Originally Posted by
Edgerfly
Thanks for the helpful responses. Too bad the hotels sound so disorganized. I’m not sure how foreign tourists are able to navigate this. But I figure if they can do it I can do it.
Just a quick question at what price do people think it’s justified to use points? Maybe I’ll just change hotels for the sake of convienence, though I assume the ones connected are very expensive. The bulk of my staying is at ibis. Are any of the hotels I mentioned sub-par?
It’s not the hotels’ choice - the introduction of the Hoppa service was an attempt to reduce traffic around Heathrow as an environmental improvement, although subsequently it’s become too commercial. Hotel shuttles would not now be allowed access to the Central Bus Station. In addition to the Hoppa network, Heathrow is required to pay TfL a sum of money each year as a condition of its operating licence which funds the free travel zone around the airport. Once you work it out - and probably 100s of thousands do every year - it’s actually a much quicker and more efficient system than the US method of individual hotel shuttles.
As for cost - the Premier Inn at T4 will ordinarily be as cheap as any hotel around the airport. All the Bath Road hotels will be reasonable, and the quickest trip to T3 by bus. The Sofitel at T5 will be the most expensive by dint of its 5* status, and you’ll need to get on a Tube train or Heathrow Express the following day to get to T3 - so any advantage of staying at the terminal will be lost.