Time traveller

Is the hotel an easy walk from the Hatton Cross tube station? Any good directions to the hotel as you leave the tube station?

Will be arriving late after 10pm at T5, and plan to take the tube to Hatton Cross. I didn't want to get lost in the dark after exiting Hatton Cross.

ESFLYER95

Its very easy once you get going in the right direction. After coming up from the platform, you could either take the exit on your right or left. You want the right exit. You will be outside the station facing the A30. You should see a BP gas station on your right. Don't go this way, head left along the road, across the small crossing with traffic lights and you should past some grey offices/warehouse. Follow this road along and you will then see the HGI just along the road and a few minutes later you are there.

Time traveller

Thank you for the helpful directions from Hatton Cross to the hotel.

Lomapaseo

I'm looking at this hotel for next year. I can see on the map the relative location of the hotel to the tube, but want to confirm which path to take as one exits the tube and faces the bridge.

1 Should one aim along Envoy ave towards the hotel or along A30 sidewalk ?

2. I have also heard that there is no lifts in Hatton Cross and a significant challenge to haul two suitcases up the flights of stairs for pensioners. That makes me think that taking the tube to Term 3 and the free bus between Term 3 and the HGI where you can get off near the hotel would be a better solution with luggage?

3. On the day of our return flight using Virgin Upper class can one book a relatively cheap taxi (less than $20 US) to Term 3 from the HGI and use the Virgin UC Wing entrance?

Cymro

Probably doesn't matter but I'd take the A30 because you only have to cross the road once and there are lights at the crossing. You can take any exit from the tube and when you do so, turn left. (That puts you facing roughly north to turn right onto Envoy Avenue if you walk through the bus "station" - or facing roughly west along the A30).

Depends where you're coming from and how fit you are. Hatton Cross's stairs are not very deep like stations in central London (it's probably equivalent to going upstairs in a house, stopping on a landing, and doing the same again). If you could manage two trips with one suitcase at a time then it's doable. Another option would be Uber if coming from central London (~GBP 30 for Uber Pool for two, less if you go to Hounslow West tube first, which is accessible) or even the 423 direct bus from T5 if that's where you're landing, although they aren't all that frequent.

A black cab would probably be more, Uber should be under that. Otherwise the free bus from Hatton Cross is definitely an option.

wantan

a minor detail, but does this HGI provide bathrobe and slippers ? and any experience on car-park fee (waiver for Diamond?)

Steve_ZA

I don't recall seeing any bathrobes or slippers but I wasn't looking for them ... could be wrong. Certainly was not offered any waiver for the car park free.

wantan

deciding between HGI or DT for Heathrow. prices are ~5gbp difference, so trying to find which has more amenities

Simon Schus

Just realised that the above poster had already said what I just tried typing! Whoops! Anyway, here is what I was going to type

I've stayed here a few times, mostly the night before picking up my wife after a longhaul and wanting her to have a bit of a snooze before our onward journey (the 'late check out' benefit was useful in this regard as we could leave about 2pm)

It should actually be noted that there is a direct, free bus from T5 (and from T2/T3) to just outside the HGI hotel (basically, right by the roundabout). From memory the buses from T2/T3 are 285 and 555 whereas (and more pertinently for the OP), the bus from T5 is the 423. The bus goes to one of the stops on Envoy Road and it takes about 15-20 minutes to arrive at the roundabout outside the hotel. The buses are the big red Transport for London buses and they're fairly regular (again from memory, they are usually every 10 minutes at least that is what the sign at the bus stop read).

I've never used the (paid-for) Heathrow Hoppa service nor have I ever used the tube from Hatton Cross either. Notably, I don't actually know where the Hatton Cross tube entrance is either, I just remember the bus being next to the round about opposite the hotel and thinking "I'm not going to go looking for the tube station given this bus is already here".

The bus was presumably free because it was inside the TfL no-charge airport zone.

If you were going to head into central London from the hotel (or were heading to the hotel from central London) then I would suggest going to Hatton Cross or getting an Uber/taxi. Yes, you can head back to Heathrow T2/3 or T5 to get the Heathrow Express but by the time you get back, you'll have already mostly wiped out the time saving versus just getting on the Piccadilly line into central London.

