jexelot

Thank you for your input! GE= "Gold Elite"
Its just i have an overnight connection at Heathrow and dont want to go to the city and be back at the airport.

SkiAdcock

From Marriott T&C:

"Prepaid wholesale rates booked through 3rd party online retailers are not eligible for points, miles or Elite night credit, including, but not limited to, Priceline.com, Hotwire.com, Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, Hotels.com, etc. Wholesale packages and series tours are not eligible for points."

Cheers.

cyberdad

It still never hurts to ask. This is one instance where the oft-discussed lack of education on the part of some of the front desk staff could work in your favor.

I've only used 3rd party bookings a couple of times down through the years. In each case, I just presented my card, and managed to get my points/night's credit.

matthandy

Ahh pre-paid. I see, that makes sense now. When ever I've stayed at a Marriott I've always paid on check out.
Cheers for clarifying!

njshawn

I have stayed at this hotel about 20 times in the last 2 years and I agree with what others have said. I bet the hotel was nice in 1990 but it's a bit rough around the edges. I know they were doing some work on it when I last visited in May so it might look better now.

I don't know what the issue us with the hotel Hoppa but I can't imagine other options being that much easier when all you have to do is walk out of the terminal and wait for the hoppa bus.

The rooms are small but the beds are typical Marriott beds and very comfortable. Make sure you get a room as close to the elevator as possible as the walks to your room can be VERY long.

The concierge lounge is nice and it has a great view of the runway at Heathrow. If you can sleep through noise (I can) I try and get a room facing the runway.

The food at the hotel is HORRIBLE but so is most food in the UK. If you are eating in the area I suggest you try the Marriott right down the road from the Ren. Also, down the A4 if you make a left out of the Ren a great Chinese place is down the road on the right side.

It’s a business hotel but it’s not that bad if you are looking for a good bed.

star_world

Talk about instantly losing any hint of credibility your post may have had

Back on topic though - the only redeeming feature this hotel has is the very cheap rate. You can usually get a rate around GBP60 at weekends, and not much more than that mid-week, especially if you do a pre-pay rate. Highly recommend the Marriott across the road if you can get it at a good rate.

JamboAddick

Actually, I find the Hoppa Bus to be much more difficult and an unnecessary cost when the buses from the Central Bus Station do the job just fine, are more frequent and are free.

As for the rest of the comments, I'd have to agree (maybe not the comment about British food). It's a relatively economical place to put your head down for a night and close to Heathrow. Having said that, a previous poster mentioned the Premier Inn on the Bath Road and having stayed at a few of these inns around the UK, I'd have to say I'm a huge fan of the chain.

SkiAdcock

Have to agree w/ JamboAddick re: the Hoppa. Also keep in mind that w/ the current exchange rate for us Yanks the Hoppa is $8US each way. The $16 FT savings on the Hoppa by taking the free bus can be used to offset the price of the hotel room or a pint or two at the Pheasant.

Also agree w/ cyberdad that it doesn't hurt to plop down your elite card & hope for points on prepaid stays, but that the rules are clear so can't complain if you don't get them.

I think I stayed at the Premier Inn once when I took a bump - either that or the Travel Inn. Can't quite remember. It was ok. But prices being relatively equal I prefer the Ren cuz I get points at it, which I don't at other chains.

The only reason I haven't tried the Marriott is because I usually get the Ren for much cheaper, and again w/ the exchange rate that matters (to me at least).

Cheers.

thegoderic

I stayed their last night and they have refurbished the front of house area. My big issue with that was the carpet was so thick I got arm strain dragging my bag through it

As others have said, rooms are rather small, and the lounge is great for watching the planes, although I didn't use for breakfast this a.m., preferring the BA T5 First lounge instead.

GlennTheBaker

To the OP: If Expedia is cheaper than Marriott.com, you may want to consider booking with Marriott and then submitting a claim under the 'Look No Further' guarantee.

njshawn, saying that most food in the UK is horrible is one almighty generalisation!

cyberdad

Just one man's experience, but I've never had any partular problem finding a good meal in the UK when I've set out to find one. Of course, if I'm too tired or lazy to look beyond whatever the most convenient option is, its hit-or-miss proposition....just like any anyplace else.

