‘Heathrow Terminal 5 is a zoo – I haven’t walked through the regular entrance in years.’
So says Bromley FC owner Anthony Serafino, who, instead, uses Heathrow’s ‘ultimate airport experience’ – The Windsor.
Recently given a £3million makeover, it features chauffeur-driven cars, security teams flanking guests as they move around and a private suite with its own shower, lounge and TV accessed via a secret entrance in Terminal 5.
The cost of this royal treatment? The princely sum of £3,812.
Anthony says it’s ‘well worth the money’, though.
He first tried out The Windsor in December 2023 and has never looked back, using it every time he flies on British Airways – ‘always in first class’ – between London and his hometown of New York.
While regular passengers are likely to be surrounded by screaming kids, Anthony is surrounded by a team at his beck and call, including a personal butler serving dishes by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, and the option of a personal shopper.
But the best bit?
Heathrow’s ‘ultimate airport experience’ – The Windsor (above) – features chauffeur-driven cars, security teams flanking guests as they move around and a private suite with its own shower, lounge and TV accessed via a secret entrance in Terminal 5
MailOnline Travel speaks to New Yorker Anthony Serafino, who describes Heathrow T5 (pictured) as ‘a zoo’. To avoid it, he uses The Windsor every time he flies to or from London
Bromley FC owner Anthony (pictured in an office) has ‘lost count’ of how many times he’s visited The Windsor. It’s ‘well worth the money’, he remarks
‘You don’t have to go through security,’ says Anthony. ‘You check into The Windsor, and everything is done there. Someone else checks my bag in, and border force comes to me.
‘I really don’t have to think about anything once I’m at the airport.
‘I’m just in my suite, reading the news, watching TV, getting ready for work, and showering with serene products, eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time of day.
‘And if I need anything, the rooms all include a button to call the butler!’
Having already been asked whether he wants to be the first or last passenger to board his flight (‘always first’), a member of staff comes to inform Anthony when he’s able to board the plane.
He’s then taken to a chauffeur-driven BMW i7 that drops him directly at the front of the aircraft, where he enters through a private staircase.
‘I don’t see anyone else the whole time I’m at the airport!’ he says.
It’s just as luxurious an experience when Anthony lands in Heathrow using The Windsor.
Border force comes to him to check his passport, and he’s then driven to his private suite, while a member of staff, who’s been given his boarding pass, waits for his checked luggage to arrive on a carousel.
Guests at The Windsor are chauffeur-driven to and from aircraft in a BMW (pictured) – and board and disembark via a staircase connected to the air bridge
At The Windsor terminal, a butler serves dishes by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton
While Anthony admits the £3,800 price tag is ‘very expensive’, he thinks The Windsor (above) is well worth the money due to the convenience – ‘especially as it’s the same price whether you’re flying alone or with family’
Anthony continues: ‘I then get taken to my chauffeur-driven car, the boot is opened, and they ask, “Can you confirm this is your luggage, sir?” And off we go!
‘I’ve never had a problem.’
Such a fan of The Windsor is Anthony that he’s now lost count of the number of times he’s used ‘the very posh product’.
He even says the staff have become ‘like a family’ to him.
‘The team do such a fantastic job, and they’re such caring and lovely people,’ he adds. ‘They get to know you.
‘They know how I like my coffee, and they’ll have it ready for me when I arrive at the suite, and they’ll fetch my paper, knowing I read the Financial Times.’
And while he admits the £3,800/$4,800 price tag is ‘very expensive’, he thinks it’s well worth the money due to the convenience – ‘especially as it’s the same price whether you’re flying alone or with family’.
He says: ‘Travel can be stressful and I fly about 100,000 miles a year. The last time I went through the main entrance at Heathrow was a few years ago, and I thought it was a disaster. It’s a zoo of an airport.
‘British Airways [whose home is T5] does a great job, but there are so many people being funnelled through Heathrow’s security so it’s very chaotic, and I typically find some of the businessmen in Heathrow quite rude.
‘But Terminal 5 had this fantastic white space that’s been privatised and developed into the most fantastic product.
‘It’s so convenient and, for me, as a businessman who really prides himself on time and efficiency, the main thing is it saves time, which is the only currency you can’t get back.
‘The UK has become like a second home to me, and The Windsor has made it even more special, bridging the gap between London and New York.
‘I wish there was something like this in New York City.’
Anthony says the staff at The Windsor (above, file image) have become ‘like a family’ to him. He adds: ‘They get to know you. They know how I like my coffee, and they’ll have it ready for me when I arrive at the suite’
![Anthony says: ‘The UK has become like a second home to me, and The Windsor [pictured] has made it even more special, bridging the gap between London and New York. I wish there was something like this in New York City'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/21/18/95370361-14413615-Anthony_says_The_UK_has_become_like_a_second_home_to_me_and_The_-a-130_1740162854119.jpg)
Anthony says: ‘The UK has become like a second home to me, and The Windsor [pictured] has made it even more special, bridging the gap between London and New York. I wish there was something like this in New York City’
Hotel director Michael Bonsor (above) describes The Windsor as a ‘vastly elevated experience to that of any airport experience, globally’
Michael says: ‘If you value exclusivity, peace, and your time, The Windsor is definitely worth the money’
Another of The Windsor’s happy regulars is Michael Bonsor, 45, the managing director of London’s Chancery Rosewood hotel.
‘There really is no bad. It is such a vastly elevated experience to that of any airport experience, globally,’ he tells us.
Michael has used the luxury suite five times, most recently when he flew from London to New York with BA, and even once ended up sharing the lounge with his friends when they ‘all happened to be on the same flight’.
‘It really felt like we were flying private at Heathrow,’ he says. ‘We didn’t want to get on the plane. We were having too much fun!’
While Michael says the ‘super tasty’ food and Dom Perignon on offer at The Windsor are highlights, for him, the best part of splashing out on the VIP service is that you can get from your ‘car to the lounge in 15 seconds’ and ‘see no other passengers until you board the plane’.
He adds: ‘It’s quite extraordinary that you can do this at one of the world’s largest airports. It’s truly a great experience being driven over the tarmac at Heathrow, in your chauffeur-driven BMW 7 series, and pulling up beside your 777.’
Although frequent flier Michael admits he can only afford to ‘justify’ paying for The Windsor for ‘special personal trips’, he will definitely be returning in the future.
He adds: ‘If you value exclusivity, peace, and your time, The Windsor is definitely worth the money. It’s my favourite indulgence on any trip, and it’s such a treat to start your trip in the most luxurious way.’
