Valueseeker

I have my first BA flight from T3 and am looking at overnight accommodation options.

Premier Inn is only £35 for a non-refundable booking, food options seem fine for just one night and the Hoppa bus will take me from T3 to the hotel & back for £8, booked in advance.

I understand that the Premier Inn is further down Bath Road than some of the other hotels but it looks like a good choice. I did consider Sofitel at T5, getting the train between T5 & T3 in the morning, but that would obviously cost a lot more and still involves some hassle.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

darthlemsip

My preference would be the Hilton Garden Inn - it's next to Hatton Cross tube, and I find it more comfortable than the Premier Inn

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, that's a reasonable option. I stay at the Doubletree if I'm in Bath Road, and I allow 15 minutes from that hotel to T3. The Premier Inn is slightly nearer. However DO NOT TAKE THE HOPPA! Don't feed the beast! Just take the 105 or 111 bus from the Central bus station. The Premier Inn is one stop beyond the free bus zone which ends at the Holiday Inn at Harlington Corner. So either walk or pay the £1.30 fare, use a contactless bank card if you don't have an Oyster. The bus stop is in front of the Premier Inn and is called Oxford Avenue on the stop annoucement. Roughly a bus every 6 minutes, and more often if you are prepared to use other services and change at the Heathrow North hub.

Various threads on the Bath Road hotels can be found, some of the hotels are better connected, or better quality, but I can't see you improving much on the price if that is your key sensitivity.

KARFA

I have been at the Premier Inn Bath Road many times. I would say my stays around LHR are mostly Premier Inn (T5 or Bath Road) and HGI. Either PI is perfectly fine, and if you are arriving late and leaving early then why bother spending more on the HGI or something else, £35 is a bargain.

As noted from the central bus station take the 105 or 111 and get off at Cranford Waye Avenue.

corporate-wage-slave

Waye Avenue is for the Doubletree, a grim Tesco Metro and Dominos Pizzas, the Oxford Avenue stop is for the Premier Inn.

KARFA

Sorry, yes was just about to post a correction. I have probably gone to the Doubletree more often from the central bus station so had Waye Avenue on my mind!

Stop should be Nobel Drive or Oxford Avenue for the PI.

Worcester

I stayed at the Premier inn once and I was actually rather impressed, foods not great (standard pub fare) but otherwise quite decent and the staff could not have been more helpful.

amt

I don't know if it's changed in about 7 years...

But United stuck me there for a night when they moved the early morning BMI flight from Dublin scheduling forward making a connection too short and requiring I go the night before. It was the BMI crew hotel at the time.

The 'pizza' I got to got to take away from the eatery was the single most revolting thing I've ever eaten two slices of and threw away.

Accommodations and Costa breakfast was fine.

Sam Bee

Like DarthVadersSoreThroat I big up the Hilton Garden Inn. Often great prices, views of runways can be requested, and more importantly, you don't have to fuss around with those bloody buses and can accurately time how long it will take from hotel to T3.

Cymro

At £35 the Premier Inn is a bargain, but if you can get either the Hilton Garden Inn or the DoubleTree for £15 or £20 more, they're probably worth the extra.

KARFA

I have typically been able to book the HGI for around £60-70, and occasionally at £45.

The PI Bath Road is usually the best value hotel around Heathrow, and by that I mean it is often around £30-40 and that is very good for what you get.

The problem for a T5 user is that the PI is a bit more of a hassle to get to than the HGI - so for the PI it is either the 423 and a 10 minute walk from Harlington Corner, or tube to T123 and 105/111 buses to the PI. For the HGI it is two stops on the tube to Hatton Cross then a 5 minute walk. From T3 it is less of an issue to easily get to the PI.

As HH status holder things like points earning and free breakfast may swing it in favour of the HGI for me as well.

Valueseeker

Thanks for the responses. A quick check of the Hilton website suggests the Garden Inn is £72 and Doubletree is £74 for the night I need. Both rates are non-refundable.

Convenience trumps price but as I will have more luggage than I can haul onto a local bus or wheel far to a tube station, I think I am limited to the Hoppa bus. That suggests Premier Inn for £35 could be a winner.

Foltan

Don't forget UberX - only a few quid too and will drop you right at the departures door

darthlemsip

Actually the luggage thing is a good point with the HGI - no step free access or escalators to the platforms, you have to lug your bags down yourself

stewaran

off to Oslo next week, and considering taking my snowboard.

Would this be a PITA if i stay at the HGI the night before an early flight?