lost_in_translation

Second stay here, if anything slightly better than the first. Not clear how much was due to me being a returning guest and how much was due to Spire status as I was warmly welcomed as both, but upgraded to a Club Room in the corner and also given free breakfast in the restaurant. The Club Rooms are very nice with a wireless speaker, Nespresso machine, small complimentary mini-bar, separate bathtub/rain shower and also a Bose speaker built into the bathroom ceiling (can't remember if this speaker was also in the standard room previously).

I largely agree with CWS's review above but a few additions. Breakfast here is excellent and also now includes Chapel Down Brut (!) on request - I'm not sure if this is a weekend thing or regular fixture but I've stayed at proper five star hotels recently which only offer relatively cheap prosecco for breakfast at weekends so this is a major plus. I also ate dinner in the Urban Brasserie which is extremely high quality for an airport hotel restaurant and it's almost comical to compare this to what is available at some of the other LHR hotels.

Only real negative is that I was upgraded to a Club Room but wasn't given club access which I still struggle with as a Marriott regular (where three separate levels of the programme are guaranteed lounge access).

The staff are delightful to a person and quite a lot of money has clearly been spent on fitting out the hotel. This is comfortably the best hotel at LHR in my opinion, ahead of the Sofitel at T5. I'm also struggling to name other airport hotels as nice as this (maybe the Crowne Plaza in SIN?). I normally stay at the Sheraton or Marriott at LHR but this hotel is good enough that I'm happy to make the jump to IHG.

Crofton138

Completely agree that not receiving lounge access as a Spire is poor but it's completely as per T&Cs of the Rewards Club. Some CP hotels offer lounge access to Spires, even without a Club room booking, but this is due to the generosity of the hotel, not a defined benefit that we should expect to receive.

est-gratuite

Windows can NOT be opened at this hotel for fresh air.

Land-of-Miles

In the UK it is still very much the minority of CP's that do not give Spires/RA's lounge access. You can choose not to give them business, I do. LHR is not short of hotels and if you get no real benefits why not choose one of the others, IHG or otherwise?

est-gratuite

If you want lounge access due to your status, do not use IHG at all.
IHG is the only major hotel chain which does not give its top tier members any lounge benefits.

Individual hotels can even get into trouble with IHG corporate for letting Spire emembers into lounges without paying.

Land-of-Miles

This is simply not true. If you are IHG RA you have guaranteed access at IC's, the vast majority of CP's I have stayed at have given me lounge access too, the idea that the Corporate Centre would punish properties for giving benefits that actually increase guest stickiness and increase stay volumes is laughable and I have never seen any credible evidence to suggest that is true. I understand that some properties might say this but it isn't as if they wouldn't have other motivations is it?

As a factual example a number of UK CP's have an official IHG printed form which allows guests to choose a benefit from welcome drink, lounge access or bonus points. Why would this exist if the corporate centre forbade offering lounge access?

The lack of clarity is a bit of a pain but a simple one strike and you are out policy to those properties that fail to give club access is the best response. The CP T4 seems to be a property to give a miss until they change their minds. This is why it is good to have status in multiple chains so that you can keep options open.

est-gratuite

Not many people are RA (royal ambassadors) members cause it's quite expensive, and they refuse to publish the exact rules for achieving it, or maintaining it. Besides, RA status is just valid for intercontinental hotels. Crowne plazas, Regents, Kimptons, Holiday Inns, and so forth have no legal obligation to give RA members free lounge access.

The business of corporate head office punishing individual properties that give lounge access to spires has been well documented in other threads on flyertalk. Of course, some properties keep doing it anyway, but it creates extra expectations that are not in line with the official rules, and IHG corporate doesn't like that.

Bottom line, if you want GUARANTEED lounge access at hotels, IHG rewards - Spire status is not going to give you that.

