Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Airport {GBR}
Feb 28, 2015, 7:03 am
#1
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Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Airport {GBR}
Back from one night at HGI Heathrow. Had stayed there when it was Jury's Inn. It is a lot better now, and a great new addition to LHR hotels.
I booked £65 easy cancel basic room - double double. Nearer time I tried online check in, could not figure out which rooms faced airport. A friendly person on Trio Advisor helped out, and via a friend at the hotel I was allocated 750, top floor king room, so an upgrade.
I came from T4, and just walked down as it was nice afternoon, a few landing aircraft above you head as you near Hatton Cross. You can of course take underground to Hatton Cross or several buses. There is Hoppa Bus but no need with public transport.
Thanks to CWS on the BA thread, I knew to head straight on from Hatton Cross down the A30, but not across just after freight building you see it, and you approach from the side, and there is side door you can use, it is a but shorter then walking all the way round.
No wait at check in, and great reception. Thanked for loyalty, told of upgrade, told of free breakfast and points, voucher for 2 bottles of water, you can take from small shop or bar, and they have welcome cookies, not like Doubletre but still nice ^
You need keycard to use lifts, top floor room. 750 faces runway, rooms 747-752 all do. Room 717 along face A30 and are good for watching aircraft on approach or take off. I would say 747-752 are best if you like planes
I was impressed, a handwritten letter from GM, welcoming me to " The Garden " with 3 x 1l bottles water, I like water but with the 2 free bottles, that was a lot of water
Nicely decorated room and small fridge for personnel use, as well as T/C, bath in bathroom which is nice these days as lots rooms are just shower. TV with freeview, lots channels, and very quiet, I think new windows installed
I went for usual run around Heathrow, highly recommend it for any runners out there, and used gym. Nice gym with good kit and faces A30, so you can work out and watch planes
Also a business center which I used and laundry, which I did not.
There is bar and restaurant with nice enough menu, but I made a walk back to T4 and enjoyed Cafe Rouge. There is also small shop on site, with snacks and frozen meals, BP garage short walk away as well
After a good sleep I headed to breakfast. Again quiet, good choice newspapers: The I, the FT (full weekend with magazine), Irish Times. Good choice for breakfast and chef on duty, somewhere in between Hampton and Hilton.
Check out was quick and I made the sort walk to Hatton Cross
A great value hotel. Doubletree was less, but this is more nearer things in my view. I had never been in a HGI before so was not sure what to expect, but it was very good and I shall return.
I booked £65 easy cancel basic room - double double. Nearer time I tried online check in, could not figure out which rooms faced airport. A friendly person on Trio Advisor helped out, and via a friend at the hotel I was allocated 750, top floor king room, so an upgrade.
I came from T4, and just walked down as it was nice afternoon, a few landing aircraft above you head as you near Hatton Cross. You can of course take underground to Hatton Cross or several buses. There is Hoppa Bus but no need with public transport.
Thanks to CWS on the BA thread, I knew to head straight on from Hatton Cross down the A30, but not across just after freight building you see it, and you approach from the side, and there is side door you can use, it is a but shorter then walking all the way round.
Approach and entrance
The side entrance
The side entrance
No wait at check in, and great reception. Thanked for loyalty, told of upgrade, told of free breakfast and points, voucher for 2 bottles of water, you can take from small shop or bar, and they have welcome cookies, not like Doubletre but still nice ^
You need keycard to use lifts, top floor room. 750 faces runway, rooms 747-752 all do. Room 717 along face A30 and are good for watching aircraft on approach or take off. I would say 747-752 are best if you like planes
I was impressed, a handwritten letter from GM, welcoming me to " The Garden " with 3 x 1l bottles water, I like water but with the 2 free bottles, that was a lot of water
Nicely decorated room and small fridge for personnel use, as well as T/C, bath in bathroom which is nice these days as lots rooms are just shower. TV with freeview, lots channels, and very quiet, I think new windows installed
The room
I went for usual run around Heathrow, highly recommend it for any runners out there, and used gym. Nice gym with good kit and faces A30, so you can work out and watch planes
Also a business center which I used and laundry, which I did not.
After a good sleep I headed to breakfast. Again quiet, good choice newspapers: The I, the FT (full weekend with magazine), Irish Times. Good choice for breakfast and chef on duty, somewhere in between Hampton and Hilton.
