Staying in an airport hotel is viewed by many business travellers as a necessary evil, but the purposes they serve make them popular choices for everything from early morning flights to meetings and conferences. The convenience of being on the doorstep of an international gateway is considerable for those planning such events, but even if you are simply flying into Heathrow to do business, they can be a clever way of making the most of your money. It's true, they aren't inexpensive, but compared with hotels in London, they offer value for money and have excellent transport links if you are planning meetings in the capital or around the Heathrow area. Many of the hotels also offer deals on parking while you are away... (see below).
Heathrow is the world's busiest international airport; last year it saw over 67 million passengers representing 29.7 per cent of passengers at all UK airports. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in December 2005 Heathrow handled 5.35 million terminal and transit passengers. By 2010 (partly due to the completion of Terminal 5) this figure is expected to rise to an estimated 90 million passengers, out of the 140 million UK passengers travelling by air.
As you would expect, the normal business of an airport hotel has now broadened to encompass business travellers, leisure travellers, airline crew, airport staff (around 10,000 at Heathrow), passengers who are delayed, and conference delegates. As a result, there's a large choice. There are over 20 hotels in the Heathrow area (8,600 bedrooms) ranging from budget to five-star. A fair proportion are situated on the Bath Road which runs along the top of the airfield with Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3 a short bus ride away, (see Getting around Heathrow). At the moment, the Hilton at Terminal 4 is the only hotel with direct (and covered) access to a terminal.
The reasons people stay at one of these hotels are varied. Sagar Naker, general manager of Novotel London Heathrow, says: "If you are staying one or two nights or if you have an early morning flight then airport hotels are very convenient. Also, passengers travelling from the States who arrive in the morning and then have another flight in the evening can stay for a day at a hotel rather than hanging around the airport."
Novotel offers day room rates at £50. But what about saving money? Naker says: "First of all there is the cost of travel into London." Depending on the time of the day, a black cab will cost anything from £45 upwards.
It is something emphasised by Banu Fraquelli, director of sales and marketing at the Park Inn Heathrow: "Cost-wise it is about 50 per cent cheaper than staying in town when you take into account the accommodation and travel costs, and going into town is quite a journey. Secondly all the business facilities are already here."
There are cheaper options to get into the city, of course. Heathrow is well connected. The Heathrow Express is a 10-minute walk from Terminals 1, 2, 3, and takes about 20 minutes into Paddington station (around £27 return), but add to that the time to your chosen hotel and it could be an hour's travel. Taking the tube on the Piccadilly line costs around £6 for a Zone 1-6 travelcard, but it takes up to an hour to get into town and the train waits at Heathrow while it fills up, which is extremely frustrating when you just want to leave. You can get to Terminal 4 on the Heathrow Express or take a bus service to Hatton Cross where you can pick up the Piccadilly line. Although the bus journey only takes three minutes it is still not ideal.
Hotel prices are also inevitably cheaper outside central London – especially at the weekend. For example, a night at the County Hall Marriott London is £239 per night, so you would save approximately £90 if you stayed at the Heathrow Marriott, plus travel costs.
PARKING
Hotels have picked up on the increasing numbers of passengers driving to the airport.
A CAA survey found that 44 per cent of passengers in London travelled to the capital's airports by private car, as opposed to 35 per cent who used public transport. If you do take your car, there are several parking options at Heathrow: short stay for dropping off, business parking, long stay and "off" airport parking (off airport, and BAA, land and so further away). Then there are the hotels which offer park and fly packages.
Banu Fraquelli at the Park Inn says: "I think it is cheaper to park at a hotel than in the Heathrow airport car parks. If you are a resident here in the hotel it's £10 overnight and £25 for non-residents. For two days that is cheaper than anywhere nearby. We have lots of people who park the car here for £25, go to the airport and come back the next day."
In fact, park and fly deals are so popular that one general manager let slip that some business travellers book into the hotel to get the parking deal but then do not actually stay the night.
Most of the hotels on the Bath Road have these schemes and they have similar deals depending on whether you stay one night during the week or at the weekend (see table page 40). Some hotels reserve the right to remove the car to another car park should they need the space for staying paying guests. It's worth checking this before you sign your car away or hand over your keys.
