wooden desk.

If you want even more privacy there are two rooms with doors that are ideal for phone calls.

There are several walls that house a TV surrounded by British books and various objects in a quirky wall.

Next you walk through to the bar and restaurant area.

To the left of this is a small area for afternoon tea with a print of a landscape from above which reminds me of Amex with its colour scheme.

 This is followed by another area with comfy chairs and a Thames print.

Just past here is a small slightly darker room ideal for just relaxing with a drink. I love the London skyline effect.

Finally you walk through to a large lounge area with some smaller booths as well.

The charging points disguised as bolsters were very clever. You will certainly never have to go hunting for a power point in this lounge!

The booths also have power and look very cosy.

Finally at the end of the lounge are the toilets and showers. There is a so-called Wellness room but really it’s more of a changing facility for adults or babies, or those just needing a bit more room and privacy.

The showers looked great with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion all provided by London brand Soapsmith. Though I was slightly suspicious of the 1970s looking hairdryer!

The Ladies toilets were also spacious and had the same hand wash and body lotion which smelt divine. It was one of those fragrances that really lingered and had a lovely fresh citrus scent to it with Bergamot, Sandalwood, Rosemary, and Geranium. Perfect for a long day of travelling!

Food and drink

There is a large bar area (most important!) that I found very attractive. Although there is no champagne, there’s a good selection of wine including sparkling wine.

There’s a great selection of cocktails designed by Jim Meehan. 

This includes some non-alcoholic cocktails such as the Hare of the Fog which I tried. It was a bit like a non-alcoholic negroni but I found it a little bitter personally. Just give me the alcoholic version!

Here is the menu I tried which was a combination of different times of day:

The food is laid out attractively by the side of the bar and it is help yourself. Masks should be worn when going up to the buffet. You would not get all these dishes laid out together, this was just for the long opening. 

I sampled quite a few dishes:

I started with Shakshuka. The dish was not much of a looker but it was great – a real deep richness to the sauce with the smoky peppers and concentrated tomato flavours. Definitely worth a visit for that dish alone!

Then I tried a lighter fennel salad which had lots of interest with the crunch of the nuts and salty tang of the olives with a little heat with a harissa dressing. Ideal if you want something fresh.

The surprise of the day came with the Sabich sandwich. It looked like a burger but was actually aubergine and bloody delicious! I could eat those all day long and much fresher than a burger – I loved the tangy pickles and melting aubergine slices with tahini.

Then I had a quick nibble of the dips with some Kubulah bread. The bread was soft and fluffy inside, perfect for dipping in the flavour-packed spicy muhammara (spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs) and fresh coriander dips. It’s good to see a selection of small dishes if you just want something to nibble on rather than a proper meal. 

Finally, I tried a yogurt parfait that was finished with carob molasses which I had never heard of. I liked that it added a little extra sweetness and a hint of chocolate but without being overly sweet.

In the afternoon they have a beautiful tea trolley with Tom Dixon-designed accessories such as the gold sugar bowl. 

Of course, there are scones available as well as cakes.

As well as the tea trolley and bar there are several self-service areas with coffee machines, still, and sparkling water.

Conclusion

I have to say I absolutely loved the new Centurion lounge. The lounge is perfect for working with plenty of private areas if you want them. Plus the food was restaurant quality and it was nice to have something a bit different. It has been long-awaited and I am almost tempted to book a T5 flight to enjoy it properly with a few of the cocktails (just for my readers to get the full picture of course…).

The Centurion Lounge at LHR will also be the first Centurion Lounge to partially utilize renewable energy through newly installed solar panels. The environmentally conscious design is in line with American Express’s 2025 environmental goals to reduce energy use across its managed facilities and its recent announcement to commit to net-zero emissions globally by 2035.

Like our American Express New Centurion Lounge review? You can read more Airline Lounge reviews here. 

The post American Express New Centurion Lounge at London Heathrow T3 Review – opens today! appeared first on Turning left for less.

This is the second part of the series of hotels that are currently open at Heathrow, since a lot are closed due to operating as quarantine hotels. You can find part 1 with Hilton and Hyatt hotels here. 

