stimpy

Yes there is a reason I've stayed at this hotel nearly a hundred times over the last 20 years. And it's not that this is an amazing luxury property.

khabah

I stayed here last month for an overnighter between flights and while it was a notch or two down on the Sheraton Skyline [I stayed there in December], its price is a major selling point and the property itself isn't too bad given its status as an airport hotel.

Yes, I found a single hair in the bathtub when I checked in, there's some noticeable wear on the doors/in the corridors and the views are uninspiring, but this IS an airport hotel and most of the problems can be remedied with a proper renovation. Truth be told, the new lobby looks very good and their remodeled restaurant on the ground floor is beautiful. If they extend the renovation up to all the rooms, corridors and redo/expand the club lounge, they could have a very solid product on their hands.

I have to agree with one of the previous posters - maybe a rebrand within the Starwood portfolio would do this hotel wonders. The current Park Inn used to be Le Méridien Heathrow just before the Starwood takeover... Maybe a return of the brand could be in the cards?

khabah

stc

Or maybe even Luxury Collection? (Not!)

While I can appreciate a good cheap hotel, a bad cheap hotel that I need to recover from does nothing for me.

This hotel doesn't even deserve to be a Holiday Inn. In my opinion, it should be razed to the ground.

ajnaro

This just another voice of a traveler who has stayed at this hotel many times between flights over the years due to its convenient location and low price. In my view, it has improved a lot – after all, it didn’t even have a lounge and it has undergone a partial renovation. The problem is that the Sheraton brand creates expectations of a slightly higher level. If it were rebranded as a Four Points there would be a lot less complaints and it would have a much better reputation.

stc

Indeed, that certainly makes sense to me. In fact, that is exactly what happened to some Sheratons in the States (Wakefield, MA is one example).

stimpy

I'm with ajnaro. This isn't really that bad of a LHR hotel. I remember what it was like pre-renovation and it is so much better now (except the bar which is a shadow of its former self). I tried the Marriott once last year and it's like the Sheraton was pre-renovation!

stc

You mean the Marriott down next to the Skyline? If so, I'll have to disagree on at least four counts
The Marriott has, and has always had, working AC in all the rooms.
The Marriott has a reasonable club lounge.
The Marriott staff cares.
The Marriott is in a lot better condition.

If you mean the Renaissance across the street, I haven't been there post renovation, but the club lounge was reasonable (with a great view) and the rooms more comfortable than the Sheraton Heathrow.

I have a lot more status at Starwood than at Marriott. So, it says a lot when I get better service at a Marriott property.

stimpy

I guess we are in disagreement then. I have Marriott Gold as well as SPG Plat and got an upgraded room at the Marriott which was just as bad as the old pre-renovation rooms at the Sheraton. Certainly nowhere near as good as the upgraded 3rd floor rooms that I always get at the Sheraton. And the Marriott has nowhere near the bed quality of the Sheraton. I've never had a staff problem at the Sheraton. They've always been good to me. And as I only overnight, I've never noticed an AC problem?

Land-of-Miles

There is no working AC anywhere in the property so the only time there isnt a problem is when it isnt warm in my experience. That is the single biggest problem at this property, everything else is par for the course for the room rate. I can't sleep in a hot room ever though.

Similarly the beds are a totally different beast from those at the Skyline. The LHR beds are hard and unyielding. Most of the staff are pretty good but the property is adequate and good value rather than being a good property.

Oxon Flyer

Having stayed several times here very recently, on each occasion the 'aircon' was unable to bring down the room temperature to a level comfortable for sleeping. It just blows, rather then cools. Opening the window doesn't help either : it just increases the noise intrusion from the aircraft.

This is becoming a deal breaker. Can't sleep = won't stay.

This is such a pity because the hotel is very good value otherwise. Yes, the rooms and corridors are a bit worn around the edges, but the refreshed public areas are fine, IME there's no problem with room cleanliness, the lounge food has improved markedly recently, the lounge staff are both efficient and friendly, the full breakfast option in the main restaurant in lieu of a lounge breakfast is great.

stimpy

I guess I've just never stayed when it was hot at night. Which is generally not a problem in England for most of the year. And I don't like sleeping with the AC on anyways. But I will keep that in mind in case I need a LHR stay this summer.

worldtrav

Am I the only one who is astonished to hear the 3rd floor rooms have been renovated? I can't imagine how bad the other floors must be. For a short layover hotel I will put up with the stinky scruffy hallways if the price differential with the Skyline is greater than 50 pounds otherwise the Skyline gets my business.

RichMSN

Not the hallways, the rooms. I'm in the hallway for a few seconds at a time - I don't care about them in the least bit.

I'm at the hotel now. My biggest disappointment is that they put me in one of the 3rd floor rooms and it had an old tube TV. My guess is that the TV broke in the room and this was the replacement. When I went back downstairs to try to move to a different room (I'm here 2 nights, which is unusual, but my plans changed) I was given a big blowoff.

First world problems, eh.

I also paid more for these 2 nights than I ever paid here (£141 and £135).

I guess I'll have to go for my free breakfast in the restaurant to make up for it. And then to Kaniz for dinner (if you've not been there -- it's a short walk down the street and is a really nice curry).

RAPC

Indeed, renovated is not the term I would use. They were freshened up, but are still below par. There are a lot of old TVs that weren't replaced and still quite a lot of scuffed, dirtied and chipped furniture on the 3rd floor rooms.

As others have said, when it is dirt cheap, it is acceptable. 7,000 points or a high rate though is hard to swallow, especially in the summer.

RichMSN

I've said positive things about the hotel, but after 5 nights this past fortnight here, I'm not as happy as I usually am.

I was upgraded to the 3rd floor for all 4 stays, but in two of them I had a tube TV, which is pathetic in 2015. And the rooms were warmer than I like.

Looks like the next trip, it's off to the Skyline.