Katherine Gordon, director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Heathrow, which has park and fly deals for eight or 15 days says: "Customers' cars are not taken off-site and they can keep hold of their keys, unless the hotel is very busy with a large conference, in which case we will advise them that the car may need to be moved and take their keys, but this is very rare."
Apart from the savings in time and money, being based at the airport has other advantages. It means getting up later for that flight, less travel time, you are more in control of your travel to the airport, and meeting facilities are on your doorstep.
A PLACE TO MEET
At the Park Inn, 50 per cent of the hotel's business is conferences and meetings. Turkan Mutlu, sales and marketing, says: "For international business meetings the hotel is so convenient. They can arrive off the plane and straight to the hotel and then at the end of the day just get back on a plane home."
The Park Inn is building a new conference centre to cater for increasing MICE [meetings] needs, and as Elaine Hudson, director of sales and marketing at the Renaissance Heathrow, says: "All Heathrow hotels aim for at least 30 per cent of their business to be through conference packages."
The other Heathrow hotels have similar facilities. The Radisson Edwardian Heathrow has one of Europe's largest conference centres and can hold up to 700 guests at a time with over 43 meeting rooms. As a result, 65 per cent of the hotel's business is through conferences. At the Crowne Plaza, general manager Martin Kemp says that with an occupancy of around 80-90 per cent, the hotel deals with mostly business travellers in the week, which turns on its head at weekends when it is mainly leisure.
Dagmar Muhle, general manager of the Hilton Heathrow, says: "10 per cent of our rooms business is 'day use' – people booking a room for an early arrival and checking out in the afternoon. Three to four times a week we also get groups walking in asking for a meeting room on the day."
ALL CHANGE
The new developments for the airport will affect all the hotels in some way. With the completion of Terminal 5 aimed for 2008, all BA flight arrivals and departures will move from the other terminals, changing the dynamic of the airport. Of course other airlines will fill the gap that BA leaves. The new Sofitel will have direct access to the new terminal and so lure the estimated 35 million passengers. Another improvement has been a new bus station, built in partnership with National Express, which is the busiest bus and coach station in the country.
Sagar Naker of the Novotel is positive about the developments: "Terminal 5 will bring additional volume to the area, up to 35 million additional passengers to this side of the airport. It will be a very positive impact."
Major Heathrow hotels
Crowne Plaza Heathrow
Stockley Road, West Drayton, tel +44 (0)870 400 9093, ichotelsgroup.com
Hoppa Bus H1
As with most of the low-lying Heathrow hotels, the red brick Crowne Plaza, built in 1973, is not very prepossessing from the outside. It doesn't put people off, however. The hotel enjoys an occupancy of around 80-90 per cent year-round with a constant stream of business travellers during the week and leisure at the weekend, helped by the Heathpark golf course nearby (£18 holes, £9 weekdays, £10 weekends), and as with all of Heathrow's hotels, Windsor and Kew are only down the road. It was at full capacity when I stayed on a weekday, but did not feel crowded.
There are 458 rooms including three suites and 80 club rooms. Standard rooms are single or double beds and have all the usual amenities. Club rooms also have complimentary newspapers and use of the Crown Plaza club lounge on the fourth floor, which serves free continental breakfast and evening snacks. There is a small library and Sky TV. The lounge is open 24 hours, but when I went in the evening the football was on and there was a loud group of men drinking, so I went back to my room.
The room had a wooden floor with black and chocolate-coloured striped carpet around the bed. The small details were good: the bathroom had Molton Brown toiletries and peach bath towels while the bedside lights included a spotlight for reading. There was air conditioning, though I thought it was a little noisy. Other facilities include an L-shaped desk with laptop internet options with data points and instructions for use. There are tea and coffee making facilities and an electronic minibar. For those wanting to make an early morning flight, wake-up calls are set through the TV, though make sure you know where the remote control is first thing in the morning. I didn't, which meant a prolonged noisy start to the day.
For food, apart from the 24-hour room service, there are several alternatives: the Concha Grill in the lobby serves European food and has an open kitchen (6-10.30am for breakfast and 12.30-2.30pm for lunch, 5.30-11pm for dinner), while the cosy Concha bar serves cocktails and a lounge menu 24 hours. Simply Nice serves French cuisine (4-11pm) and is a little more formal.