Marriott Group

Marriott Heathrow

This is one of the most modern of the higher-end Marriott’s at the airport. This Marriott feels up-to-date and has an executive lounge and a pool. If you want the bells and whistles this is probably the best Marriott choice currently.

However, it is generally the most expensive with prices from £100-180.

You can find more information and prices here.

Sheraton Skyline

This hotel holds special memories for me as a child when it was seen as the most luxurious hotel at Heathrow. It seemed very glamourous to me to go to their authentic-looking saloon steak restaurant or the Caribbean-style buffet brunch by the pool with a steel band. Sadly it is now a shadow of its former self.

The hotel is definitely dated and when I recently stayed the pool was closed, unlike most hotel pools. I did find the staff friendly and was able to have room service breakfast for no extra charge which was handy. The lounge was probably the best part in terms of style. 

Although dated (think American Sheratons), the room was perfectly comfortable and a decent size. As it is often fairly cheap, I don’t mind staying here to get my elite nights if the Marriott is very pricey.

It is down the T2/3 end of Bath road, so it’s a bit longer to transfer on the bus if going to T5. 

Prices start from £80. 

You can find more information and book here. 

Sheraton Heathrow for T5 – newly renovated

This had a well-needed renovation over the last year and now the rooms look very good – fairly luxurious and modern. It is situated near the Premier Inn and only about 5 minutes from Heathrow’s T5 by bus. 

They have installed the Sheraton Sleep Experience Bed, which I find one of the most comfortable beds around. There’s a 24-hour state-of-the-art gym, a Club lounge, Lobby Bar, and the Cast Iron Bar & Grill.

I shall try it out on my next Heathrow night stop. 

Prices start from £107. Don’t be tempted by the free parking offer. The rates are much higher than a standard rate and you could park for cheaper using one of the meet & greet companies such as FHR. 

You can find more information and book here. 

Moxy

If you just want a comfortable room for the night and to earn a few Bonvoy points, then Moxy is a decent choice. It’s better for T2/3 as it’s at the wrong end of Bath Road for T5, although still only around 10-15 minutes away from T5. 

In typical Moxy style, it’s super trendy with an urban feel. There are large communal areas and a decent gym.

Rooms are small and fairly basic but have everything you need for a short stay. A more thorough article about the Moxy will follow. 

Prices start from £62 a night. 

You can find more information and book here. 

Premier Inn

London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 hotel

This is one of the closest hotels to T5 currently being at the end of Bath Road. It’s crazy cheap and a pretty bog-standard Premier Inn. If you don’t care about loyalty points and want something cheap and cheerful, it’s not a bad choice. Premier Inns always have comfortable beds (Hypnos) which is one of the most important things in an airport hotel.

Bus service 423 runs every 15 minutes to and from Terminal 5 (Stand 6 at T5) and it takes less than 5 minutes. 

Prices start from a ridiculously cheap £30 a night!

You can read the review here.

There’s also the London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 Premier Inn, but with similar prices and being less convenient, I’m not sure why you would stay there really. 

Independent

Staycity Aparthotels London Heathrow

If you are looking for more space or a longer stay, there is the Staycity Aparthotels in Hayes. The other option IHG’s Staybridge Suites is currently closed. Staycity is right by the Hayes train station which is less than 1o minutes into T2/3 Heathrow Central station. You have to change for T5 onto the Heathrow Express which takes the journey time up to around 20 minutes. It’s also only 20 minutes to Paddington which could be handy if you want to pop to town.

All apartments come complete with kitchenettes, living, dining and work spaces, and complimentary highspeed WiFi. There are hotel-quality amenities including 24 hour reception, gym, on-site guest laundry, meeting rooms and Staycafé serving breakfast, sandwiches, paninis and pizzas, as well as Starbucks coffee, beer, wine and spirits. The takaa tak+ restaurant on the first floor has an outdoor terrace too.

Prices start from £95 a night. 

You can find more information and book here. 

The post What are the best hotels that are open at Heathrow in 2021? Part 2 appeared first on Turning left for less.