Gatwick Hotel/Carpark

[Chilly]

Which is the best Hotel to stay in at Gatwick Airport? Normally we just stay near the airport but this year we want to stay at the airport as it'll be Christmas.

Just looked up prices on Holiday Extras and each hotel seems to have several entries with different options such as meals included and different carparks so I'm all confused. It also can't quote the car park for the whole period.

Does the price always stay the same, so it doesn't matter when I book, or not?

 

[Goofyish]

We have always used the Hilton Hotel at Gatwick - mainly because it's so convenient for the south terminals (just a short walk away).

The hotel at the north terminal also gets good reviews and although away from the south terminal it is linked via the monorail thingy.

When we have used Holiday Extras in the past the parking has always been at a remote carpark near the north terminal (summer special?). Price included a nights accommodation plus 15 days parking.
If there is an option - I would try and get either the carpark next to the Hilton or one of the other on-site secure carparks close to the south terminal.

We never eat at the Hilton (£££) and as the terinal is so close always eat there.

 

[Neoshoegal]

I can recommend the Yotel. It's in the terminal so very convenient. As for parking we used a meet and greet service, they pick up the car at the terminal entrance and bring it to you when you get back, stressfree! We booked that through purple parking, with a discount from topcashback.co.uk

 

[Macl1uk]

Which is the best Hotel to stay in at Gatwick Airport? Normally we just stay near the airport but this year we want to stay at the airport as it'll be Christmas.

Just looked up prices on Holiday Extras and each hotel seems to have several entries with different options such as meals included and different carparks so I'm all confused. It also can't quote the car park for the whole period.

Does the price always stay the same, so it doesn't matter when I book, or not?

As we are not local to Gatwick and our flight is normally in the morning, we normally stay at the Hilton Hotel, right on Gatwick South Terminal, this is the terminal Virgin fly from.

For 3 of us staying in one room, including 15 days parking has cost us between £180 and £245. Easter 2009 we were charged £175 at the Hilton.
Gatwich north terminal smaller, Sofitel Hotel 01293 567070
Gatwick south terminal larger, Hilton Hotel 01293 518080
NCP express parking at both about £8 a day very near to terminals
Virgin Twilight zone opens from 12pm (noon) to 9pm Zone A Gatwick South Terminal


Hilton Gatwick
At the Hilton they let you park whilst you check in and take your cases to the room, then if you have paid the normal 8 or 15 day parking, you move your car to the long stay car park, which from memory is near the north terminal (about 10 minutes away by bus). After that we normally go and do the twilight check in.

Tip
On return we normally go direct to the Hilton Hotel, where I leave the family and all the luggage, whilst I nip and get the car. Travelling light to recover the car is easy and stress free. Then I drive back to the Hilton and load up!
Virgin check in is normally 3 hour check in or you can use the twilight zone check in the night before and just have your overnight things in hand luggage

Other hotels recommended by other members of another website include the Holiday Inn at Gatwick ½ a mile away, yes its cheaper, but personally I prefer the ease of the Hilton. You are onsite and therefore can check in your baggage the night before, South Terminal has a good selection of places to eat and if you read my tip, it’s a doddle on the return. All of the above is in my notes, if you want a copy send me a personal message of your email address.

 

[Chilly]

Just checked Purple which seems to be bringing up a better price for the Sofitel and it seems to include all the parking where as on Holiday Extra it couldn't do more than 2 weeks. It says the car park is APH

 

[wilma-bride]

We like the Hilton - and we use our Clubcard vouchers to book it so nil cost For parking, we like the Summer Special at Gatwick - always found it to be great and reasonably priced

 

[Laurafoster]

We always stay at the Hilton because its so close. Also if you do stay there join there Hilton Honors club - you can earn virgin flyer miles per stay.

 

[islandmum]

we always choose the Sofitel over the Hilton as its a better quality hotel, IMO, and love the rooms overlooking the runway. But if we were on a smaller budget then:

Hilton would be first choice.

Yotel derfinately appeals to me if we didnt have the kids with us, great price, directly in the terminal and very funky looking.

Offsite - we got bumped once on a flight and the airline put us up in the Holiday Inn which is about 1/2 a mile away. Nice, not the quality of the Sofitel but good size rooms, very clean and modern, food not bad.

 

[Frances999]

We use our Hilton Club time-share to stay at Hilton Gatwick for no charge, but we have tried the Sofitel before as well. I rate them both pretty much the same - Sofitel perhaps has a slight edge, but the convenience of Hilton to the South Terminal makes up for it in a way (not that the Sofitel is inconvenient, but you see what I mean). I don't think you'd be disappointed with either.

 

[jen_uk]

We stayed at the Sofitel last year and loved it, lovely rooms and a great view of the runway, we had a cup of tea in the morning and watched the planes land, getting very excited about our flight

 

[misscrossbee]

We stayed at the Hilton last year and were quite happy with it. We also spent several hours in the Yotel - our flight got in from the states early in the morning and our connecting flight back home wasn't until the afternoon- it was clean, cheap and friendly, but I think I would have found it far too claustrophobic if I had to stay there overnight.

 

[tttessa]

Hiya -

we stay at the Hilton too - using Tesco clubcard (don't know if that has changed lately - have to book 2 nights now). But we don't drive and park, we use National Express coaches. Soooooo easy - no post-night-flight driving to do, and even factoring in our taxi to the coach station at the home end, it is cheap to do. We get home rested - even with the 2 girls - set watch alarm and sleep, I find it much easier to sleep on the coach than the plane.

Tessa

 

[mark&sue]

We stayed Christmas day (evening) at the Hilton last December when we went to spain for new year. we were full up from christmas lunch so just had some snacks from M&S and ate in our room.

Have stayed in both sofitel and hilton but only stay at sofitel if getting a BA flight. I find it a really good way to start our holiday.


susan