Best hotel near T5 for a quick o'nite

Old Jul 21, 2022, 12:22 pm
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by Travelling Inspector
Another vote for the T5 Premier Inn - cheap, comfortable, convenient. the 423 bus stop is directly outside the hotel and is two stops (c. 5 mins) from T5, first bus in the morning is 03:51 then at least every 30 mins until 05:25 when they are 3 per hour.
So last week I waited there to pick up my husband landing at T5- no restrictions before 9 (or 9.30)
Dozens of cabin crew for a variety of airlines but mostly BA came out, crossed the road and scanned through a rotating gate into what looked like a car park. 1 airline couldn't get in and had to buzz. Where were they going and why?
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Old Jul 21, 2022, 12:24 pm
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Originally Posted by Barnaby100
So last week I waited there to pick up my husband landing at T5- no restrictions before 9 (or 9.30)
Dozens of cabin crew for a variety of airlines but mostly BA came out, crossed the road and scanned through a rotating gate into what looked like a car park. 1 airline couldn't get in and had to buzz. Where were they going and why?
Staff car park bus.
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Old Jul 21, 2022, 1:28 pm
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Originally Posted by steveggetit
1. Sofitel for sure for sheer T5 early morning convenience and the food isn't bad either. You simply easily walk to check in and the hotel has a decent car park with sometime good prices if going away for 72 hrs..... the Club Millesmie is the Lounge option where you can load up on drinks ( not sure post Covid now ) from 6-8pm....

2. But if you have a Car and are parking at the airport anyhow think beyond Heathrow. Windsor has great restaurants and a far better atmosphere than the airport hotels.

3. Top Recommendation from me is the Runnymede or Great Fosters outside of Egham. English modern or Manor style with how we do things right in this crazy world. Decent food and my wife happy! No more to say really


SO

Sofitel if you have an early departure or don't have a Car, the other 2 for English Country House quality and charm.

Runnymede is a river hotel on the Thames ( I worked there in the Bar 45 yrs ago! ) but don't get staff rates! Great Fosters for classic English Manor House charm. Both Venues less than 10 mins away from T5. depends on car availability and if you want to enjoy a great brekkie as well.


Price points roughly the same as Sofitel, Great Fosters perhaps a notch up. Windsor has cheaper options.

Hope this helps
I'm the first to advocate Great Fosters, but rather as a weekend break hotel than for a quick layover. Much better to have time to wander round the grounds and see the bees (and then buy the honey, assuming they still do that!). Last time we ended up in the little room at the top of the tower, quite an experience...
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Old Jul 21, 2022, 2:04 pm
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Originally Posted by navylad
Staff car park bus.
Thanks. I had my dog and they all kept stopping to stroke him but I couldn't work out where they were all going.
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Old Jul 21, 2022, 2:13 pm
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Premier Inn on Bath Road is excellent value for money. Beds are always comfortable and there’s plenty of food/drink options on the site.

The car park at the rear is great for plane spotting too!
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Old Jul 26, 2022, 4:11 am
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Thistle T5

Have used the Thistle hotel at T5 a few times, it's dated but inexpensive and you can get the Heathrow Pods to the hotel. I think the Pod was 6 each way last time we used it. My son got a room for about 60 / night last time. Otherwise the "purple palace" Premier Inn is pretty close and cheap too.
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Old Jul 26, 2022, 4:53 am
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I'll add a +1 vote for the new(ish) Holiday Inn London Heathrow Bath Road. I've stayed several times now, and it's usually a reasonable 80-ish a night. The adjacent (and connected) Staybridge Suites is also a nice option, if you want a bit more space to decompress. The Hotel Hoppa and local busses are best for getting to those two. For very late arrivals and early departures, I'm about to try out the Crowne Plaza in T4 as that's better connected (by the Piccadilly Line) for silly hours of the day (i.e. when the Hotel Hoppa stops running). Can't say much about this one as I've not stayed there yet, but it's a relatively new hotel so should be well-appointed.

Beyond those two IHG options, my next option for easy-to-reach hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn T2 - again, just one stop away on the Piccadilly Line.
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Old Jul 26, 2022, 5:19 am
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If wanting to arrive extremely late or depart extremely early for some reason, note that there is no 24 hour TFL bus service from the airport along the Bath Road between T2/3 and T5 (the N9 goes via the perimeter road, not Bath Road). 24hr buses all turn right out of the airport tunnel. Therefore if you want very late or very early connections to the central bus/train station (perhaps you plan to go into London and catch a last Tube back to Heathrow), choose a hotel on Bath Road that is towards Central London - Sipson Way or east of there. Leonardo, Radisson, Marriott, Ibis, etc, all meet this criterion.
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 9:48 am
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Just checking on details here as it seems confusing.

First, for T5 is Premier Inn or Holiday Inn a better option? And which ones? The T5 hotels or the Bath Rd ones?
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 9:53 am
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Originally Posted by PAL62V
Just checking on details here as it seems confusing.

