Gatwick Sofitel or even Yotel at (or after) midnight?
 

I just posted a question about how, where, why to stay when we have less than 48 hours between flights in London, so I apologize for what could be considered a duplicate post.
The fact is that I'm fretting and sweating here. I'm really getting worried about where to check-in once we arrive close to or after midnight.

We're coming in from Tenerife (TFS) on BA to Gatwick at 10:58 on December 21, an arrival some resources say will be at the South Terminal and others say will be the the North Terminal.

I figure that once we deplane and make our way to the exit, we'll be lucky if we check in somewhere by midnight. Has anyone checked in to the Gatwick Sofitel after midnight? And has anyone on the board tried the Yotel? Please share experiences.

My next problem will be working our way over to Heathrow for our a.m. Dec 23rd departure, but I just want to make sure we sleep SOMEWHERE after a very long travel day as quickly the possible on the cusp of Dec 21/22.

I have no experience with the hotels at Gatwick, sorry, my comment is general. After your first night at Gatwick I suggest you take a coach (or your preferred transport option) from Gatwick to a Heathrow hotel first thing next morning. Leave your bags in the Heathrow hotel luggage storage if you cannot check in and enjoy your day in London, knowing you'll be positioned for your flight next day. I think this minimizes the schlepping to and fro given the short time you have there. I sympathize entirely with your desire to sleep at Gatwick when you arrive.

>>The fact is that I'm fretting and sweating here. I'm really getting worried about where to check-in once we arrive close to or after midnight. <<

My suggestion on your other thread stands.

Midnight isn't that late - IMO it would be MUCH better to stay in the same hotel both nights rather than checking in/out twice.

You can take the train in to Victoria - there are several hotels w/i 2 blocks of the station and then on the 23rd you can either take the tube or a pre-booked car service like justairports.com to LHR.

Just be sure to inform your Victoria area hotel that you will be checking in late.

meant to add - since you are only flying in from Tenerife you won't have jet lag to deal with. I;d just head into London so you can get an early start the next morning sightseeing your only day in the city.

I've used the Yotel at Gatwick several times when I've had to get an early morning flight. Very comfy bed, great shower, free wifi, but not a lot of space in the standard cabins if you travel with large quantities of luggage. To keep costs down I've caught a late train from Victoria, usually checking into the Yotel at around 11.30 p.m. or midnight with no problems at all.

But she's leaving later from Heathrow. I totally agree w janisj. Sleep in London. Enjoy it .

If you are still considering the Yotel at Gatwick we can recommend it. We stayed there before a very early flight and loved the convenience. Checked out, hopped in the lift, up one level and we were in the departures hall. The room was small, you can fit luggage under the bed but there is very little room around the bed. Big TV, nice new bathroom with shower. Comfortable but not spacious. Also no outside windows at all, it felt to me a bit like being on a ship.

There is an easy and free transfer between the South and North terminals at Gatwick so don't worry about which terminal you fly in to. There is also a Premier Inn near the North (?) Terminal, we stayed there once but it's not as convenient. About a 15 mins confusing walk from the terminal with no signage at all, though this was a few years ago.

Kay

You would be fine checking in late to the Sofitel at Gatwick ( and it's actually a very nice hotel for an airport hotel)

We always stay at the Premier Inn at Gatwick when we have to.

Keep your ideas and input coming. I am internalizing your comments, and that is so helpful. I'm making Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and so on.

<u>For the time being</u>, our latest plan is taking the Northern Express Coach from Gatwick straight to Heathrow (if I can ever figure out where to get the coach from the Northern Terminal at Gatwick) to go straight to the Heathrow Sofitel (if I can ever figure out how to get to the Sofitel from the drop-off point). Our early a.m. check-in for the last leg to the US would be rather painless that way.

My current reasoning:
a) lessening the total amount of luggage toting for the layover
b) maximizing sleep

I'd like to say that would use a full day in London, but quite frankly, I'm avoiding packing a winter coat, and touring will be rather impossible with the clothes I'm planning on taking. We do carry-on luggage only, and since we're coming back from a cycling trip that requires oodles of gear, non-cycling clothing is rather low on the packing list. Then again, I've packed a down coat before and sat on the luggage lid...hmmm.

(If you are wondering how I'm stuck with this itinerary, well...I've used every possible mile, promo, what have you to lower our flight costs. So I have to use a Star Alliance carrier to get to Europe and BA to get to the Canary Islands. BA only flies direct certain days. Even with the cost of the extra hotel stay, though, this routing significantly lowers our costs).

Again, I am so grateful for all of your ideas and comments.

The Heathrow Sofitel is also a VERY nice airport hotel. Stayed there quite a few times. It's the only true on site airport at Terminal 5