The hotel has a large gym and a health and fitness centre open 5.30am-11pm. The swimming pool is huge with natural light flooding the space. There's also a plunge pool and spa bath and treatment rooms. Aqua aerobics classes are seven days a week and free to guests.
Next to reception, the business centre has PC-compatible printing and is open 24 hours Monday to Friday. There is also wifi in other public areas. All rooms have wired access or remote access through the TV keyboard. The conference centre has broadband and five training rooms, 10 boardrooms and conference space for 200 people with private dining for 160 people.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £163 for a standard room, rising to £210 for a club room. Weekend rates started at £81 for a standard room, rising to £128 for a club room.
Felicity Cousins
Ibis Heathrow Airport
112-114 Bath Road, tel +44 (0)20 8759 4888, ibishotel.com
Hoppa Bus H6
Last year, this 20-year-old five-storey building on the Bath Road underwent a £1.5 million refurbishment. The new design is clean and fresh and attracts an even split of business and leisure travellers. This is a comfortable option for a budget stay. There are 347 rooms, with 100 having twin beds (popular with Japanese guests, I was told by general manager Peter Paraczky).
The rooms are small with simple decor; cream walls, orange carpets and floral bedspreads. There are tea and coffee making facilities, a desk by the double-glazed window and a full-length mirror. The sofa extends into a bed for children. There's also an air cooling system instead of air conditioning (this is air blowing in like a fan rather than being circulated). The refurbished "new generation" rooms have both showers and a bath, with cost-saving measures such as the shower gel being in a dispenser on the wall.
For business travellers, the ground floor and first floor are currently the best places to stay as this is where wifi is available at present, in 100 rooms. Otherwise, there are two computers and a laptop area on the ground floor. You have to enter credit card details to use the internet. Usefully, in the lobby business area there is a panel with several different phone chargers, so if you forget to take yours, at least you can charge up while using one of the computers.
The restaurant and bar are in the lobby on the left. The bar is open 24 hours as there is no room service. La Table restaurant serves snacks and special menus. Breakfast is served here from 4am (a full English breakfast costs £6.95).
Car parking is £5 per day guest or £12 per day non-resident.
Price: Internet rates for April started at £70 midweek, and £50 for a weekend stay.
Felicity Cousins
Novotel London Heathrow
Cherry Lane, West Drayton, tel +44 (0)1895 431431, novotel.com
Hoppa Bus H1
A short taxi ride from Terminal 2 and the M4, the four-storey Novotel, built in 1992, has a spacious interior belying its boxy exterior. There are 181 rooms including three suites, with decor in light tans, whites, greys and reds. Novation rooms (Novotel's new room style) come with a safe, desk, tea and coffee making facilities, TV with Sky and pay movies, and Playstation. Dial-up internet access is available in all rooms and wifi in a quarter, charged at E10 per hour or E20 per 24 hours (all rooms will be equipped with broadband and flat-screen TVs this summer).
The hotel has three suites, which have a small dining table, couch, larger beds than the rooms, as well as two desks and a CD player.
At the time of my visit the restaurant was closed for refurbishment, due to emerge at the end of March as a new restaurant, "Elements". The bar is nestled in the centre of the atrium lobby surrounded by plants.
The hotel has nine meeting rooms and six conference and boardrooms which seat eight to 60 or up to 250 theatre-style (the London suite conference room has translation facilities).
There is a small business centre located in the lobby, which has free printing. There is also a small gym, with four cardio machines and free weights and at the back of the building there is a large indoor pool.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £87 for a standard room, and £99 for a superior room. Weekend rates started at £84 for a standard room.
Michelle DuMontier
Park Inn London Heathrow
Bath Road, tel +44 (0)20 8759 6611, heathrow.parkinn.co.uk
Hoppa bus H2
The Park Inn is the largest of the Heathrow hotels (880 rooms) spread over five floors, popular with cabin crew and also an established conference venue. It's one of the closest hotels to the airport and yet it still took me almost an hour to get there from Terminal 2. Having called the hotel in advance, I knew I needed to take the H2 Hoppa bus but there were no clear signs in the terminal to tell me where to catch this from. Once I found the bus stop (it was in a tunnel outside the terminal) I waited 20 minutes and paid £3 for the 0.3 mile journey. Because it was so packed, there was nowhere to sit or store my luggage.