Cheetah_SA

Stayed at the LHR Ren in June and agree with all the shortcomings mentioned. I could add:
- The concierge made a hash of ordering my cab to T5. I ended up waiting almost half an hour.
- The lounge was pretty ordinary IMO. They ran out of plates and various food items at breakfast and were very lax about rectifying things. So only go there if watching planes is more important to you than a decent, efficient brekkie.
- The first room I got smelled really stuffy - like a smoking room that has been poorly freshened - so I asked and was moved to another.
- For such an enormous hotel, having one (awful) restaurant is inexcusable. We ate at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place a block away - not good, but recommended by the concierge.

Despite all this, no, it is not totally horrible, but I won't be going back. (The Marriott over the road was not available on my dates but I should have chosen a Sheraton maybe.) Even if you are very cost conscious, I would avoid it unless it was very inexpensive.

mickeypops

This hotel is my "second home", as I stay here most weeks for two or three nights. I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as it's being painted here. The main problem is that the hotel is indeed "architecturally challenged." The rooms are a bit small, the layout lends itself to some long walks, the ceilings are too low etc.

On the other hand, I've always found the staff to be exceptional; the food and drink very good - especially breakfast and the bar-meals, if a bit expensive (as is the case in all the LHR hotels.) The club lounge (3rd floor) is great - gold/plat members can check in there which is handy if there's a queue at reception. The location excellent for the airport. There are quite a few eateries within easy walking distance. The Pheasant, as has been mentioned a few times, is very good. There is a pub nearer, the Magpies I think, but it is truly awful.

Wth regards to buses, especially if going to T1,2, and 3 - don't waste money on the Hoppa service. It only goes every 20 minutes or worse, whereas the public buses outside the hotel and 30 yards to the left, go to LHR central all the time. Any bus that comes along - with the exception of the 222 service - is headed for the airport and you will not wait more than one or two minutes. And it's free. There are 24/7 services as well. Free buses from across the road will take you to Hatton Cross (free) for easy connectivity with the Underground (services 285, 555, 556, 557) and the 285 goes to Feltham Railway Station for access to the London Overground network (bus is not free - currently £2 cash; cheaper with an Oyster card.) It's worth noting also that there are 24 hour bus services from central London, in case you're caught there after the Underground has shut.

I'm a Ren LHR expert (poor me) so don't hesitate to ask any questions.....

SkiAdcock

Thanks, and thanks for the reminder re: free bus to Hatton Cross. I always caught the bus to LHR & then took the Pic line from there into town (of course passing by Hatton Cross LOL). Also, I think it's the N9 night bus that comes out from central London & stops by the hotel.

The hotel isn't the Ritz, but it's not the no-tell motel either. If you get a decent rate, it's perfectly fine.

A couple other things:

The hotel is quite good about accepting BB/PP, but the way they show it on your bill is a bit strange. They just deduct it so your balance is whatever less the amount is. Since I need a full bill for expenses I've taken to keeping the folio that gets slipped underneath your door the night before you check out as it shows everything & using that for expense report. When I check out the BB/PP are applied the balance might be as low as 10GBP, which obviously isn't accurate. Since I know they do this & that the under the door folio does show everything, I just work w/ it.

Also, they're good about Plat gift (I actually like the cheese/fruit/wine combo they do here!), but if you want the 500 points instead, those don't usually post & you'll need to call the 800# when you're back. The points for the stay will post no problem, but for some reason the 500 points at this property don't do so automatically.

Cheers.

njshawn

I assume you are from the UK with the "s" in generalization. I was not trying to offend anyone, I love the UK and have spent most of the last 2 years working there. The one area I have never grown to like is the food. I have eaten as far south as Bournemouth and as far north as Newcastle and have not enjoyed many meals.