If you are choosing the best airport hotel at London Heathrow, you may be choosing between the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Vs. Sofitel Terminal 5. We outline the best hotel below.
1. Best Location: Airport Hilton or the Sofitel Terminal 5
The Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 wins every time for location. You need to leave the main terminal and take the lift to the main car parks and pod parking. The entrance of this hotel is directly in front of this lift when you take it to the right floor. This means you can roll out of the hotel at the last possible moment before your flight’s check in closes. If you have an early morning flight, this is a huge advantage. Even if your flight is later in the day, it is nice to be able to roll out of your room at the last possible moment.
Review: Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
We booked a 2.15 pm flight on British Airways from London Heathrow (LHR) Terminal 5 to Venice (VCE) on 20 Aug 2024. After being loaded onto the plane around 3 hours late, we were quickly unloaded, and our flight was disappointingly canceled. As a result, British Airways put us up in the Airport Hilton Terminal 5 overnight, so even though this isn't really a luxury option, I thought it would be worth penning together a review in case you need to overnight in London Heathrow for Terminal 5.
The Airport Hilton Hotel is located a short drive from London Heathrow, terminal 5. Allow yourself 15 minutes to get to and from the terminal by taxi. The price for a taxi is £30 from Terminal 5 to the Airport Hilton, and if you order a taxi back, then they charged us £40, which seems to be the going rate. I believe the Hotel Hoppa bus travels regularly between the hotel and Terminal 5 and costs between £5 and £10 per journey, so this is a cheaper option. However, the transfer takes time and is far less convenient, so the Hilton is much more of a pain to get to and from.
2. Style & Character
Both the Sofitel Terminal 5 and the Airport Hilton Terminal 5 are fairly basic hotels compared to the stunning five-star lux hotels we usually feature on Luxury Travel Diary.
The Sofitel is more luxurious, with better beds and marble bathrooms, but neither hotel is brilliant for style. The restaurants and foyers at the Sofitel are hugely high and feel like you’re at an airport.
The high atrium at the Hilton feels more homely, and the bar and restaurant use clever lighting to make the space feel youthful and fun. You can see the purple lighting used at the Airport Hilton in their bar on the poster image I used to head this article.
Both hotels are functional, but being airport hotels, they feel slightly soulless.
Review: Sofitel London Heathrow Terminal 5
The Sofitel London Heathrow connects directly to Terminal 5 via a covered walkway and is the only 5-star hotel at Heathrow Airport. This hotel also offers parking-inclusive packages, and we have compared this Sofitel to the Airport Hilton at Heathrow Terminal 5 in case you are debating which hotel is best. To get to Sofitel London Heathrow Terminal 5, you can follow the yellow signs at the main terminal, which have Sofitel labeled. Incidentally, the Sofitel is accessible from the same set of lifts as the brilliant Terminal 5 pod parking.
3. Rooms
Both the rooms at the Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Airport Hilton Terminal 5 have everything you need in a room. Features include effective double glazing, blackout curtains, a quiet setting, and decent bathrooms. Both rooms are generous in size and the bathrooms at both hotels have a bath and a powerful shower so you have everything you need. The bed at the Sofitel is more comfortable than the bed at the Hilton, but this is the only real differentiator between the rooms. Both have fluffy towels, fresh sheets, and comfy pillows.
4. Club Lounge
Only the Sofitel has a Club Lounge, and it’s fairly decent so I’d reccomend booking this if you’re going to be stuck at this airport hotel for a decent length of time.
5. Food & Drink
Both the Sofitel Terminal 5 and the Airport Hilton Terminal 5 have decent restaurants. When we went to the restaurant at the Sofitel, it had Rosettes and impressive food. The Hilton has more basic food, but it’s good. If you can grab curry, I recommend it here for its tasty flavor and excellent value.
6. Price
The Sofitel is usually more expensive than the Hilton because of its proximity to the airport and convenience. Both hotels offer parking packages, and I imagine the parking at the Airport Hilton will be considerably cheaper than at the Sofitel. The parking at the Sofitel is in the short stay up-and-up car park, so is relatively expensive. However, you’ll need to check specifics for your dates because pricing will vary.
7. Conclusion
The Sofitel London Heathrow wins because it has a brilliant location connected to the terminal. If you are in England to enjoy some good old British drizzle, you won’t be able to here because you can stay more or less undercover from when you leave the Sofitel to when you enter Terminal 5.
However, if you’re looking for a cheaper option with cheaper parking, the Airport Hilton Terminal 5 will be your best option as both the hotel room and the restaurant offer better value for money than the Sofitel and it does have a nice youthful feel. Do not forget to allocate time to get to and from this hotel using the Hotel Hoppa bus to maximize value here.
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