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Overnight in Heathrow/transfer between terminals

Posted by (Chicago) on

In November, I am flying from Chicago to Amsterdam through Heathrow. My itinerary is as follows:
Chicago to Heathrow on AA, arrive 1045 pm
Heathrow to Amsterdam on BA, leave 650 am the next day
I am using miles which is why this is a little funny.

So the question. I am trying to decide whether to spend my layover time at the Yotel hotel in Terminal 4 or the Hilton in Terminal 5. I believe I should be arriving in Terminal 3 and leaving from Terminal 5.

This is my understanding of the transportation situation: If I stay at the Yotel, I would take the Heathrow Express to Terminal 4. But the next morning, I think my flight time would be too early for the Heathrow express so I would need to take a bus. If I stay at the Hilton Terminal 5, I think I also take the Heathrow express but then would need a bus (the Hoppa?) the next morning. Do I have this correct?

On paper, both options seem equally convenient (or inconvenient, depending on my mood) but the Yotel is significantly cheaper. But my experience at Heathrow is very limited and I know the "on paper" way can leave out important details. My priority is convenience. If staying near Terminal 5 is significantly more convenient, I am willing to pay more money. But if they are both pretty equal, I would probably just pick the Yotel. And I will carry on so waiting for baggage/checking baggage not an issue.

Thanks for reading my ramblings on what is probably an easy question.

Posted by
5326 posts

482 and 490 buses connect T4 and T5. They start running before 4am.

Posted by
11613 posts

My experience at the Yotel in Amsterdam Schiphol was not good, they should give you a can opener instead of a room key. Don't know about the one at Heathrow, but it's a chain.

Posted by
11294 posts

Zoe has a good point. I haven't stayed at either one at Heathrow, and I've never stayed at a Yotel. But as chains, Hilton vs. Yotel are, shall we say, not comparable. There's a reason the Hilton is more expensive. If you do choose the Yotel, make sure it's suitable for you (it's easy to make fun of other people's desire for comfort, but everyone's tolerance for inconvenience and discomfort is different).

Posted by
967 posts

I can't address the transportation situation (since I think we flew out of Terminal 4) but I can reassure you that I was pleasantly surprised at the Yotel. I think we may have booked the upgraded room, but it was fine for a few hours of sleeping and showering. It was immaculately clean, very quiet, and had good bedding. The walk down the narrow dim corridors to the rooms is not its best feature, but the rooms, though small, were all that we needed (and I can be picky, especially about clean!)

I think the staff told us to allow an hour, maybe longer, to get to our gate, but we went through so quickly we had to kill an hour at Pret a Manger waiting for out gate to be posted. I haven't really answered your question, but hope this info is helpful.

Posted by
792 posts

Thank you for the feedback! I understand the Yotel will be, um, snug to say the least but it will only be for a few hours. Any opinions on the ease of transferring between the terminals at those times of day? Specifically, the difference between moving between moving between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 after 10 pm vs. Terminal 3 and the Hilton? And then between Terminal 4 and terminal 5 early in the morning vs. the Hilton and Terminal 5?

Thanks again!

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