The hotel is branded as mid-market but accommodation has five-star comfort with large, comfortable beds, good quality furnishings and luxurious bathrooms with walk-in showers. Each room has satellite TV, electronic safe, hair dryer, trouser press, ironing board and complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water. Make sure you specify you want wifi access in your room when booking as only some rooms have it. In-room high-speed internet access is charged at £16 per 24 hours or £6 for one hour. Internet access in the business centre costs £6 for 50 minutes. Wifi is available in the conference centre (which is being expanded to be completed by 2007) and public areas.
My first attempt to get a table at the restaurant for dinner was at 8pm but I was told to come back in half an hour as they were "very busy". Returning at 8.30pm, I was given a lengthy apology but no table. When I finally sat down at 9.15pm (in an almost empty restaurant) staff explained that the delay was due to a large conference party who had taken up a large proportion of the tables. Evening diners have the choice of an à la carte menu or an all-you-can-eat buffet, which is kept hot and fresh by the on-site chefs. Almost all my fellow diners were eating alone, as is the way in most airport hotels, but staff took time to chat and were extraordinarily helpful. The restaurant is open 5.30-10.30pm for dinner and serves buffet breakfast from 6am. The hotel bar is the Pulse Cafe/Bar/Deli in the lobby, which is open until 2am and as I went to bed people were still checking flight times on the screens in reception.
When I was there it seemed the hotel doesn't seem to be able to cope with the large numbers of guests it attracts. On the night I stayed, occupancy was 90 per cent and check-in took 20 minutes. Not being able to eat until after 9pm was also inconvenient, especially as my reason for staying at the hotel was to get an early night before my morning flight (I could have got a sandwich in Le Bar, but I wanted a proper meal because I would miss breakfast). On the upside, Park Inn is much more luxurious than either the location or exterior would suggest.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £119 for a standard room and £159 for an executive room. Weekend rates started at £69 for a standard room, and £99 for an executive room.
Lauren Custance
Radisson Edwardian International Plaza Hotel Heathrow
140 Bath Road, tel +44 (0)20 8759 6311, radissonedwardian.com
Hoppa bus H3
This five-star hotel has an impressive art deco-style facade. Inside, the theme continues with a huge chandelier in the centre of the marble-floored lobby. There is a shopping arcade with jewellery shops and a hair salon on the ground floor. There are 459 rooms; mine had a dark red carpet with pale-striped wallpaper, wooden furniture and classical painted scenes (I thought the checked sofa against the heavy floral curtain was a peculiar choice). All rooms have air conditioning and complimentary shoe-shine – (leave your shoes out before 1am and they are returned by 6.30am). Wifi is free, and dial-up is local rate (70-80p per minute). The wooden drawers are labelled with their contents: a hair dryer and the tea and coffee making facilities. There is also an electronic minibar, 24-hour room service and pay TV. My white bathroom was compact with Gilchrist and Soames soap dispensers, body lotion, a nail file and shower cap.
When I arrived in my room at 9pm I was surprised to find that I could hear the people in the adjoining room through a connecting door, laughing at a television programme and eating their dinner. It was so loud I was worried I would be kept up, but luckily they retired early and I slept very well.
For dinner, Henley's restaurant is on the right of the lobby, with wood panelling and soft seats. Mains start from £17. There is also the Brasserie for something less formal, and the drawing room for quick meetings or a coffee.
For events and conferences there are 43 meeting rooms which can hold up to 700 people. The hotel also caters for weddings, from ceremonies to receptions.
The Pegasus Health Spa and Gym offers beauty treatments, a hair salon, and a gym and aerobic area which runs classes from Monday to Wednesday (a personal fitness instructor can be booked for £30 a session). The business centre has free internet access and wifi extends throughout the hotel.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £147 for a standard room, and £196 for a deluxe room (including either breakfast or complimentary wifi). Weekend rates started at £109 for a standard room, and £129 for a deluxe room.
Felicity Cousins
Renaissance London Heathrow
Bath Road, tel +44 (0)20 8897 6363, marriott.com
Hoppa bus H2
Built in 1972, this three-storey Marriott property is well known – and well loved – for having the best views over the runway. The lobby area is enormous with plenty of chairs and places to gather as a breakout area for meetings. Guests are mostly business travellers and corporate event delegates, as well as the staff currently working on Terminal 5. There are 649 rooms including six suites (I noticed the doors had braille numbers).
