Gatwick Hotel

[steve_rob]

We'll be flying from Gatwick's North Terminal in a couple of weeks and are looking to stay over the night before - don't fancy going halfway round the M25 in Friday morning rush-hour traffic!

I know Le Meridien is on site, but I think that's a bit beyond our budget. What other alternatives are there? Are any within walking distance of the terminal or do you have to get a bus from all of them? Somebody told us there was a Travel Inn nearby, but their site doesn't give maps or anything.

Parking is not needed as we're getting dropped off on the Thursday night and picked up on our return.

 

[snookhams]

We stayed at the Gatwick Hilton- which is on site - last year, I shopped around on the net and phoned them as well, I think I booked it with a company called ABC, I know that we paid £89 for a family room - 1 kingsize and 2 singles - well they weren't singles and they weren't doubles but inbetween. The room was great, it was huge, hage a walkin closet with a trouser press etc, cable tv, the down side was we had a view of the longstay car park. We opted for the Hilton as DH doesn't drive and he didn't want me driving to the airport so got a friend to take us and we did not want to bother with coutesy busses in the morning, we just walked into the airport.

 

[Bug Juice II]

There is Le Meridian in the North Terminal and a Hilton in the South Terminal.

Close by is a Travel Lodge, walkable but use the shuttlebus as there is a lot of traffic and few pavements.

Also - Holiday Inn - 10 min away
Europa - 10 min
Forte Post House - 2 min
Ibis - 5 min
Renaissance London Gatwick - 2 min

CC

 

[DisneyBB]

We stayed at the travel lodge, great hotel, it has a really nice resturant to have an evening meal. (Potters bar)

 

[LINCLAIRE]

We stayed at The Gatwick Hilton last year and found it just so convenient for the twilight check in with Virgin. That was a family room and cost us £116.
This time we are going with Travelcity-no check-in the day before( boo hiss!!) but we are still staying the night at G-Hilton.This time we were advised through these boards to go through ABCholiday extras and it cost £109 for the same room size.
It only took us 5 minutes to walk into the terminal after a good nights sleep.
Loads of pilots stay at this hotel and my kids loved it when they sometimes stopped to shake their hand and ask where they were flying to, I was quite pleased as well as there is nothing like a man in uniform to make my knees go weak!!!
Hope this helps
Lin

 

[signtalker]

LOL Lin thats why I married a sailor !!!

Cant beat a man in uniform


Jules

 

[LINCLAIRE]

OOh stop it, I'm having a hot flush!!
Lin

 

[steve_rob]

I think it'll be the Travel Lodge then.

The Hilton sounds all well and good, but £110 for two people for what is essentially 9 hours (arrive 9pm, leave 6am) seems a tad steep. The money I save on the room means more spending in Orlando after all!

And isn't the Hilton in the South Terminal? I'm flying from the North Terminal (Delta), so that kind of rules it out as being within walking distance I guess.

 

[Bug Juice II]

The North and South terminals are linked by a monorail. Easy walking distance between the two.

CC

 

[steve_rob]

Fair enough - not particularly familiar with Gatwick. I'd assumed the terminals were as far apart as some of the Heathrow ones.

 

[AlexE]

Why don't you try one of the many small family run hotels in the area?

We usually stay at the Ifield Court Hotel - they have a mini bus that takes us to the airport in the morning. If you were cheeky you could be dropped off by friends at the hotel and then take their bus to the airport for twilight checkin and return with them to the hotel. Same mini bus picks you up on your return home.

The hotel hasn't got a website but their address and contact number is as follows:

Ifield Court Hotel Tel: 01293 534807
Ifield Avenue
Crawley,
RH11 OJY

We have been using this hotel for about 6 trips now and never been disappointed yet. They do a lovely evening meal as well. Think the rate is between £80-100 which includes a full breakfast and car parking for the duration.

I should get a commission for this dont you think?

Have a great holiday

AlexE

 

[oscarwilde]

hi
i know you said the le meridian was too expensive but can i say i booked 2 rooms for a night before our hols in november for £138 - not too bad!. Booked through superbreaks. co .uk

 

[LINCLAIRE]

i think you will find a twin room will be around £79.
I only ever book family rooms to fit us all in. ( 2ads2kids)

 

[Penny12]

I've stayed at both the Meridien and the Hilton (prefer the Meridien) - I think I've always paid about £80 through ABC but it is <i>so</i> nice just walking out the door and being right there in the airport - it's worth it just for the lack of stress!

 

[neilybealy]

check http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/products/products.asp?id=91&agent=WEB1

you might be surprised at what you can get

 

[steve_rob]

Thanks for your advice everyone. Much appreciated as I'm a bit of a Gatwick novice - normally choose to fly from Heathrow as it's SO much nearer for me, but Delta's price was not to be sniffed at.

Just went on to the Holiday Extras website and they quoted me £98.50 for Le Meridien and £95 for the Hilton. I can get the Travel Inn for £49, and as my other half is oh so keen to remind me, that will mean an extra $70 to spend in Florida. Oh well...

 

[neilybealy]

last year we went with my family in a group of 10 (5 couples one with a baby)

we stayed in the gatwick worth hotel and booked it through abc holidayextras

we paid £75 per couple for 5 double rooms and to park 4 cars

the rooms were ok but the transfer to the airport was about 20 mins and they had to do 2 runs because their other minibus was being used

not too bad really but on our arrival back after our holiday we were made to wait over an hour for their minibus to pick us up and then went it arrived only some of us could get it it because other people were also going back to the hotel so we had to wait for it to come back

then when we got back to the hotel we had to find our car in the car park

all this after being up all night flying home from your 2 week holiday in orlando

i personally would consider paying a little bit extra to stay at the hilton or meridien next time