Recommendation for hotel at Heathrow airport?

[Globaliser]

I Have never been to London, but I will be flying into LHR in the early afternoon 1 day precruise, and plan to stay at a LHR hotel, possibly the Hilton, which is apparently at/near Terminal 4.

There is one Hilton which is actually at (attached to) Terminal 4. There is another Hilton which is described as "Terminal 5" but is off-airport (like most hotels near Heathrow).

(I am assuming that Terminal 3 is the international terminal)

All of the terminals at Heathrow are international terminals. Domestic flights are relatively few and far between, and only two terminals (1 and 5) can handle them at present.

I am having a hard time understanding how to make this work. I have read this and other threads, and have looked at LHR maps, and it's seems difficult to sort out. Could someone please explain, in the simplest possible terms for a dummie(!), the easiest way to do it?

Like Twickenham says (and has been said in so many other threads), why take the cruise line transfer? That is the part of the plan that is making it complicated.

 

Unless there is some overriding reason not to do this: go into town, stay at a hotel in town, take the train to Southampton the next day.

 

If you really must stay at Heathrow and take the cruise line transfer, see if you can join them at Terminal 5. If you can, transfer from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5, stay at the Sofitel, then get the cruise line transfer from there. I think it is the easiest solution if you must do the cruise line transfer.

[hbear]

Just for clarity, the Heathrow Marriott doesn't have its own shuttle.

 

With one exception, there are no conventional hotel shuttles running at Heathrow because they are prohibited. Instead, there is a hotel transfer bus service called the Hotel Hoppa, which is probably the world's most hated airport <--> hotel transfer service in the world because it's unreliable, infrequent and expensive.

 

I'm a bit confused. Just before jumping on this thread, I phoned the Holiday Inn reservation line, confirmed my reservation at the HI, at Bath Road & Sipson Way, and asked if they have an airport shuttle. I was told yes they do and the cost is 4.50GBP/person. Apparently, this person meant the Hotel Hoppa??? She did not explain that.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I'm a bit confused. Just before jumping on this thread, I phoned the Holiday Inn reservation line, confirmed my reservation at the HI, at Bath Road & Sipson Way, and asked if they have an airport shuttle. I was told yes they do and the cost is 4.50GBP/person. Apparently, this person meant the Hotel Hoppa??? She did not explain that.

 

They very often don't - even on their websites. It's disingenuous rather than a lie - the Hoppa is a shuttle bus of a sort, although it runs to a schedule and will serve several hotels. It's certainly not "their" shuttle.

[SoBaycruiser]

Lots of recommendation here with lots of hotels mentioned. But bottom line, if you were flying out of terminal 1 at 10:30 in the morning, would you just pick one on Bath Rd that has either the Hoppa or free bus?

[Cotswold Eagle]

Lots of recommendation here with lots of hotels mentioned. But bottom line, if you were flying out of terminal 1 at 10:30 in the morning, would you just pick one on Bath Rd that has either the Hoppa or free bus?

 

Yes, the Bath Road hotels are most convenient for T1&3. Which hotel is a question of your expectations and the deal you can get, of course. They will all have the Hoppa, and remember that the free local buses do not pick up AT the hotel, but rather at bus stops on the road, and drop off at the Central Bus Station, not the terminals.

 

Generally speaking though, if my flight was at 10.30, I'd consider staying in London itself, but that's another question!

[SoBaycruiser]

Generally speaking though, if my flight was at 10.30, I'd consider staying in London itself, but that's another question!

 

That surprises me. I assume that one has to be at the airport 2-3 hours ahead. So wouldn't that put travel from London during morning rush hour?

[Cotswold Eagle]

That surprises me. I assume that one has to be at the airport 2-3 hours ahead. So wouldn't that put travel from London during morning rush hour?

 

True enough, but I would swap that for a night in town rather than sitting in an airport hotel with nothing to do, 20 miles from the greatest city on earth :)

 

And you can mitigate it - stay at the Paddington Hilton and you walk out of your hotel straight into the station and on to the Heathrow Express. 20 minutes later you are checking in. Of course, if it's a genuine layover with a late arrival at LHR, then crashing at the airport makes sense.

 

It's always a trade-off and there is never a 'right' answer, which is why these threads tend to go on:)

[Twickenham]

That surprises me. I assume that one has to be at the airport 2-3 hours ahead. So wouldn't that put travel from London during morning rush hour?

 

Two points:

-By going London-LHR, you'd be going the opposite way of most rush-hour traffic;

-The Heathrow Express isn't a commuter train.

I've done it both ways. The flight would have to be pretty early (as in before 6 am) for me not to stay in town the night before. Heck, I've easily made a 9 am flight travelling the morning of from Sydenham (google map it and you'll see...)

[flamomo]

Thanks for the responses to my "dummy" question.

