bakera

rapidex

Your list is out of date with the new Holiday inn/HIX opening this week.

corporate-wage-slave

Currently I make it the Sofitel at T5, plus arguably the Thistle; Yotel, Premier Inn, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express all at T4. They are all open now. Then some time next year we get another HGI at T2.

mtikky

Apologies for a slightly off topic add to this thread... I'm heading for Helsinki on Saturday (no surprises there) on an ex-Jer fare. I'd rather re-position Friday evening from LGW rather than getting up early Saturday morning especially as I'm in CE. (hic)

As the LHR - HEL shows from T3, recommendations for hotels please?

corporate-wage-slave

Have a look at the link in Post 7, I've put a spreadsheet in there somewhere.

mtikky

Thanks c-w-s - found it on https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/show...&postcount=100 - HI Ariel it is (IHG status and an IHG credit card swings it for me)

bisonrav

Everyone should know how easy it is to get from the Bath Road hotels to Heathrow terminals on the local buses - it's often free too. Google maps will sort you out for bus numbers and knowing when to get off, and there's plenty of information online about the free bus services (worst case it's a tap in with a contactless credit card which costs very little). When you have the run of the hotels around the airport, you can optimise comfort v. cost very easily. I'm a big fan of the Premier Inns, have also stayed in the Ibis and Hyatt. I generally just use the hotel search on google to locate a deal.

I would never stay in the Sofitel, way too expensive.

xenole

I'm trying to decide which hotel to use next month. Lunchtime flight so at least I can take advantage of a hotel breakfast if required.

The Ariel, HI T5, HIX T5, and HGI are all coming in at around £51-£58 which seems good for a Saturday night. All have pros and cons like Hoppa buses, getting from the central bus station to T5 takes a little time although free?, 15 min tube ride e/w etc.
May get my Hilton Diamond status back via my GGL status and pay £93 for the T4 Hilton / £81 for the T5 Hilton to get some advantage of it, although I'm a couple of stays away from IHG Platinum so staying at the HI or HIX would get me that (stayed at both before without issues, and have had a lot more IHG stays recently as local Hiltons have cost £££ more + locations).
The HGI, with room fridges, does have the advantage of being able to pop 1 stop on the tube to Asda in Hounslow, walk 5 mins and pick up 4 bottles of beer/cider for £6 which beats the £5.25 per bottle or whatever in the bar.

Sofitel £121 for basic room (not sure if cheaper through travel sites) but would rather save £50 and travel a little against a little bit of convenience.
Thistle £59 for basic room + charge of £5 e/w? for the pods
Premier Inn Bath Road £34 (£45 for flexible) + Hoppa Bus
Premier Inn T5 £43.50 (£58 for flexible) + Hoppa bus or can you pop across to the Thistle and use the pods?

corporate-wage-slave

Of those, if you get the Diamond status back, the T5 Hilton seems good value if you get there early enough the night before to use the lounge there. However in a way T4 Hilton is perhaps better still, since it's a free, frequent and quick TfL bus between T4 and T5, though the rooms are much bigger and nicer in the T5. And both would save a trip to Asda..... Both Hiltons allow you to take the breakfast in the main restaurant rather than the lounge, and both have good buffets. T4 Hilton has the better lounge if you can get there for evening free drinks.

If you don't sort out Diamond then I wouldn't go to HIX or HI T5, they are tricky to get to but are both good hotels. Ariel and HIX are equally easy for transport, though Ariel is in the free bus zone. I guess HIX T4 isn't coming in cheap. I would be tempted by the Thistle, you don't have to use the pod both directions, or even either direction, it's on the free bus service. And it's walkable, takes 20 minutes. You can't use the Pods unless you're staying at the Thistle, but obviously the free bus is available from the Premier Inn anyway, and it is also walkable.

If it was me, taking the information provided, and I have Diamond, I'd probably go for the Hilton T4 if I had the time to enjoy the lounge/breakfast. And the Thistle or Ariel if I was trying to save money. If the Bath Road Travelodge, Doubletree or Moxy are cheap - and they usually are on a Saturday, then they are next to a Tesco Metro.

xenole

The T4 HIX is coming in at £73. I would rather pay the extra £8 for the Hilton T5.

Speaking of the Hilton T5, how do you park there?
Had a look at their website and it mentions to call the concierge.
The car park, run by NCP?, seems to want £52-£55 for a member's rate, which is not far off the £59 for Goodtogo parking's drop & go rate.

I've stayed the Doubletree as well. Used the Tesco for rolls, cheese and drink rather than paying hotel menu rates.
Also walked down there from the Bath Road PI, although KFC could tempt me away from there if the mood took me.

Ldnn1

Seems rather unnecessary if you have CCR access.

xenole

Haven't got that at present. Only a lowly GGL rather than GGL + CCR. Slack year and it's not a major issue most of the time not eating and drinking in the CCR.
Might go the extra mile for it this coming year. We'll see.

I must admit that if I'm not having to be at the airport between 5am-6am, before a lot of hotels start breakfast, eating at the hotel makes a nice change from a BA breakfast (although sometimes I'll be a pig and grab some black pudding in the lounge once I get there).
I do favour a HIX over a HI partly due to the complete lack of character in a Holiday Inn and the fact they charge anything from £10-£20 for a breakfast.

Did arrive late afternoon last time I went to the Hilton T5 and used the lounge for drinks and snacks at teatime / suppertime / early evening or whatever time you want to call it. Also had breakfast in there in the morning as my flight wasn't until early afternoon.
Do like to get my money's worth rather than turning up at 10-11pm, sleeping for maybe 4 hours and then heading back to the airport.

SkyTeam777

Is there a way to stay airside if you have an onward connection at T5 during Covid times? BA from Malta arriving at midnight and departing on AA to Boston at 9am. Getting a hotel
and clearing immigration seems like a chore.

KARFA

Not overnight. T5 closes airside overnight so you have to go landside I am afraid.