Rooms feel a little dated, coloured in yellow and green with floral patterned bedspreads. All rooms have high-speed internet access costing £15 per day with dial-up from normal phones at various prices (there is no wifi access). Tea and coffee making facilities, air conditioning, ironing board and trouser press are standard. Club rooms have a minibar and dressing gowns and include access to the club lounge. The business centre is open 24 hours with five computers, faxing and photocopying. You need to buy an access key from reception to access high-speed internet, which costs 10p per minute.
The Renaissance Brasserie restaurant has spectacular views of the runway. There are also private dining rooms towards the back. The restaurant used to be part of the runway but, these days, there are four layers of glass and I couldn't hear anything as planes landed and took off. The unusually-named Icarus bar is in the lobby area on the ground floor (on a platform to the right) and there is also an old English-style pub with a dartboard and TV showing sporting events. The bar stays open 24 hours.
The gym is free to guests and opens from 6am-7.30pm. There are four running machines and a set of free weights.
If you book a room online there is a free virtual concierge service available. This means you can request services in advance of your arrival, for example requesting that your room be prepared as you like it. There are also plenty of parking spaces – 608 to be exact.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £114 for a quality room, and £140 for a club room (including breakfast). Weekend rates started at £82 for a quality room, and £109 for a club room (including breakfast).
Felicity Cousins
The Sheraton Skyline
Bath Road, tel +44 (0)20 8759 2535, sheraton.com
Hoppa Bus H3 or free 144 London bus
On the Bath Road next to the Renaissance Marriott, this is a very ordinary-looking low-rise red brick building built in the 1970s. About 10 minutes' bus ride from Heathrow Terminal 3, the hotel has parking for 320 cars, and offers stay, park and fly rates including up to 21 days parking. There are 350 rooms, including 38 executive rooms and two suites.
All standard rooms have work desks, TVs, air conditioning, video checkout, iron and ironing board and minibar, and rooms look either into the atrium or outside. I had an executive room on the second floor at the front, overlooking the Bath Road and runways and above the entrance. Despite the busy road and air traffic, the room was quiet once I had closed the sliding windows (for some reason it had been left open on one of the coldest days of the year).
The room was larger than its equivalent at the Sheraton Heathrow, with a king-size "sleigh" bed (the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed), armchair and footrest, and a large desk with ergonomic chair. It was equipped with a minibar, bathrobe and slippers, iron, trouser press and hairdryer, but no safe (although they are available free of charge in reception). There is broadband internet connection in all rooms, and wifi access in the public areas.
All of the Skyline's restaurants are located on the ground floor. Breakfast is served in the Sports Bar and Café, an American-themed diner which serves light meals and shows sports event on large screens. There was a good choice of breakfast options, but the bar has no natural daylight, which is a shame first thing in the morning.
Other eating options include Al Dente, a fine dining Italian restaurant, and Sage, serving contemporary British meals and snacks. The hotel also has a cocktail bar called the Sky Bar, situated within the Sky Garden, an atrium conservatory on the ground floor of the hotel.
The conference centre is also located on the ground floor, with its own entrance at the side of the hotel leading into a conservatory lobby area. The centre comprises 18 meeting rooms, the largest of which is the International suite, and can hold up to 500 delegates.
There is a also a Smart meeting room, seating 22 boardroom-style, which has video-conferencing capabilities and plasma screens. The conference centre lobby has a patisserie for drinks and light snacks, and there is a modest business centre with photocopying and fax services. The Sky Garden can be hired for events for up to 350 people.
A major draw for the Skyline is that it has an indoor pool, located in the Sky Garden. The area is filled with vegetation and palm trees, and there is plenty of seating and a poolside bar, which becomes a cocktail bar in the evenings. Bizarrely though, there are no changing rooms, meaning that swimmers either have to use one of the hotel's public toilets, or, as I did, dry themselves as best as possible, then traipse damp through the hotel and back to their room. There is a well- equipped gym on the ground floor.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £163 for a classic room, with weekend rates starting at £93.