Check out was quick and I made the sort walk to Hatton Cross
A great value hotel. Doubletree was less, but this is more nearer things in my view. I had never been in a HGI before so was not sure what to expect, but it was very good and I shall return.
Feb 28, 2015, 7:16 am
#2
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Good report, thanks for posting this.
Two other things to point out here: there is a guest laundry room, you buy a token from Reception which they put on the bill if you wish. The pantry sells soap powder (along with the usual snacks, drinks and a few ready meals).
The other thing is the bath tub, which is clearly from the same supplier as the other ex Jury, the Doubletree in Chelsea. The depth of it is very shallow, so while easy to use as a shower, it would be difficult for an adult to get much of a soak in it, the water can't even cover one's knees.
Two other things to point out here: there is a guest laundry room, you buy a token from Reception which they put on the bill if you wish. The pantry sells soap powder (along with the usual snacks, drinks and a few ready meals).
The other thing is the bath tub, which is clearly from the same supplier as the other ex Jury, the Doubletree in Chelsea. The depth of it is very shallow, so while easy to use as a shower, it would be difficult for an adult to get much of a soak in it, the water can't even cover one's knees.
Feb 28, 2015, 7:44 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,740
I'll comment tonight when I stay. Will most likely be dark lot of the time so any views won't be great.
Think I'll be breakfasting at T5 after an early start so unlikely to try the HGI breakfast out.
Added:
Very easy to find. Turn right out of the tube station (barriers behind you) and walk left away from the petrol station along the air cargo building. Cross at the pelican crossing and sort of walk at 10pm on a clockface to the entrance near Costa coffee.
I chose room 746 on the corner. Thin shaped room but good views. I can see a few BA747s in front of me and to the right and Concorde is pretty much directly in front of me. Nice views of some planes coming in to land (well, as they pass rather than seeing them coming) on the runway that runs at 45 degrees in in front of Concorde's nose. That said, step out of Hatton Cross tube station and you can practically touch planes such as Cathay Pacific 777s etc they're so close!
Only real problem with the room is the TV position. It faces the window and the bed is at a right angle to it. You have to pull it to the edge of the desk in order to turn it to watch in bed or move it onto the table.
Think I'll be breakfasting at T5 after an early start so unlikely to try the HGI breakfast out.
Added:
Very easy to find. Turn right out of the tube station (barriers behind you) and walk left away from the petrol station along the air cargo building. Cross at the pelican crossing and sort of walk at 10pm on a clockface to the entrance near Costa coffee.
I chose room 746 on the corner. Thin shaped room but good views. I can see a few BA747s in front of me and to the right and Concorde is pretty much directly in front of me. Nice views of some planes coming in to land (well, as they pass rather than seeing them coming) on the runway that runs at 45 degrees in in front of Concorde's nose. That said, step out of Hatton Cross tube station and you can practically touch planes such as Cathay Pacific 777s etc they're so close!
Only real problem with the room is the TV position. It faces the window and the bed is at a right angle to it. You have to pull it to the edge of the desk in order to turn it to watch in bed or move it onto the table.
Last edited by xenole; Feb 28, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Mar 1, 2015, 8:04 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,197
Although I don't know and didn't meet with the OP, I was (from another thread) there at the same time, on the same floor.
I was also very impressed with the standard of the service; it feels much more like a full-service hotel than the US-based HGIs I have stayed in in the past.
As a diamond, I was also upgraded; I didn't even have to ask, although the view from my room (742) was not as good.
I think the DoubleTree feels more 'special', but that's probably irrelevant given the location. This is definitely more convenient for T5 (DoubleTree also has a reasonable bus service to T1/2/3, although no tube).
I would actively recommend *not* using the Hoppa - at £5 pp it's likely to cost more than an Uber for three people, and for one person, the Piccadilly line is only a five-minute walk away and likely to be quicker than the shuttle bus, as well as only costing £1.50. True cheapskates can even get a free local bus to any of the terminals from Hatton Cross.
I was also very impressed with the standard of the service; it feels much more like a full-service hotel than the US-based HGIs I have stayed in in the past.
As a diamond, I was also upgraded; I didn't even have to ask, although the view from my room (742) was not as good.
I think the DoubleTree feels more 'special', but that's probably irrelevant given the location. This is definitely more convenient for T5 (DoubleTree also has a reasonable bus service to T1/2/3, although no tube).
