Originally Posted by mauld
Thanks for all the above info. In late May I have an early flight out of LHR back to the US. I'm booked at the Hyatt Churchill on a couple of FFN, but I found a GBP 51 rate for Sun nite at the Sheraton Heathrow (*wood website). With an 8 am UA flight in C, but no luggage to check-- how early should I plan to leave the Sheraton?? Also, is the Heathrow Express my only option to the airport, then the Hoppa to the hotel, on Sun night or is there a tube stop closer to the hotel ? (again I'll only have one small carry on bag with me).
Note that Sheraton Heathrow is now quoting without VAT so that is the standard 60GBP rate for the weekend. If you don't want to do PL at Sheraton Skyline for about 70-80 dollars, then it is ok.
In your position, I would give myself 1 hour 15 minutes to check in. The Hotel Hoppa runs every 15-20 minutes but the H4 that goes to Sheraton Heathrow is the worst of the lot. However, they are fairly reliable early in the morning before they get backed up. Allow 20 minutes to get to T3 from the hotel (a stop at Holiday Inn, T1 and T2) and about 20 minutes of a possible wait for the Hoppa at the Hotel.
So you are looking at a minimum 6AM departure from the hotel if you want to be safe. If you want to live dangerously, 6:30AM. The concierge has a schedule of the bus if you want to time coming down for the bus from the room.
To get to the Hotel from London, the best route is via the airport and the Hoppa. There is no tube station anywhere near the hotel. You can take Heathrow Express or Piccadilly line to the airport if you have time and is more convenient to get to.