Has anyone stayed at any of the hotels at Heathrow for a night or two?
We are stopping over in London for 2 nights, and I was contemplating having us stay at the airport hotel.
How hard is it to travel back and forth from the airport hotels into the city? We will likely tour Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.
Not that hard but cost is a factor.
You could take the tube which is about a 45 minute ride and is far cheaper than the 15 minute ride on the non stop Heathrow Express. If time is more important than budget book tickets for Heathrow Express train now. It takes u to Paddington Station.
From Paddington use the London Underground to get around to the sites. Make it easy on yourself and use the easy to use machines to get an Oyster card.
Add 15 pounds on each and off you go.
Well... You could do that, but wouldn't it be much more pleasant to stay in the city, close to things you want to see? Then, it would be easy to get out and walk early and late, and have easy access to your room in the middle of the day. I found Heathrow dismayingly vast, and it is pretty far from the sights.
Stayed at the Premier Inn at terminal 4 a couple of times in May. Very nice place, and for less than USD$65 per night you can't beat the price, especially as compared to the significantly higher prices in the city. If you can live with the commute into central London for your sightseeing it would be a very cost-effective option.
The Sofitel at Terminal 5 is comfortable and convenient for morning transatlantic departures, and I got a good rate with a non-refundable advance purchase. And there are many other hotels at or near the terminals. But it would be a shame to base yourself at the airport for two nights with a full day of London sightseeing, unless you're landing late evening and flying out early morning. Look for a place near the Piccadilly Underground line, or near Paddington if you want to use the Heathrow Express. While Express tickets are very expensive if you buy on the spot, they can be very cheap if you buy way in advance (90 days?). An advance purchase commits you to a day but not to a specific departure time.
We stayed at Hotel Indigo near Paddington Station. It was an easy ride from the airport on the Heathrow Express. Then from Hotel Indigo you can take the tube to wherever you wish to go in London. Only if you have an early morning flight would I stay at an airport hotel.
