Heathrow hotel - and parking

[wilma-bride]

OK, I am 100% sure that if I could get the search facility to work properly, this question would have been asked (and answered) a hundred million times - but, for the sake of argument, let's pretend it hasn't.

We have no choice really but to stay overnight at Heathrow before our flight in August (it's either that or depart Norfolk at Oh My God it's early o'clock to get there in time).

So, I could really do with recommendations for a hotel that is pleasant, won't break the bank and preferably with on-site parking. Does such a baby exist, I ask myself We really would like to do Twilight Check-in (although online would suffice) so also preferably somewhere that it is easy to find from the airport and, more importantly, easy to get back to Heathrow in the am.

Thanks for your assistance

 

[AliceGardner]

Hi

Which airline are you flying and to where? Am not sure that all airlines have "twilight check-in" at Heathrow.

Alice

 

[Pawpaws]

I always recommend people not to stay at the Renaissance - we stayed there twice and it was fine. The third time (in 2004), we had a horrendous experience (wrote about it on the DIS a couple of weeks ago). Please don't stay there, the housekeeping standards are rubbish.

 

[wilma-bride]

Alice, we are flying to Miami with Virgin - as far as I know they have Twilight, although I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong - have only ever done Gatwick with them.

Pawpaws, OK at least I know where NOT to stay then - thanks

 

[Boss Hogg]

We looked into this as well funnily enough Joh, and we have ended up concluding to make the drive, appreciate we'll be a little closer than Norfolk!

Decided on the itinerary yet?

 

[jockey]

Joh, I have stayed at a couple of the Holiday Inns at Heathrow and they are fine - not too expensive either. If you have Tesco clubcard vouchers you could consider the Hilton.

 

[wilma-bride]

We looked into this as well funnily enough Joh, and we have ended up concluding to make the drive, appreciate we'll be a little closer than Norfolk!

If we were going to be travelling from home Matt, we would definitely do the drive in the am - but not from Great Yarmouth - especially with the drive the other end too (don't forget, we're doing Miami to Orlando in a oner!)

Decided on the itinerary yet?

I think it goes something like

Day 1 - Arrive
Day 2 - Universal and eat
Day 3 - IOA and get drunk with Matt, Deb, Kev and Tam (special request for martinis at Belle Vue Lounge first )
Days 4, 5 and 6 - Cruisin' with Mickey
Day 7 - Check in to ASMu and eat
Day 8 - Open to suggestions of drinking (ADR at 4.10 at Epcot - you know where )
Day 9 - Ditto (ADR at Kona Cafe at lunchtime - thinking of cancelling)
Day 10 - Ditto (ADR at WPC sometime in the evening)
Day 11 - Home

 

[wilma-bride]

If you have Tesco clubcard vouchers you could consider the Hilton.

We were considering the Hilton - just wondered how bad the trek is from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3

 

[gilld]

We stayed at the Renaissance last year and it was great. The closest to Terminal 3 and very, very clean. Reasonably priced to at around £120.

 

[UKDEB]

Joh - there is no Twilight Check In at Heathrow. All the onsite hotels (other than the Hilton at Terminal 4) are a bus ride away from the terminals. You can either use the Hotel Hoppa service (at a cost of £4), or public buses (although not all the hotels are on public routes). Bizarrely, the public buses are free within the airport perimeter. If you stay at the Hilton, you can get the Heathrow Express from T4 to T3.

Have a look at this link which explains it all, includes a map showing the hotel locations, and provides information about the hotels.

 

[Lottie]

Try the Park Inn. We used it when we went to Disneyland/California over Easter. About £115 (I think) for room for four (nice, clean, spacious, view of runway), and on site parking - we found a space about 50 yards from the main door of the hotel. Good bus service over to terminal in the morning (about £16 return for the four of us I think) but when we came home we decided to get a taxi back to get the car which cost about £10.00. All in all great for one night and we would definitely stay there again.

 

[Pootle]

I've used the Holiday Inn (Sipson Road one) a few times and been pleased with the price paid and the accommodation - it's very close to the airport too. It's by J4 of M4. I put in a date in November and it gave me £89 including 15 nights' on-site parking. http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/925/en/c/2/content/dec/teaser/hi/925/en/lp/parknfly.html

 

[Pawpaws]

We stayed at the Renaissance last year and it was great. The closest to Terminal 3 and very, very clean. Reasonably priced to at around £120.

The last time we stayed there, the hotel had been taken over by new management. It's a long story but here goes. When we signed in, the receptionist asked where we'd been, and said that he'd been there too. I said we were really tired and desparate for some sleep. The first room we were given was on a floor where electrical installations were going on. Both the rooms on either side of us and the corridor outside were being worked on (constant drilling, etc).

I rang to ask to be put on a quieter floor, so after 1/2 hour a member of staff turned up with a key. When we tried to get into the room that he'd told us, we couldn't access it. After looking at the key tag, we found he'd told us the wrong room number. When we finally got to the second room, it was absolutely filthy and we were so jetlagged that we couldn't be bothered to complain a second time. The second room's bathroom had a broken loo seat that almost injured DH (not saying where!) and thick congealed lumps and runs of blood all down the shower curtain (sorry about this!). The floors hadn't been cleaned either. At least the towels were clean (I think).