(Accor Platinum & Hilton Diamond guarantees louge access at all its brands, and Marriott Platinum guarantees lounge access at about 8 or 9 brands in its portfolio)

Land-of-Miles

We seem to be on a bit of a hobby horse here so as a Hilton Plat ($12k Spend), or Marriott Plat 50 nights (although I have LTP thanks to SPG) may sometimes give you lounges (where they exist) but often worse upgrade and other treatment. RA was achievable last year for circa $11k of spend apparently (at least that was mine) targeted at the right properties so actually less than the competition running spend based programmes.

We all know that IHG does not guarantee lounge access (except in certain markets, where it does, and for top elite members at certain brands, where it does - just like Marriott).

To say that a bunch of anecdotes about properties saying that they cannot offer a Spire lounge access because the properties have told them they are not allowed is not evidence or documentation it is just relayed anecdote.

If lounge access is important to you at an IHG property as a status member then you can call them or email before making a booking (or within the cancellation window of a flex booking). If they give you the wrong answer then you go elsewhere.

This is not a reason to avoid the whole programme or chain (which has some real gems and greater useful coverage than many other chains), nor does it mean that Spire or RA status has no useful on property benefits, simply a reason to avoid the offending properties, which bringing this back to topic is why I will never stay at the CP T4 until they have a change of heart, as it seems the CP Manchester Oxford Road did a little time after opening, or the Damascene conversion of the CP LHR on the same topic.

corporate-wage-slave

Plus there is the issue that sometimes lounge access isn't going to make much difference. Airport hotels may well involved late arrivals / early departure, and so the lounge is the least useful feature of the hotel, compared to access.

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Which kind of reminds me: I discovered that actually it's relatively easy to get to this hotel and the Holiday Inn Express without the palaver of the raised tunnel from T4 depature level, particularly useful for those destined to go to/from Terminal 5, for which the TfL bus service is the fastest route, as well as being free of charge. The shared doorway on the ground floor has an non-signposted, but clearly and lit pathway to the bus arrival area on T4 arrival floor level. You pass via the staff bike storage area. From the hotel, so long as you look rightwards towards T4, the path way is obvious if you head to the bikes, and then the buses. From the bus station then you need to fix a bearing on the front door, then look slightly to the right to see the bike shed and the path to the hotel.

Land-of-Miles

Agree to a point if you have to be at T4 (which is likely to be something of a minority sport), there is something about the principle though of getting access when making stay choices, especially when there are other options even in the same terminal let alone 10 mins Uber away. I assume the same foot routing works for the Hilton T4 where the lounge arrangements are somewhat different?

corporate-wage-slave

Unfortunately no it doesn't really, the road network - and Hilton's service delivery entrance area - means that the overhead passageway from Departures is more viable, however those using the buses from T5 may find it easier to stay on for one more stop to get a bit nearer. It is a bit of a hike, as you know, though in theory Hilton will run a golf buggy to those with a lot of luggage.

strickers

Managed to book a night during the recent points break offer for the night before a flight from T5. Car park is already booked at the NCP Hilton T5 which includes Hoppa tickets, does anyone know if the H57 becomes the H59 at T5 or whether we have to change? It's worth the hassle, 15k for a night at a new hotel and an afternoon flight so no rush the next day.

bfc2dabone

Didn't want to start a new thread, My booking at the Crowne Plaza T4 for next week has been cancelled, seems the hotel is going to be a red list quarantine hotel and all booking were being cancelled, they did call me and advise me that they could swap me to a sister hotel, I declined the offer to swap. I then booked the Thistle Hotel as have an early morning T5 flight only to find out the pods are not running again, my fault should have checked but at least a replacement shuttle bus is running in place of the pods.

Kiwi Flyer

Hotel has re-opened. Fairly quiet given not many flights out of T4 at the moment.

Was able to check in early at 8am. Upgraded from cheapest room category to club room with club access and breakfast in the restaurant.

I have diamond status.

Jonathan2712

Its been open for quite a while now, it was just not very busy whilst T4 was closed but open nonetheless. Its still a decent hotel, especially by Heathrow standards, but its not quite what it was. Most of the staff are new - common problem these days - and standards are a little hit and miss. I have Dimond status also and of the 5 stays I've had this year it was recognized / rewarded twice, completely ignored three times. That being said, its still my default Heathrow option.