Mark Caswell
Sheraton Heathrow
Colnbrook Bypass, West Drayton, tel +44 (0)20 8759 2091, sheraton.com
Hoppa bus H4, London bus service 81
Located just past where the Bath Road joins the Colnbrook Bypass, about 10 minutes west of Terminals 1, 2 and 3, this low-rise 1970s whitewashed building is set back slightly from the main road. The hotel is split into four distinct quadrants – the eating areas, conference centre, bedrooms and the reception area, which is also home to a new gym (about to open when I stayed), with cardiovascular machines, free weights and exercise mats and balls. There is parking for 236 cars, and the hotel offers stay, park and fly rates including parking for either seven or 15 days.
There are 427 rooms, including 325 classic rooms, 96 executive rooms, and six suites. All rooms feature the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed. Classic rooms have TV, work desk, tea and coffee making facilities and trouser press and are either inward-looking over the atrium or outward (with windows that open).
My executive room was on the ground floor, looking into a courtyard, and I couldn't hear any noise either from the road or airport. The room was slightly smaller than its equivalent in the Skyline, and at times it felt a little cramped. Other than this, the facilities were similar to the Skyline, although rooms here have laptop safes and wifi access. All of the hotel's eating and drinking establishments are located to the left of reception. The Terrace serves international à la carte cuisine, while Café au Lait offers light snacks and has a T-Mobile hotspot for wifi connectivity. There is also a bar open daily until 12.30am.
The hotel has a conference centre, which was refurbished in 2003 and is located on the former site of the hotel's swimming pool. It is a modern, hi-tech facility, with a total of 21 rooms, ranging in capacity from 10 to 200 delegates, clustered around a central atrium. There are two Smart Meeting rooms, and the hotel also offers a Starmeeting concierge service, providing a permanent point of contact to welcome delegates and help with any queries regarding technology.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £81 for a classic room, and £110 for an executive room. Weekend rates started at £63 for a classic room, and £93 for an executive room.
Mark Caswell
Marriott Heathrow
Bath Road, Hayes, tel +44 (0)20 8990 1100, marriott.co.uk
Hoppa bus H3
More attractive than many Heathrow options, the Marriott seems younger than its seven years, with gleaming lobby floors, tall ceilings and flower displays, plus several large wire mesh trapeze figures hanging from the roof.
Rooms are all of a similar size and decor. The hotel has five floors, with the first floor having disabled-access rooms. I was in one of three recently refurbished executive king room, worth requesting (rooms 5082, 5077 and 5079) if staying in the next months – though all rooms are due to be refurbished. My room was decked out in modern, vibrant greens, creams and reds and was equipped with a laptop-sized safe (as are 5077 and 5079; all other rooms do not have safes). My white tiled bathroom was spotless and equipped with Neutrogena toiletries – including hair conditioner, which is often missing in hotel bathrooms.
Executive rooms have extra touches such as bathroom scales, but the real advantage is the use of the executive lounge, which offers a peaceful seating area with a TV, magazines and newspapers, hot drinks all day and complimentary breakfast (6-10am), snacks (5.30-7.30pm) and dessert (5.30-9.30pm). If two of you have breakfast and are staying in a double room, this alone would the extra £30 for an executive room worthwhile. A more substantial buffet breakfast is available for £14.95 in Allie's American Brasserie.
For dinner, I tried Tuscany, an Italian restaurant – open Monday to Saturday – with two seating areas, the larger of which I was seated in. I was pleased to be shown to a table where I could sit with my back to the wall, facing the room. Wines were available by the glass (four whites by the glass, six reds, bottles from £21).
For business, there is a small centre where internet access is available at three terminals for £3 for 15 minutes and £7 for £45. Photocopying is also available with the first 20 copies free. There are 16 meeting rooms, the largest being the London suite, which takes up to 650 for a reception. Most do not have natural light but have all the necessary audiovisual facilities. The most stylish small room is the Kensington boardroom which takes meetings of up to 10 people. The larger of the two hotel suites can be used for meetings of around six people; the suites are a little faded and in need of a refurbishment.
Wifi is available throughout meeting and public areas, at guests' own rates (high-speed wired access is available in the guest rooms for £15 over 24 hours). For leisure the hotel has a decent-sized gym and pool on the ground floor, with a spa pool, sauna and steam room, all of which can be busy in the evenings.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £145 for a quality room and £175 for executive room with weekends from £82.
