Bit overwhelmed...advice on London Hotels

I would probably stay at LHR with a flight that early. Hilton Garden Inn is at Terminal 2/3. There are other options as well.

It would be ideal not to change hotels, I realize, but two nights at my chosen location, check out and ask hotel to hold bags for the last Saturday of exploring London, then going out to a LHR hotel Saturday evening would be my approach.

You can check first and last train times for Piccadilly and Elizabeth lines here. They both serve LHR. I think the tubes may not work for you as early as you need on a Sunday, but I didn’t check carefully.
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/first-and-last-tube

ORDtravelers advice is likely the most practical solution for that early morning flight. But if you really wanted to stay in London overnight, any hotel near a Picadilly tube station would work. The trip into Heathrow takes a bit under an hour, and at that hour of the morning, on a Sunday, won't be crowded (provided the line isn't shut for weekemd repair work).

I agree with the previous posts. Needing to be at Heathrow by 5:30am, I would do as ORDtraveler suggests. Spend your first 2 nights at your desired hotel. Check out Saturday morning and have the hotel hold your bags. Spend a wonderful day in London. After dinner, pick-up your bags and head to your airport hotel. No worries Sunday morning that you can't get to the airport due to strikes, signal problems or some other diversion.

Would need to be careful you didn't get stuck in London because of engineering on the tube. There's always gong to be some method of getting out there to Heathrow that's working, but it could easily end up a pita on a Sunday for really early trains.

WOW, thank You! Excellent suggestions and advice, definitely a quick education. Decision made, 2 nights in Central London, leave Saturday night and stay at Heathrow eliminating worries for Sunday morning. We don't want to miss the flight (non-refundable), so probably best to stay overnight at airport.

Piccadilly tube, had not considered it, so this would take us closer to central London and key landmarks. We each will have a suitcase so may be a bit challenging after a 12 hour flight, mid-afternoon on the tube, but no doubt others have done it. Any hotel suggestions (mid-range, clean, well located) or maybe an area suggestion (Covent Garden, Westminster, etc.)?

I stayed at The Bailey's Hotel in March. Great location across the road from the Gloucester Road Underground Station with service on the Piccadilly Line, as well as the District and the Circle lines. Those 3 lines will get you to many of the sights in London.

However, I was there for a week. With only 3 days you may want to find something a bit more central.

What is your budget in British Pounds per night?

The advice from the airport is to arrive two hours before a short haul flight like to Finland, not three. Of course you might be the cautious type and still want three hours but it's not really necessary.

With the hassle of moving hotels and needing to be there at 6:30a on a Sunday, you could stay in your central London hotel. We used an uber at that time on a Sunday when there was a strike affecting the Heathrow express. Took less than an hour to get from Bloomsbury and was about £50. Obviously, the Piccadilly or Elizabeth lines are more cost-effective, but you aren’t stuck if there are works. Note, if you choose to spend that night at LHR, stay at a hotel at your terminal. If you stay “near” or at another terminal, all of your time savings is lost.

Nancy makes a good point that the roads are dead quiet that time on a Sunday morning. Good time to use an Uber or cab to get to Heathrow if you wanted to.

Adding to the intel already offered in July you should consider purchasing a Heathrow Express ticket ( 15 minute ride to Heathrow) Upload tickets to your phone. As I’m an old school traveler I also print out the ticket but that just me being certain there’s a paper trail.

Stay at the Hilton Paddington for your entire visit.

Access to the Underground is easy peasy. Enabling you see the sites. For instance you could take either the Circle Line to Westminister. There’s also a wonderful restaurant called Tudkin Flavors of Malaysia that you might like. It’s small so might need reservations now a days. Research. Lastly either the Mitre Paddington or Victoria Paddington are pleasant respites. In 2024 throughly enjoyed a Sunday Roast at the Mitre Paddington.

I'm sure we've now totally confused the op.

gtennisgirl,

I suggest you do a new post asking for hotel suggestions in your chosen location. Good luck.

Hi gtennisgirl -

Personally, I would take the stress out of it and stay Saturday night at one of the many hotels on the Heathrow airport complex. As a side benefit the hotels at the airport I’ve found to be cheaper than their equivalent in central London.

You’d still get a full Saturday in London before heading out to the airport in the evening and maybe another hour’s sleep!

Ian

Decision made, 2 nights in Central London, leave Saturday night and
stay at Heathrow eliminating worries for Sunday morning.

If convenient, see if your LHR hotel will keep one of your bags for the time you are in London. Moving one bag is easier than two...doubly so if you can consolidatge down to one 26 and one 21 inch bags. Don't know the details on the rest of your trip, but the larger and small bag strategy can also simply packing/unpacking if you have multiple stops. You keep what you need for the next few days in the 21 and the 26 becomes long-term storage.

Terrific suggestions and ideas, now I need to do my research on them. This forum has been so helpful, thank you for everyone’s time. I will do my homework and as suggested will open a new request for hotels. One side note, we will be back to London on the return trip home, so yup, I have more to do to plan that part of the trip.

I'm not sure if I'm too late to add advice here, but as someone who has taken countless very early morning flights from LHR, my advice is to stay in one hotel the whole time, ideally in the western end of central London, and take a taxi to the airport. At that time on a Sunday the roads are empty and you will get there very quickly without having to navigate public transport while half asleep. You do not need to be at the airport more than two hours ahead- two hours is plenty (obviously you can arrive as early as you want but I never go more than two hours ahead and this has never been a problem).