 

As it happens, my concerns have become non-issues, and Princess was able to make more hotel rooms in London available, and I booked one for the precruise night. No transportation concerns now, because Princess takes care of the transfers between LHR and the hotel to the Southampton pier. All for a price, but worth it for my comfort level.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Thanks for the responses to my "dummy" question.

 

As it happens, my concerns have become non-issues, and Princess was able to make more hotel rooms in London available, and I booked one for the precruise night. No transportation concerns now, because Princess takes care of the transfers between LHR and the hotel to the Southampton pier. All for a price, but worth it for my comfort level.

 

And your final comment is really the key. Glad it worked out for you - enjoy your short time in London and your cruise!

[SoBaycruiser]

True enough, but I would swap that for a night in town rather than sitting in an airport hotel with nothing to do, 20 miles from the greatest city on earth :)

 

And you can mitigate it - stay at the Paddington Hilton and you walk out of your hotel straight into the station and on to the Heathrow Express. 20 minutes later you are checking in. Of course, if it's a genuine layover with a late arrival at LHR, then crashing at the airport makes sense.

 

It's always a trade-off and there is never a 'right' answer, which is why these threads tend to go on:)

 

Thank you for your answer. You do indeed have me reconsidering. I appreciate yours and Twickenham's response.

 

We have been to London before and will be spending 5 nights with friends near London before 30 days of cruising. It's the longest trip we've ever taken and I figure we'll be exhausted when we arrive back in Dover on an early Monday morning. Our flight isn't until the next day at 10:30am. I just wanted the easiest way to make our way home and I assume we'll be watching our pennies by the end of the trip. My plan was to take the National Express bus to LHR and then the bus to a hotel. Spend the night, get up and go to the airport. If you can suggest an easier method that doesn't cost a fortune, I'm all ears.

 

BTW- Paddington Hilton shows double rooms all booked...or over $500 depending on the site

[SoBaycruiser]

Thank you for your answer. You do indeed have me reconsidering. I appreciate yours and Twickenham's response.

 

We have been to London before and will be spending 5 nights with friends near London before 30 days of cruising. It's the longest trip we've ever taken and I figure we'll be exhausted when we arrive back in Dover on an early Monday morning. Our flight isn't until the next day at 10:30am. I just wanted the easiest way to make our way home and I assume we'll be watching our pennies by the end of the trip. My plan was to take the National Express bus to LHR and then the bus to a hotel. Spend the night, get up and go to the airport. If you can suggest an easier method that doesn't cost a fortune, I'm all ears.

 

BTW- Paddington Hilton shows double rooms all booked...or over $500 depending on the site

 

Does the lack of replies mean no one has a better suggestion?

[Twickenham]

Does the lack of replies mean no one has a better suggestion?

 

No, the lack of reply means I was busy with my aunt's Super Bowl party yesterday... :D

Pondering your post...

Easiest is often in the eye of the, er, traveller. Being a person who only endures buses if they are taking me around as part of an organized group (which I only occasionally do), for me the easiest would be to train to London, stay the night, then train to LHR in the morning. As I have Marriott Rewards points, I would be tempted to stay at the Renaissance at St. Pancras, then take the underground in the morning to LHR, but that does require more lugging around of your luggage than the Heathrow Express/Connect do. As for hotels to stay at, while the Hilton is by far the most convenient to Paddington (being in the station), there are plenty of other less-expensive options, both around Paddington and within a 10-15 pound taxi ride. Actually, if you have any hotel points whatsoever, a stay in London is often an excellent time to use them.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Does the lack of replies mean no one has a better suggestion?

 

And I was away watching rugby and then the Superbowl. And working today :)

 

The alternative plan is stay in town and travel to LHR in the morning, as Twickenham outlines. That will almost certainly cost more, hotels will be a lot cheaper at the airport, of course. You have enough time to take the tube to the airport, which is significantly cheaper than the Heathrow Express.

 

You COULD do what you are planning and travel into London once you have checked in at your hotel, I suppose. But, using the tube, that will take you well over an hour each way, with the time to/from the hotel on the Hoppa. Just seems to me such a waste to spend all afternoon and evening in some airport hotel waiting for a flight the next day :)

 

But only you can decide what is most important to you (and how much you can spend!), especially given the length of your trip. If I were you, I'd cost up the various options. There's no 'right' answer.

[SoBaycruiser]

Thanks again Cotswold Eagle and Twickenham. None of the options is perfect. I think the over riding determinant will probably be budget at this point. However, I will look at all the options. I agree it would be nice to be in town that night, but at what price?

[Cotswold Eagle]

Your original plan will almost certainly be the cheapest. Just be aware there's not much to do at the airport hotels. Some of them have pools and gyms, and a couple have spas, I think. And there's a bowling alley down the road :)

 

Windsor is about 45 minutes away by bus, so you could go there perhaps, if you didn't just want to chill at the hotel.