Sarah Maxwell
Hilton London Heathrow Airport
Terminal 4 Heathrow Airport, tel +44(0)20 8759 7755, hilton.co.uk/heathrow
Until September 2006, the Terminal 4 London Underground Piccadilly Line station is out of action, but there is a transfer bus from Hatton Cross station. Once in Terminal 4, you turn right and walk all the way to the sliding doors at the end which lead straight into the tunnel to the hotel.The four-star Hilton is the only hotel with direct covered access to the terminal. Although it has just turned 15 years old, the design looks fresh and striking – the whole front of the hotel is glass with an elegant white superstructure.
The atrium lobby is flooded with light and is open-plan, and all the eating and drinking areas make it a buzzing space. There is the Brasserie Restaurant which overlooks the hotel pond (containing three giant carp); Oscars, a 24-hour snack restaurant; the Dancers bar in the centre, which has a giant (over 7 metres) wooden sculpture of two dancers; and Zen Chinese restaurant on the right. The lobby area is being refurbished this year, with the Dancers bar first on the list, followed by the Brasserie.
There are 395 rooms including five junior suites and 80 executive rooms. Standard rooms have been updated and look stylish and clean cut – the executive rooms will also be having a makeover later in the year. Rooms overlook either the airport or the central atrium (these are slightly quieter, though these windows don't open). Executive rooms have access to the executive lounge and its snacks, breakfast and alcohol. My room had green and cream decor, with a beige carpet and crisp white bed. There were directional lights, TV, work desk, tea and coffee making facilities, a minibar, dressing gown and slippers. The bathroom had a shared bath and shower with shampoo, shower gel and body lotion all provided. I slept very well, although at 11.15pm the phone rang twice for no reason. All rooms have wifi access (also available throughout the public areas).
I ate at the Brasserie restaurant, which seats up to 160 people and also serves breakfast. The restaurant offers a comprehensive buffet option with everything from two choices of roast dinner to fresh fish and paella or cold meats and salads. The desserts were mouth-watering. I went for the à la carte menu and sat overlooking the pond by the window. For starter I had tender scallops followed by piping-hot mushroom veloute (£6) with almond-crusted bread, and then the main course of roasted halibut with artichokes and potatoes in a delicious creamy sauce (£23). The food and service was excellent, and on this basis I wished I was staying longer as Zen Oriental Chinese restaurant apparently serves a mean crispy duck. The Brasserie is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For business the hotel caters for a lot of walk-in meetings and conferences and has 32 conference and meeting rooms on the lower floor. This is where the business centre is and also the health and fitness centre, which has a swimming pool looking out over the pond and also a gym open to non-guests too.
Spa and massage treatments are available (you must book in advance).
Once Terminal 5 is completed it is expected that the hotel will have a direct bus link with the terminal (a journey time of around 10 minutes).
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £175 for a standard queen guest room, and £246 for an executive room. Weekend rates started at £140 for a standard room, and £196 for an executive room.
Felicity Cousins
Premier Travel Inn London Heathrow
Bath Road, tel +44 (0)870 607 5075 premiertravelinn.com
Hoppa bus H
Opened in late 2003, the 590-room Travel Inn is a welcome addition to the Heathrow area. Located east on the A4 Bath Road about two miles from the Central Terminal area (Terminal 1,2 and 3) and a little further from T4, this huge budget hotel is a popular option for travellers who don't need, or aren't prepared to pay for, the facilities of a first-class property. Rooms here cost around 50 per cent less than those at nearby first class hotels. Meals and drinks are also far less expensive.
My stay here demonstrated that you can forget any preconceptions you might have about budget hotels. The Travel Inn resembles a flashy air terminal with some rooms overlooking a central atrium. It boasts spacious rooms which are identical to those in any UK Travel Inn but in addition there is air conditioning, triple-glazed windows, two restaurants and a bar.
Rooms are adequate for a business person's need. My accommodation overlooked the atrium and there was absolutely no noise from planes landing or taking off.
Price: Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started at £78, and £54 for a weekend stay. A full breakfast costs £6.95 with a lighter version priced at £5.25.
Alex McWhirter
GETTING AROUND HEATHROW
HEATHROW HOPPA HOTEL BUS
WHAT IS IT? The Heathrow Hoppa is run by National Express and visits most of the hotels in the area. It leaves from outside Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
HOW MUCH? A one-way journey costs £3 (a return ticket is £5). Tickets can be bought from the machines at the bus stop but the driver will accept notes if you have no change. Tickets are also sold in the hotels served by the bus. One child aged between five and 15 may travel free with each accompanying adult; children under five travel free.
