Hotel very close to Heathrow Terminal 4

While the Hilton is physically closest to terminal 4 at Heathrow and is connected by a covered walkway, it is a long walk to get there from the terminal.

A better option, if you are worried about the walk distance, is to use the "Hotel Hoppa" buses which run directly to the front door of most of the hotels (unfortunately not the Hilton from terminal 4) around the airport from any terminal. You catch the bus just steps outside the terminal. Last time I was there is was 5 Pounds each way for the ride (you could get a few pence off the price if you bought a round trip ticket from the machine). They run from 04:00 till about midnight daily.

I prefer the Renaissance Heathrow Airport. Nice recently refurbished hotel, friendly staff, very quiet room (double windows to block the noise), and views of the runway from your rooms so you can watch planes taking off and landing if you like that.

If you were asking about a hotel at T5, I'd be strongly recommending the Sofitel which is directly accessible from the terminal; luxurious but not cheap. At T4, since it's just for an overnight stay with late arrival I'd consider the Yotel, unless your mother suffers from claustrophobia. The capsule/cabins are tiny but have all you need. Maybe either a twin room with you on the top bunk, or an "accessible" cabin for her and a nearby standard cabin for you. I'm a few years younger than your mother and I found it acceptable. Or use the free inter-terminal transfer bus (482 or 490, I think) to get to T5 and the Sofitel and back again in the morning; but allow enough time as they are at opposite ends of Heathrow.

Had forgotten about Yotel! Thanks for the reminder. You won't even have to leave the terminal.

I stayed there once. Single rooms are very, very, very small but contain everything you might need (except a window) at an affordable price. Great place to sleep, not much else.

Thanks, Mark and cgichard! Yotel is a great idea. I have reservations there and will post my review afterwards. I appreciate your help.

I've stayed at the yotel twice before early morning flights and it is great for a solo traveler who just wants a place to sleep, but I would never choose it if I were traveling with my 80 year old mother. You can barely turn around in the room and there is no place large enough to open a suitcase other than the bed. There is a clear glass partition between the room and the shower/toilet... something my mother would hate in a shared room. Maybe the two person rooms have more space. Read through the reviews to make sure it will work for your situation.

Thanks for your thoughts, Laura. I appreciate your experience. There weren't any double rooms available, so I booked two singles. Even if it turns out to be a bad idea, at least it will be close. And my mother's the first one in her assisted living community to have even heard of Yotel, so it's already a hit. Crossing my fingers for a good night's sleep. Thanks again, and I'll follow up in a month or so.

Rather than the Hoppa bus, you can take a FREE public bus to all of the hotels on Bath Rd (where the hotels are). Bus #423 makes regular stops, not at each hotel, but the Premier Inn Terminal 5 (there is another Premier Inn on Bath Rd, too, so don't get confused) is directly at one of the stops, a total of five minutes away. It was clean, quiet, comfortable, and very inexpensive. There is a restaurant in the hotel and a McDonalds right next door.

Years ago, Heathrow prohibited the individual hotels from running shuttles to the airport due to traffic concerns. In exchange, they subsidize the public bus system so that passengers going only as far as the hotel row ride for free. It seems odd that they would do this in competition with their own for-profit Hoppa bus, but that's how it is.

Many thanks for all your advice and suggestions. We stayed at Yotel and it was terrific. I booked 2 separate single rooms and they were perfect. Very well designed -- everything we needed and not a single thing (or square centimeter!) more. Comfy bed, everything worked well, and very clean. Desk clerk was great - he lent an alarm clock to my mother and a hair dryer to me. I can't wait to stay at Yotel again - I was very impressed.