Gatwick Hotels

[MarkLyndaJakeChloe]

We are planning to fly from Belfast to Gatwick and onward to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic next March. Our intention is to stay overnight in Gatwick, using the twilight check-in. I would be grateful if anyone could advise me on which hotels are best. Would possibly prefer one closer to terminal.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[islandmum]

easy .... stay at the Sofitel, ask for a room on the 5th floor overlooking the runway. You dont want a interior courtyard view really so make sure you get the runway view and 5th flor or higher otherwise its building roofs! They're the redone rooms, quiet, GREAT bed! We use it about 4 times a year and always get the same room for some strange reason. We book online and pay £99 every time for me and the 2 kids (1 in a cot and 1 in bed with me - altough it normally ends up 3 in a bed!), if hubby does travel with us (rarely) we upgrade our booking to the executive level for the bigger room.

we've stayed at the Hilton too but it was nowhere as good for us. We dont eat at Sofitel, we eat dinner in the terminal and then breakfast at Garfunkels usually.

 

[kristieuk]

The Sofitel is great, especially for an airport hotel. It's attached by a walkway to the North terminal, and you will be flying from the South, but it's a 2 minute monorail ride, and you just get on it from the airport building - there is no traisping outside or anything.

The Hilton is attached to the South terminal, but imho is not as nice as the Sofitel.

If you do go with the Sofitel, you can often get the best price on their own website, and then you can join the Privilege club. It gets you points (but unless you stay regularly not likley to get you very far), but also a room upgrade and free drink voucher.

We have stayed off airport before, but although it's cheaper and the hotels are quite close, they are a bit stranded on their own, and I hate having to get a shuttle bus through miles of rush hour traffic the morning we fly. Good luck with your choice

 

[UKDEB]

I also think the Sofitel is the best choice by far. We always book using Airmiles, so don't pay a bean. I don't mind the rooms overlooking the lobby - in fact I quite like that. The restaurants are a bit pricey, but they're not bad at all - a cafe style Bistro, a Ken Hom eatery and a more upscale place. The lobby bar's also a nice place to relax and people watch, but the drinks are expensive.

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Hi Mark,

We did the same trip at Christmas!

Went over on the last flight with Flybe walked straight to check in (no queue) and then just had hand luggage bags. We booked through Virgin Holidays and got the hotel through them and just decided on the Ramada Plaza as it could take a room for 4 - was only £75 - plus we got the 10% off for Virgin Flying Club members.

It is not attached, shall we say, to the airport terminal like some but we got the shuttle bus (only a few quid per adult, kids free) and it took about 5 mins to get there. The hotel was very clean with a good size room for 4. 4th bed was like a pull out bed from under the single but fine for a child. We ate in the bar that night, just snack stuff but was quite good and reasonably priced. Didn't bother with breakfast, brought stuff with us for the kids and we had coffee

You have certainly picked the right way to go by going the night before - just makes it more relaxing not having to worry about delays Saying that I have just booked Flyglobespan for next July - going to give them a shot straight from Belfast

 

[MarkLyndaJakeChloe]

Many thanks for the comments. Enquired about sofitel, but was quoted around £200! Seems a bit steep. Possibly considering Ramada, Hilton or Holiday Inn.

Just booked for August 2008 with Globespan, direct from Belfast. Although I'll have to wait til Sept before I can book SSR. Plan is to do SSR for 9 nights, DCL for 4 day cruise and then on to Vero Beach for 5 days.

 

[islandmum]

Many thanks for the comments. Enquired about sofitel, but was quoted around £200! Seems a bit steep. Possibly considering Ramada, Hilton or Holiday Inn.

Just booked for August 2008 with Globespan, direct from Belfast. Although I'll have to wait til Sept before I can book SSR. Plan is to do SSR for 9 nights, DCL for 4 day cruise and then on to Vero Beach for 5 days.

go on the internet - its definately not £200!! places like ebookers, expedia, bargainholidays etc.. all do it for the £100 fee.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have always stayed at Hilton when flying from gatwick because you can walk to the terminal. We also eat in the terminal area & have breakfast at garfunkels!