WHICH NUMBER? HI Crowne Plaza and Novotel,
H2 Renaissance and Park Inn, H3 London Heathrow Marriott, Radisson Edwardian and Sheraton Skyline, H4 Sheraton Heathrow, H6 Ibis.
PROS AND CONS The Hoppa does not visit Terminal 4, so passengers staying on the Bath Road have to get back to the Central Area by Hoppa bus, taxi or public bus and then take the free Heathrow Express to Terminal 4. The bus journey takes three minutes. Hoppa buses run every 12-15 minutes, or 20 minutes off peak, which can mean a long wait. Once on the bus, depending on which hotel you are staying at, you may visit several other stops before your own. The benefit is that it takes you right to your door and only costs £3 (as opposed to the standard £10 in a cab).
LONDON BUS
WHERE? As soon as you reach the top of the escalators from the tube or Heathrow Express, follow the sign for buses. Heathrow's bus station (one of the busiest in the country) has recently been refurbished by BAA and National Express, and there are further plans for snacks and refreshment outlets. From here there are red London buses for the Bath Road from platforms 19 and 20. Make sure to ask for the Bath Road, though, or you might end up heading into the Berkshire countryside.
HOW MUCH? Free. Just tell the driver you want a Bath Road hotel.
PROS AND CONS The benefit is that it is free and, unlike the Hoppa bus, it does not stop at other hotels and wait for people to unload with bags. The disadvantage is that you have to keep your wits about you. Make sure you watch out for your hotel because the bus stop is not always right outside, and make sure you check with the driver, because if the bus turns off the Bath Road, you might be left with a bit of a trek back. The free zone doesn't extend beyond the Bath Road, so you may have to pay to return if you go too far.
TAXIS
Only black cabs can operate in the area as other cars are not allowed to pull up outside the terminals. A black cab to the Bath Road will cost around £9 one way from Terminal 1, 2 and 3. From the Bath Road to Terminal 4 it is a similar fare.
AN EXTRA THOUGHT
For business class passengers flying with Emirates, Gulf Air, Virgin, Air New Zealand there is a free private transfer from the airport to an address of your choice (within a certain radius).
Parking options off and on Heathrow airport
Nearly all the car parks are "on" airport, which means they are on airport (BAA)-owned land and generally charge premium prices as a result. "Off" airport is less expensive, but generally means longer transfer times.
Firstly for those needing a short stay, parking at the airport and walking straight into the terminal is an option. However, you pay for the convenience: you can park hourly, or 18-24 hours for £44.50, or 36–48 hours for £89. After 48 hours the price is £44 per 24 hours.
Discounts are available at weekends (between 4pm Friday and 10am Monday).
Secondly, also on airport, there are BAA's "business car parks". Pink Elephant Parking serves Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and has courtesy buses every five minutes for the eight-minute journey time. Park & Fly serves Terminal 4 and the courtesy coach leaves every five to eight minutes for the 15-minute journey. Park Plus serves only Terminal 1. Prices are round £15.40 per day for the first four days and then £14.90 per day (+44 [0]870 850 2825). For long stays there is Parking Express which serves all terminals.
For off airport parking (not BAA), which can be cheaper although further away, there is Purple Parking, based 20 minutes away. Other options are Park4Less, Airways Cranford and Q-Park Flyaway. Check online first, as strangely, drive-up options can be cheaper. And make sure you leave time for the transfer bus.
Interestingly, there is also an NCP car park which is off airport land but is very close to Terminals 1, 2, 3, being on the Bath Road. Worth a look. (see ncp.co.uk).
Finally, there are the valet services which save you time (and parking stress) by taking your car from you at the airport, parking it and returning it when you land. London Heathrow's official valet parking is Chauffeured Parking Services (CPS) which serves all terminals. British Airways uses CPS for its "express parking" service for executive club members. Call +44 (0)870 013 4780.
There other few companies offering this service, also for around £40 per day: Purple Parking Meet and Greet, Q-Park Flyaway Meet and Greet, MBW Valet Parking.
See heathrowairport.com for more prices and to save money booking online.
