Abidjan

I took the Hoppa T5A bus to/from T5. T5 Pick-up/Drop-off from Bay 17/18. To the hotel. the Hilton is the first stop. On return, you stop by the Premier Inn and HGI. Purchased the ticket on the bus, instead of in advance. Certainly not as quick as a taxi/car, but not shabby. Come this May, I might take the Piccadilly Line to Hatten Cross, exit, go right and walk the mile to the hotel. That said, hopefully T4 is open/the trains are running and this is all a moot point.

BtoB - excellent review!

jerry a. laska

In addition to the Hoppa (as noted by Abidjan) you can also use the TfL buses 482/490 that go past the Hilton and Premier Inn. This is the route often recommended by C-W-S and Karfa; it used to be free but now costs £1.55. I'm not a fan of the Hoppa but it is an option from T5 to the hotel as Abidjan says as the Hilton is now apparently the first stop.
C-W-S and Karfa directions:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29642344-post754.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29645440-post757.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32627998-post829.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32628029-post831.html

GentleGiant

Tend to use the Hoppa. Have had it all to ourselves on occasions.

Silly money for a car.

Gave up on uber and suchlike as they often fail to arrive around the airport.

BotB

Thanks for questioning this, I should have stated a very big caveat when I wrote that...so appreciate you saying (politely) ...!!!

My first response was to say that I do drive a BMW... but seriously, my caveat is that at 5:15 AM, the trip between the hotel car park and the drop off zone at T5 was around 12 minutes with NO traffic. (It felt quick and not quite sure where I grabbed the 5 minutes from but good that you questioned this as it made me rethink what I wrote, I had driven roughly 300 miles the evening before so likely this made it feel very quick indeed)...Almost all other times it will be significantly longer! It could be shorter than 12 minutes but the speed limit is 30 or at times 40 mph and that makes it longer during the rare times there is no traffic.

I should have clarified the times as others would read that as 'normal'...so thanks for pulling me up on it.

Safe travels everyone.

wizla

Great review as always mate!….. nice.

GentleGiant

Great review.

Already been there twice this year and have another couple of bookings.

Tend to leave our car there for extended periods.

Still a decent lounge.

Shame the same can't be said for Southampton!

BotB

You'll appreciate my latest edit to the correction given our car rivalry mate, hope we catch up at some point this year, drive safe in that new motor!

GentleGiant...I've read the Soton Ageas has dropped off significantly, such a shame as the hotel could be much better...almost glad that my change in work has shifted my stay locations. Hope things improve there and wishing you safe travels.

corporate-wage-slave

I would use 482 / 490 public buses with a contactless payment card, and yes it does take around 15 minutes to get from T5 to T4 or vice versa, not least because the bus pulls into 2 cargo areas en route. This is also the timetable timing, it can be a bit quicker early and late in the day. I peronally allow 30 minutes door to door and it usually takes less than that. Theses buses have the merit of using the bus stops right by Marks and Spencer on the arrivals level, so a quick lift up to departures.

GentleGiant

I have to stay in Southampton next month and will probably opt for non Hilton stay.

GentleGiant

Is it easy to walk to the hotel?

BotB

Not sure if it is open now but the new(ish) Moxy is cheap and quite good, no lounge obviously but very convenient for walking to the nearby Dancing Man microbrewery...highly recommend that and proximity to other central eating/drinking venues.

corporate-wage-slave

It can be done, but it's 3 miles and much of it along the pretty soul-less Southern Perimeter Road. Hatton Cross to T4 is well under a mile and more do-able. If you were contemplating walking these sorts of distances then you'd be better off considering Hilton T5 instead, which is shorter, a more pleasant walk and takes you through an area with pubs and restaurants.

:D!

The Hotel Hoppa currently runs once an hour, so I can't really see any good reason to take it unless you are in a rush and the next service just happens to be approaching. Maybe if you don't have a contactless payment card, if the Hoppa accepts cash or non-contactless cards? (But you can just ask someone to pay for you... I've used my spare oyster/another card and taken cash - usually £2 - off tourists on the local buses many times.)

£1.65 from the start of this month.

GentleGiant

I meant the bus stop

corporate-wage-slave

It's only about 200 metres if that's what you mean. It's not at the door of the hotel. Jerry's links above gives you a overhead photo as to how to do it. Once T4 reopens it may be easier to get off at T4 itself and use the overhead walkway. Departing the hotel, I don't think it's worth using the walkway, it's easier to go around the right side of the Premier Inn.