Simon Schus

I wasn't offered any parking fee waiver either but it wasn't too pricey for an overnight stay (£9.00). I parked almost directly opposite the entrance to the hotel, and the nice thing about the parking is that I could see my card from the room. Overall, it was worth the £9.00 and it wasn't too difficult getting out from the hotel and the local Heathrow area onto the motorway.

There were no robes or slippers despite me actively looking for them (my wife always love the robes and slippers so it is the first thing I look for in the room when we arrive). I honestly never know when arriving in a HGI whether I should expect robes/slipper in the room or not. I have phoned down to reception in some hotels but am told they don't offer them, so this must have been what I would have done at this hotel too.

As for another Diamond benefits, I was proactively offered the breakfast vouchers. However, I've never had chance to get breakfast at the hotel using the vouchers provide because my wife alway arrives after the breakfast had finished and I tend to have my breakfast at the Premium Plaza T2 Arrivals Lounge whilst waiting for her. Saying that, we did mention this to the hotel reception staff and asked if we could have a couple of snacks from the fridges in the shop. They said yes and we took some waters, some chocolate, and a packet of potato chips.

Overall, I was offered a few Diamond benefits apart from the free breakfast, possibly an upgrade and early check-in/late check-out. However, it didn't feel like that went out their way to offer anything above and beyond the published benefits.

Saying that, they were quite proactive about the HGI Satisfaction Guarantee. I had dinner in their restaurant one evening. You should note that they have three food/drink restaurants, two of which are more of a hotel bar and the other which is fully seated. The hotel bars were very busy and full, loud and no seating left. The main restaurant was separated in a different area of the lobby and was much quieter, so I sat down their to eat (alone, sigh... wife wasn't arriving to the next morning). You can order food from the bar menu in the main restaurant which is nice as I really just wanted pizza and the main restaurant menu was a lot more civilized than that haha. The pizza took about 40 minutes to arrive and my server really kindly took the price of the pizza off from my bill without me even having to ask (I probably wouldn't have asked either).

henry999

Looking at getting from the LHR HGI to T3 check-in. Would it be faster to: (a) take the free shuttle-bus directly to the Central Bus Station, or (b) take the shuttle-bus to T4 and thence the shuttle-train to T3? I'm thinking that they're going to be pretty much the same, with the latter option perhaps a bit quicker.

Any opinions?

jsfr

Actually... the fastest and most reliable way is to walk form the HGI to the Hatton Cross tube station (about 200 metres) and catch the tube one stop to the Heathrow Terminal 1,2,3 station.

If you have an Oyster card (which you probably will if you have been in London any length of time) it is free.

The only negative is that there are some steps involved to cross the road, with tons of luggage could be difficult.

This is much faster than the bus options and more regular.

Cymro

Is there a free hotel shuttle? I didn't think they were allowed...so the free shuttle bus will be departing from Hatton Cross anyway.

If there were a Hoppa bus right in front of me, I'd be MORE likely to get on it if it were on fire (on the basis that someone might need rescuing) than in normal circumstances.

Personally I'd pay the £1.50 on contactless/Oyster if possible and take the tube to T1/2/3 but if there's a bus arriving then the bus can make sense. I'd say the bus takes about 15-20 minutes on average, with variable frequency (average of 5-10 minutes between buses) whereas the tubes are approximately every five minutes to T/1/2/3 (every ten minutes to each of T4 and T5).

Under no circumstances would I go to T4. That could add up to half an hour to your journey.

The Heathrow Express train is every ~15 minutes and takes 5 minutes from T4, plus it'd be 10-20 minutes to get to T4 from Hatton X. Hatton X is a five minute walk from the hotel, and is about 3 minutes on the train.

SK AAR

Hatton Cross is part of the Heathrow free travel zone if you enter/exit the tube at Hatton Cross w/ contactless/Oyster card?

Cymro

The buses are free, but my Amex statement shows £1.50 for T5-Hatton Cross on the tube on Sunday.