It was absolutely disgusting but I couldn't muster the energy to do anything about it - won't let that sort of thing happen again though!! Then, when we went for something to eat at the bar (having paid £60 for 2 hamburgers & chips, 2 drinks and one dessert at the restaurant there before we went on holiday, we thought we'd go to the bar instead) I wanted to pay cash, but the server said the bill had been charged directly to the room as that's what most people want. I said I wanted to pay cash, but had to pay by credit card. What was all that about?

I got my own back by doing a review on TripAdviser, and wasn't the only one to have those problems judging by the reviews at that time. One reviewer even said about a broken loo seat - maybe he had the same room as us, a few days earlier! Maybe they've done something about the standards lately, but I wouldn't trust them. We've booked the Holiday Inn off the M4 for the night b4 our holiday in June - I'm hoping it's OK (and I'm not a fussy person, I just like a room to be clean!!) I've worked as a chambermaid many years ago for my aunt who used to work as a head housekeeper, and we were told to give everything a glance to see if any maintenance was needed, as we were cleaning. It doesn't take long, and results in less complaints.

 

[wicket2005]

thick congealed lumps and runs of blood all down the shower curtain (sorry about this!). The floors hadn't been cleaned either. At least the towels were clean (I think).

.

Put me right off my lunch, should have had a warning on your post.

 

[UKDEB]

Try the Park Inn. on site parking - we found a space about 50 yards from the main door of the hotel

Lottie - was the car park packed? Many of the reviews on Trip Advisor suggest that it can be difficult to find a space. What time did you arrive? We had planned to drive to Heathrow on the morning of our flight, but the rate here, to include parking, seems pretty good. I like the idea of being able to check-in to the hotel and forget about the car, rather than having to take it to a remote parking lot.

 

[Lottie]

UKDEB - We arrived at about 7.30 - 8.00 p.m. on a Thursday evening and even though the car park appeared very busy we drove straight into a space - I think we could have picked from about 5 but chose the one nearest to the hotel entrance! It looked like the car park continued round to the side of the hotel but we didn't need to go that far.

 

[richard_andmel]

I just went to a 3 day conference at the Renaissance Hotel in April and was really pleased with my room and the staff. Last year we were at the Edwardian, which was also really nice.

Mel

 

[Pawpaws]

Put me right off my lunch, should have had a warning on your post.

Ahhhh sorry about that, dearie!!!! That hotel was awful though The one good point the hotel still has is that you get a brilliant view from the car park of the hotel, of the planes landing/taking off. That's the trouble with jet lag - I just can't function enough to string a sentence together (nothing a pint of Guinness can't deal with though - usually puts me right eventually!)

 

[AliceGardner]

Hi wilma-bride, as Deb said, no twilight check-in at Heathrow - it is a Gatwick thing. Don't think it is worth their while doing it at Heathrow because the vast majority of passengers are business types and few would take advantage of it...

Personally I wouldn't stay at the Hilton (unless you have nothing better to do with your tesco clubcard points). You would have quite a long trek over the air-bridge to T4 and then catch the HEX to T3. The Hilton is only really convenient if you are flying from T4: otherwise it is both incovenient and very expensive.

Sorry can't help much - we live in Swindon and very rarely stay at Heathrow hotels - but hope suggesting "what not to do" is helpful in some way...

Alice

 

[gilld]

The last time we stayed there, the hotel had been taken over by new management. It's a long story but here goes. When we signed in, the receptionist asked where we'd been, and said that he'd been there too. I said we were really tired and desparate for some sleep. The first room we were given was on a floor where electrical installations were going on. Both the rooms on either side of us and the corridor outside were being worked on (constant drilling, etc).

I rang to ask to be put on a quieter floor, so after 1/2 hour a member of staff turned up with a key. When we tried to get into the room that he'd told us, we couldn't access it. After looking at the key tag, we found he'd told us the wrong room number. When we finally got to the second room, it was absolutely filthy and we were so jetlagged that we couldn't be bothered to complain a second time. The second room's bathroom had a broken loo seat that almost injured DH (not saying where!) and thick congealed lumps and runs of blood all down the shower curtain (sorry about this!). The floors hadn't been cleaned either. At least the towels were clean (I think).


It was absolutely disgusting but I couldn't muster the energy to do anything about it - won't let that sort of thing happen again though!! Then, when we went for something to eat at the bar (having paid £60 for 2 hamburgers & chips, 2 drinks and one dessert at the restaurant there before we went on holiday, we thought we'd go to the bar instead) I wanted to pay cash, but the server said the bill had been charged directly to the room as that's what most people want. I said I wanted to pay cash, but had to pay by credit card. What was all that about?

I got my own back by doing a review on TripAdviser, and wasn't the only one to have those problems judging by the reviews at that time. One reviewer even said about a broken loo seat - maybe he had the same room as us, a few days earlier! Maybe they've done something about the standards lately, but I wouldn't trust them. We've booked the Holiday Inn off the M4 for the night b4 our holiday in June - I'm hoping it's OK (and I'm not a fussy person, I just like a room to be clean!!) I've worked as a chambermaid many years ago for my aunt who used to work as a head housekeeper, and we were told to give everything a glance to see if any maintenance was needed, as we were cleaning. It doesn't take long, and results in less complaints.

That sounds awful, but I can only speak as I find, and last year it was superb. I can quite understand why you'd be reluctant again though.