First, for T5 is Premier Inn or Holiday Inn a better option? And which ones? The T5 hotels or the Bath Rd ones?
For premier inn the T5 one is best for T5 and the Bath Road one is best for T23.

The T5 Premier Inn you can get to from T5 on the TfL 423 bus. Basically second stop after leaving T5, the stop is called Thistle Hotel.

There is no direct public transport connection between the Bath Road and T5 (other than the N9 night bus) so that would involve getting the 105/111 to the central bus station, and then tube to T5. You could if you wanted walk west on Bath Road to Harlington Corner and get the 423 direct to T5, but that is a 5-10 minute walk.
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 10:06 am
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Originally Posted by PAL62V
Just checking on details here as it seems confusing.

First, for T5 is Premier Inn or Holiday Inn a better option? And which ones? The T5 hotels or the Bath Rd ones?
It's a balance on price - they are all perfectly fine for the job so the label "better" gets very subjective.

Premier Inn's have a standard quality so internally I think T5, T4 and Bath Road are broadly the same, and all have good access. T5 is the nearest, almost walking distance from T5 and on the 423 bus. It has some evening dining options, a big Chinese, two pubs and MackyDs. T4 is the newest and it's connected to 3 other hotels by an overhead pathway so you have some other eating options plus a few options in the terminal building. Bath Road probably is the more tricky to get and while Bath Road hotels usually give some community restaurant options, that one is a bit out on a limb and you just have KFC. Personally I would go T4 since the bus from T5 is more regular but that's just a personal view and probably 5 would shift me to PI T5.

For Holiday Inn, it's the reverse. The T5 HI is a bit tricky to get to on a bus (irregular service, or a bus change) but has a good Thai restaurant in front and is well managed in my view. HI Bath Road is brand new, on the 423 but really isolated from evening options.

Just be a bit careful with the "Bath Road" label - every day someone ends up in the wrong place since Bath Road is a backbone along the northern edge of the Heathrow Estate. So for example both HI are on Bath Road and so are two of the PIs.
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 10:35 am
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I tend to be a little more price sensitive when it comes to short overnights.

I generally stay at the Bath Road HI these days as it's <5 mins by bus from T3, and 10 mins from T5 if I walk up to the Compass Centre.

I've stayed at various LHR hotels, but do like something a bit more comfortable if I've time to enjoy it.
Getting there at 11pm and leaving at say 4am means I'm just going to (try to) sleep and take a shower. Paying 100+ for something fancy where I won't eat breakfast, dine, use the gym, spas, or really partake in any facilities isn't for me if I can get a 35 PI a few minutes further out, Moxy, or the Travelodge cheap near Hounslow etc. Got lounge access generally, so breakfast is taken care of there.

There are those here who wouldn't dream of paying less than 250/night for the Sofitel just so they can stroll to T5 in the morning and avoid local buses or the Hoppas.

There have been times when options aren't what I want to pay, I have remained in the terminal. JFK, SFO, TLL, LAX, SJU etc. I've done. Midnight or so arrivals, departures around 5-6am. Not comfortable, but 150-200 in my pocket for what could be 4hrs after shuttles etc.
I would sleep in the back of my car if at LHR and it really wasn't worth paying for something.
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 10:42 am
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The Thistle is what I imagine a 1980's business hotel would have been like.

Stayed there are a couple of times when I've needed parking (Their hotel and parking offer can be cheaper than some parking options along). The hotel itself is outdated and labrythine. The staff are nice and the beds are okay, but I'd take PI over it any day if it's just based on the room
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 10:59 am
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I've got a flight mid-August from T3 and hotel prices for the night before are:

T2/T3 PI 91.50
T5 PI 76
Bath Road HI 115
Bath Road Staybridge 148
HGI Hatton Cross 132
HGI T2/T3 210
Travelodge Hounslow 74.99
Thistle T5 94+
Sofitel 190+

Some disparity with these prices. As I said, don't feel the (110) premium for the Sofitel is worth it over the T5 PI.
I'm more swayed to drive down overnight and park somewhere around 6am, then get the tube to T3 for my mid-morning flight.
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Old Jul 29, 2022, 11:07 am
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Originally Posted by xenole
I've got a flight mid-August from T3 and hotel prices for the night before are:

T2/T3 PI 91.50
T5 PI 76
Bath Road HI 115
Bath Road Staybridge 148
HGI Hatton Cross 132
HGI T2/T3 210
Travelodge Hounslow 74.99
Thistle T5 94+
Sofitel 190+

Some disparity with these prices. As I said, don't feel the (110) premium for the Sofitel is worth it over the T5 PI.
I'm more swayed to drive down overnight and park somewhere around 6am, then get the tube to T3 for my mid-morning flight.
If that was the choice for a date I was looking at I would pick the PI T5. It is a shade over what I would like to pay, but still just acceptable,

I had enjoyed consistently getting the PI T5 for 30 over the last 2 years due to the low demand, but sadly those days are gone. I used to stay at the HGI HX a lot, but ever since they finished the refurbishment back in 2019 they have jacked up the prices and it is no longer good value, you used to be able to get it for around 60, and maybe even 40 in a sale.
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