AHB260

I have a 7 hour layover at LHR in a few weeks and am thinking about finding a hotel room to get some sleep. I am flying Virgin Atlantic (in Economy even...I shudder to think about it) and I believe flying into T3. I am connecting to a BA flight to FRA, Flight 908, which I believe is out of T5.

I am wondering which would be a better option for a quick hotel room for some decent sleep and a shower? Would you make the transfer from T3 to T5 and stay there, or stop in 3 and then go to 5 after a nap?

Advice, as always, is appreciated!

Globaliser

There aren't any hotels in T3, but there is a hotel attached to T5 (the Sofitel). Any other hotels will require you to transfer from T3 to the hotel, and then from the hotel to T5. That might therefore be one thing to take into account.

However, the Sofitel is not exactly a budget-priced hotel! There is a thread about it: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...el-lhr-t5.html - but given that you won't have 7 hours in which to rest because of the time needed to do even the minimum transfer between terminals if you go landside, I wonder whether you might be better off with a lounge in T5.

stifle

The Sofitel is an expensive proposition but reasonably worthwhile. Any other location is liable to require trains/buses/etc. (God forbid you try to get a taxi from Heathrow to a Bath Road hotel).

AAtticus

I've always been happy with the Hilton Garden Inn.

Just a short trip from T5/T3 to Hatton Cross and you can walk from there. Usually priced A LOT cheaper than surrounding airport hotels.

Purim

I have always have stayed at the Sofitel (they have good service recovery if things go wrong). But high prices in early January sent me to the T4 Hilton for the first time. A perfectly acceptable hotel, good even, but a real PITA to get to from T5. Trains took me 50 minutes on the evening, 40 in the morning, albeit free. There is a hoppa, but its 5 pounds and its a bus.

Sofitel next time and expense be damned.

Swiss Tony

Do bear in mind that it could take you over an hour to exit the airport, and you would need to be back through security at T5 the best part of an hour before your departure.

There is a pay per use lounge in Terminal 5 (although I think booking in advance is recommended). That may be better than schlepping out to a hotel, especially if you're all on one ticket so bags are checked through.

Virazuno

Excellent thread re: this lounge: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...s-reviews.html

Note that the (official) maximum stay is 3 hours. Although I think you can either pay for extra time, or leave and come back for another 3 hours - rinse and repeat as required.

They do have rest pods though, which would be good enough, I would say, on a layover that's 7 hours. Any longer, and I'd be looking at Sofitel.

AHB260

Thanks for the recommendations. I was thinking about the Hilton Garden Inn using Hilton points but will take a look at the Sofitel. With the help of you fine folks I got to Gold for the first time this year so I have access to Lounges so worst case scenario I find a chair in a corner and doze off a bit

Thanks again!

konagirl2

Agree that Sofitel is the best option if not too expensive for you. You may know this but for lurkers, you can use the airside bus transfer to T5 (purple signs) and then exit immigration at T5 provided you do not need to collect bags.

If you are on a budget, you can you the free travel around Heathrow (link to pdf). From T3, hotels from the tunnel west as far as the Old Bath Road (Premier Inn / Sheraton) can be easily reached on buses 75/76/U3 and then bus 423 will take you to T5.

There are also buses 482/490 from Hatton Cross-T4-T5 for free. It takes about 20-25 minutes from Hatton Cross, leaving every 10 minutes during the day, and is usually empty expect during shift changes at the Cargo centre.

Pocalypse

I recently did the Sofitel on a 7 hour connection from T3 to T5.

They have a day rate. It was £160 for the day for a superior room (on a Saturday). Their day is defined as 8am - 6pm, although at checkin they told me I could checkout as late as 7pm. I had to call to book as they don't offer the day rates online.

I landed at T3, took the airside transfer bus to T5 (took about 10 minutes), then went through UK arrivals at T5. From there I could walk to the Sofitel (about 10-15 minute walk). I think I got to the hotel about 45-50 minutes after landing in T3.

In the time I had, I got in a shower, about 3 hours of sleep and another shower. Overall I was very happy with it, as I didn't want to try to sleep in the lounge.

I left the sofitel at about 6.10pm for an 8pm departure. LHR was very foggy that day with lots of delays, so didn't want to risk anything later. I ended up having to reprint my boarding pass (couldn't use AA boarding pass at T5 security), so was happy I had time for that.

Virazuno

Wow, that's a bit steep. A night can be booked for as little as half that.

Pocalypse

A night was about £200 for the same date and room type.

sammyg901

There is also yotel in terminal 4 which would be a lot cheaper than Sofitel

You could take the flight connections bus airside to T4 and clear immigration there. the hotel is in the terminal directly above the customs exit

Then take public bus 482 or 490 (free, downstairs, outside terminal to the left, marked on bus stop and the bus as T5 so can't go wrong!) takes around 15 mins around to T5

Ldnn1

Your best bet could be the pod bedrooms at the No.1 Lounge in T3: http://no1lounges.com/service/pod-be...row/terminal-3

It's been mentioned in other threads that you can access this (i.e. T3 airside) even if departing from another terminal (as in your case).

Is your itinerary all on one ticket? If so and your luggage is checked through, you could simply go straight through flight connections at T3 to the lounge. Not sure how you'd get to the arrivals stream for the airside bus to T5 afterwards, but if doable that would be ideal.

Purim

It is still a bus. If you are transiting at LHR from one warm climate to another, waiting for some bus to trundle to where you are waiting makes no sense.....