Hello,
This is our first time traveling internationally. We will have about 4 days in London. Where are the best locations to stay, knowing I have a 9 am flight out of Heathrow back to the States on a Monday? Looking for recommendations that allow us to travel between tourist sites in Central London, but also need to get to the LHR airport with enough time to spare.
Thanks
We really liked the Sheraton Heathrow for a night - they had a great family room that was two connecting rooms and the breakfast was excellent, price very reasonable (like 115 pounds if I remember correctly).
LHR is quite far from the city center so you don’t want to go back and forth from there for sightseeing. (It is however convenient to Windsor Castle). In the city, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Southwark and were very pleased with the location, quietness, breakfast, and tube proximity.
For central London, I quite like the Imperial Group. They have a deep discount for members of their free club. They have five properties with varying prices. They used to have great deals including full English breakfast buffets staffed at the Presidents by an army of middle aged waiters and what seemed a lot of British bus tour groups. It was an interesting slice of British life.
They are in Bloomsbury, mostly near Russell Square. Central for transport and sightseeing. Easy walk back from West End shows.
If you don't have much luggage, the Elizabeth line takes you to Heathrow. We haven't stayed since the line opened so can't comment. We have gone most times to Russell Square which is inconvenient with the lift.
We are staying for the last two days of our trip in July. Will report.
hey hey sarahsmithstorm
when is this trip, how many people (adults & kids)? are you flying in from another european city or from USA/Canada? what is your budget in euros, "best" means different strokes for different folks.
is your 4th day your travel day to airport, which leaves you with only 3 days? where you decide to stay, remember hotel check in times are 3-4pm unless your room is ready early, check out is 10-11am which you'll be on your flight already. if early usually hotel will hold luggage before checkin
would stay closer to central london, since traveling back and forth from LHR will take time and the cost, which you can use for hotel room. make sure you have transportation figured out to get to airport (public, taxi, shuttle) since you will be leaving very early morning, knowing usually it's 3 hours before flight.
booking.com
london, pit your filters in on left side and see what's available on the map and what attractions/activities are nearby for you. london is a busy/crowded city all the time with so many people traveling nowdays, just doesn't seem to be an off season anymore. find what you like and book it. look what is offered (beds, stairs/steps if mobility issues climbing up stairs with luggage, cancellation options. bathroom ensuite or down the hall) wear comfy shoes for lots of walking, if worse comes to worse hail a taxi for tired feet (keep address of hotel on your person to tell driver).
my niece stayed at cherrycourthotel.com, says was small but worked for her & 2 kids for her 6 nights she stayed. they were out and about alot, it's your decision that suits you best. good luck and have fun, great city
aloha
I’d stay at a Heathrow hotel for you last night with. You’ll need to be there at 6am for a 9am flight.
I agree with Helen. A flight at 9 AM, means that you’re going to have to be at the airport three hours earlier. There are some decent hotels at Heathrow, but we will need to know which terminal you are leaving from in order to recommend them.
I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express located at Terminal 4, and it was so easy to get from the hotel to the KLM check-in on the morning of my departure.
I visited London or the first time in November and had a similar issue - early morning international Heathrow flight home. For my first 7 days, I stayed near Paddington Station -(close to Elizabeth Line and Underground) - and later for my final 1 1/2 days I stayed at the Renaissance Heathrow, which requires a very short city bus or shuttle bus to get to the Heathrow Terminal.
Thank you so much for all the kind responses. This trip came completely out of left field as a business trip for my husband, and we are trying to navigate all of this in three weeks!! Some people spend years planning these kinds of trips.
We will be flying out of terminal 3. We will be in London 5 nights/ 4 days.. Yes, a 6 am airport arrival means early transportation, so maybe an hotel closest to the airport would be wise..
Thank you again for all of your responses, knowledge and help! You are all amazing treasures!
Staying the night before your flight at Heathrow is sensible.
There is an Aerotel hotel at T3. It is more budget oriented, I believe, but I have never stayed there.
There is the Hilton Garden Inn at T2/3. It is actually at T2 which is a 7-10 minute walk, underground, to T3. I've stayed here many times and is the easiest to get to T3 but is not cheap. (No bus or trains to hassle with.)
There are a bunch of hotels at T4 that involve a train to get you to T3. But it's fairly easy. (FYI--the train station for T3 actually covers T2 and T3 and is closer to T2.)
There is a Sofitel at T5, which would also involve a train to get to T3, and is probably the most expensive. But very nice. I've also stayed here a few times.
Then there are a slew of hotels around the perimeter of Heathrow that will require either a bus or a cab to get you to T3.
On your final full day in London, you could check out of your hotel, have them keep your bags, spend the day exploring, then in the evening pick up your bags and head to the airport.
the inter-terminal trains, Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line, are free for the one station hop, 5 to 2/3 or 4 to 2/3. And they are completely out of the weather so if you stay at one of the hotels linked to a terminal you never go outside before your check in.
But 6am check in is early for me. I wouldn't advocate staying in London for the last night. Even one of the peripheral hotels on Bath Road will involve a wait for a Hoppa bus - not the fastest things in the world or conventional bus, and do you want to do that at 5:30?
You may be too early for a hotel breakfast.
If the T2/T3 Hilton Garden Inn is within the expense account it would be most convenient. Their breakfast starts at 6am, too late. There are 9 restaurants after security at T3, several serving early breakfast, if that helps.
Have a trip booked for late July and Aug. We are on a rare late night arrival flight from ORD. Booked the Premier Inn Terminal 4 for that night since we land at 10pm local time. Then we have 3 days in London proper. Booked the Shakespeare Inn, a couple blocks from Paddington Station. We are taking the express train since we will be hauling luggage. On our return we have another night at the Premier Inn before our mid morning flight back to ORD.
Sandra (posted above) mentioned the Imperial Hotels. We’ve stayed at The Morton (one of that hotel group). It is located in Bloomsbury (a great part of London), near the Russell Square tube, very clean and quiet hotel. Highly recommended!