 

[Neoshoegal]

Many thanks for the comments. Enquired about sofitel, but was quoted around £200! Seems a bit steep. Possibly considering Ramada, Hilton or Holiday Inn.

Just booked for August 2008 with Globespan, direct from Belfast. Although I'll have to wait til Sept before I can book SSR. Plan is to do SSR for 9 nights, DCL for 4 day cruise and then on to Vero Beach for 5 days.

try holidayextras.co.uk they also tend to be cheaper

 

[Laurafoster]

We are staying at the Hilton, its attached to the south terminal so a few min walk!

We ahev used clubcard vouchers to pay for our room but the others have booked for £123.

 

[jockey]

We always stay at Gatwick the night before as we fly in from Belfast too. In the past we have stayed at Holiday inn, Sofitel and the Hilton. To be honest they are all great and I tend to book whatever is cheapest. Last year we stayed at the Hilton and booked with Tesco club card deals so it did not cost us anything. We will be staying there again this year. Maybe worth collecting those tesco points!

 

[PhilUK]

Sofitel is superb and so convenient:

Twilight Check In / Meal / Buy Stuff you don't really need and can't carry /
Drink / Bed / Get up and get on the Plane !

When we stayed in April the Pool was shut. Not sure how long for ?

Try :

http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/

http://www.superbreak.com/

Phil

 

[AliceGardner]

When we stayed in April the Pool was shut. Not sure how long for ?

Permanantly, I believe

 

[UKDEB]

When we stayed in April the Pool was shut. Not sure how long for ?

It seems to have been closed forever. The refurbishment began when Sofitel took over from Le Meridien and still wasn't complete the last time we stayed there.

 

[mikki.young]

This has been a really useful topic! I thought I was going to use Marriott points to stay at the Renaissance but the Tesco Clubcard deals for the Hilton works out much better!

I was going to book a stay and park package at Sofitel but they told me the extra days parking would be £5 a day when their email confirmation said it would be £8.50 a day for the extras - that made it a bit too pricy!

 

[AliceGardner]

I was going to book a stay and park package at Sofitel but they told me the extra days parking would be £5 a day when their email confirmation said it would be £8.50 a day for the extras - that made it a bit too pricy!

Hi Mikki

If you look at holidayextra.co.uk... you will often find that if you price "1 night at the Sofitel (room only)" and, seperately, "x days parking" that this works out cheaper than doing a "park/stay package" at the Sofitel...

I have done this before: I think that 20 days parking was about £60 (oddly no more expensive than 14 days parking) + £99 (or whatever) for one night at the Sofitel. At the time, Holidayextras were charging about £154 for "1 night accomodation at Sofitel and 15 nights parking" (and the extra 5 nights parking would have been another £40+...). So booking seperately was a LOT cheaper. It may vary, but worth looking into...

Alice

 

[mikki.young]

Hi Mikki

If you look at holidayextra.co.uk... you will often find that if you price "1 night at the Sofitel (room only)" and, seperately, "x days parking" that this works out cheaper than doing a "park/stay package" at the Sofitel...

I have done this before: I think that 20 days parking was about £60 (oddly no more expensive than 14 days parking) + £99 (or whatever) for one night at the Sofitel. At the time, Holidayextras were charging about £154 for "1 night accomodation at Sofitel and 15 nights parking" (and the extra 5 nights parking would have been another £40+...). So booking seperately was a LOT cheaper. It may vary, but worth looking into...

Alice

It's my own fault - I should have booked the parking sooner but it has gone up to almost £150 when we only paid £60 last time. Just last week it was a hundred and I didn't hit the book button. On the plus side I have valet parking now (cheaper than park yourself!) and I think I am better using £40 of Tesco vouchers instead of 25000 marriott points and I get a Hilton breakfast and no cab transfers.