I would actively recommend *not* using the Hoppa - at £5 pp it's likely to cost more than an Uber for three people, and for one person, the Piccadilly line is only a five-minute walk away and likely to be quicker than the shuttle bus, as well as only costing £1.50. True cheapskates can even get a free local bus to any of the terminals from Hatton Cross.
Mar 1, 2015, 8:38 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,740
I paid £4.50 for the Hoppa this morning at 5:10am. The tube doesn't start from Hatton Cross until 5:47am on a Sunday and I couldn't be bothered to wait.
I had some haddock and chips there yesterday. £10.95 or something like that and nothing special. £5.10 for a bottle of Magners cider according to the bar menu.
They charge a £5 tray charge to have the food brought to your room.
Not sure if I was upgraded. Think I got the room I paid for and I didn't bother getting the two bottles of water with the coupon given at check in.
I had some haddock and chips there yesterday. £10.95 or something like that and nothing special. £5.10 for a bottle of Magners cider according to the bar menu.
They charge a £5 tray charge to have the food brought to your room.
Not sure if I was upgraded. Think I got the room I paid for and I didn't bother getting the two bottles of water with the coupon given at check in.
Mar 2, 2015, 4:37 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
HGI Heathrow
I've had a few stays here now and can only concur with the above posters. It's a reliable and consistent hotel in line with most HGI properties I've stayed in. This is now my Hilton property of choice at LHR. Why?
1- The restaurant is reasonably priced and the quality good.
2- It is next to Hatton Cross tube which means no Hoppa bus!
3- Upgraded one level each time as a Diamond
4- Crew use this hotel. No, that doesn't mean parties, it means quite the opposite. It's full of people wanting to get their head down for the night. They have separate facilities on the ground floor, too.
5- Much more pleasant ambience than the DT.
1- The restaurant is reasonably priced and the quality good.
2- It is next to Hatton Cross tube which means no Hoppa bus!
3- Upgraded one level each time as a Diamond
4- Crew use this hotel. No, that doesn't mean parties, it means quite the opposite. It's full of people wanting to get their head down for the night. They have separate facilities on the ground floor, too.
5- Much more pleasant ambience than the DT.
Mar 2, 2015, 9:03 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Omaha
Programs: AA Life Plat 4mm, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,459
I just booked July 5, arriving from VIE on AB at 8:30 pm, we want to visit Oxford for two days. My first thought was to take a late bus to Oxford but now thinking it would be smarter to stay here and catch a bus the next morning.
Thanks for the pictures, am I understanding we can walk? Not sure what our arriving terminal will be on AB.
Thanks for the pictures, am I understanding we can walk? Not sure what our arriving terminal will be on AB.
Mar 2, 2015, 9:42 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Can't wait to try this hotel! If only there were a reason to go to London now. Record stores don't exist in any abundance any more, airline taxes way too high. All that's left is a lucky Chelsea game with an obstructed view ticket for 1 person.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:00 am
#10
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or take underground from T1/2/3 to Hatton Cross - £1.80/50 if you have oyster or contactless, then just the short walk to hotel
Mar 2, 2015, 6:27 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Hi Spock Seat. You will arrive T3 if I am not mistaken. Anyway you will need to head to either central Bus Station and take bus 555 or X26, I think they are free, and will take about 12minutes - if someone can confirm. or take underground from T1/2/3 to Hatton Cross - £1.80/50 if you have oyster or contactless, then just the short walk to hotel
This new Hilton Garden Inn (HGI) at Heathrow is a huge plus -- I'll definitely stay here when I get a chance to return to London. Looks perfect for me. Thanks!
Mar 3, 2015, 2:58 am
#13
Original Poster
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Mar 3, 2015, 5:58 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,197
Another +1 for both.
I normally select breakfast as my 'MyWay' at HGIs but I switched to points specifically for this stay, as I was leaving too early to enjoy breakfast - but got given a voucher anyway.
(Breakfast doesn't start until 6, which is a little late for people with flights before about 7.30 a.m. to be comfortable).
Also I did sign up for the BA mileage promotion but my miles haven't shown in my HH account yet.
I normally select breakfast as my 'MyWay' at HGIs but I switched to points specifically for this stay, as I was leaving too early to enjoy breakfast - but got given a voucher anyway.
(Breakfast doesn't start until 6, which is a little late for people with flights before about 7.30 a.m. to be comfortable).
Also I did sign up for the BA mileage promotion but my miles haven't shown in my HH account yet.