[willow surfside]

I have been reading threads all day about getting into Heathrow and I am really scared. Can someone make it simple....here is what our schedule is...we fly into heathrow on August 21 one day before our ship leaves from Dover. We r told that princess has a shuttle that we r to take to the port on the 22nd that we r to meet AT heathrow. So can someone tell me where to stay...how to get there and get back the easiest. Preferably keeping the room rate at or below $200. Of course we would like to do a little sightseeing on the day we arrive. Thanks for ur help.

[SoBaycruiser]

Looks like you are going on the Ocean Princess. We just went through this decision ourselves for a June OP cruise and decided against the Princess transfers. Because there are no free hotel shuttles, it sounds like a hassle to get to a hotel near the airport, try to find some sight seeing (Winsor?), and back to the airport the next day. If you decide to do it on your own, you could take the train into London when you arrive, spend the day sight seeing in town and catch another train the next day to Dover. Or, for cheaper then the price of Princess transfers, you should be able to take a private car to Dover where you could spend the night and sightsee there. Then you aren't hurried the day of departure.

[Cotswold Eagle]

The reason there are so many options is that there are so many variables, I'm afraid :)

 

One good option for you (assuming you really want to do the cruise line transfers) is to take the train (Heathrow Express or cheaper, but less frequent and takes more time Connect) from the airport to Paddington and stay at a hotel close by. You can then spend the day sightseeing in London and take the train back to the airport the next day to meet your transfer.

[willow surfside]

Im sorry I guess I am just DUMB....IFFFF we choose a hotel at the airport are you saying we can't get into London, sightsee and back to the hotel that evening. There are ten of us and some have not been to London and definitely want to take in a few sights even if it's just Buckingham and the London Eye. We must have flown into Gatwick when we were there before because I definitely don't remember this kind of hassle. Is there a possibility of staying in London and getting private transfers to Dover and back to Heathrow after the cruise for ALL of us together and it be cheaper than Princess??? If so do any of you have hotel suggestions and transfer suggestions??? Or is that even a good idea.:confused:

[Twickenham]

Im sorry I guess I am just DUMB....IFFFF we choose a hotel at the airport are you saying we can't get into London, sightsee and back to the hotel that evening. There are ten of us and some have not been to London and definitely want to take in a few sights even if it's just Buckingham and the London Eye. We must have flown into Gatwick when we were there before because I definitely don't remember this kind of hassle. Is there a possibility of staying in London and getting private transfers to Dover and back to Heathrow after the cruise for ALL of us together and it be cheaper than Princess??? If so do any of you have hotel suggestions and transfer suggestions??? Or is that even a good idea.:confused:

 

It's not that you can't stay at the airport and visit London, it's just that it's a big waste of time going to-from London and LHR, especially when Dover is in the opposite direction.

 

While I'm a great fan of taking the train, if you're 10 people I would be looking into some sort of mini-bus hire; I will let others make recommendations, as I've no personal experience, but it should be easy enough to get someone to bring you to a Central London hotel, and then pick you up the next day for the transfer to Dover.

[Cotswold Eagle]

All these things are possible, it's just a question of balancing time, convenience and cost :)

 

What you describe is perfectly possible. The issue with Heathrow hotels is that they are not allowed to run their own shuttles. Instead there is the Hotel Hoppa, small buses running on a schedule from each terminal and back, that serve several hotels. So you may have to wait up to 20 minutes for the bus and it may go to two other hotels before yours, and it will cost you around £4 each time (so in your scenario of going to hotel, back to airport, into London, back to airport, to hotel and back to airport in the morning for the transfer, it will cost you around £16 in fares to and from the hotel and airport). This is not a real "hassle", it just takes time and money.

 

But if you are prepared to do that, it's a perfectly good option and you will save more than that money staying at an airport hotel over one in town. Factor in about an hour to get from Paddington back to your hotel in the evening (a little longer if you take the cheaper tube).

 

One other option, in basically the same plan, would be to drop your luggage at the Left Luggage in the terminal when you arrive and head straight into London - collect it when heading to your hotel in the evening. Saves you about an hour getting to your hotel and back to the terminal, just to leave your luggage.

[willow surfside]

OK....so why don't I try changing directions and try to find a reasonablely priced hotel in London...sorta, kinda near some sights....maybe $200 US?? and then try to find a transfer company that would pick us up there and then bring us back to Heathrow after the cruise.

[SoBaycruiser]

OK....so why don't I try changing directions and try to find a reasonablely priced hotel in London...sorta, kinda near some sights....maybe $200 US?? and then try to find a transfer company that would pick us up there and then bring us back to Heathrow after the cruise.

 

I've found the London Toolkit site helpful to explain all the options on transfers and public transportation. They've got a new Dover cruise terminal transfer that we are looking at. http://www.londontoolkit.com/mnu/london_transport.htm

[willow surfside]

I saw this earlier and sent them an email....haven't heard back yet. Thanks