Sapphire

We will be visiting friends in England for awhile and then picking up our rental car to visit the Lake District. We were advised to spend the night at a hotel close to Heathrow before picking up the rental car to get an earlier start north. Is there a hotel you would recommend that is convenient to picking up a rental car from Hertz at Heathrow? Someone recommended the Renaissance hotel at Heathrow but it seems to get mixed reviews on Trip Advisor. Has anyone stayed there recently?

We are planning to drive back from the Lake District the day before our flight home and thought we'd probably stay at an airport hotel again. But our flight back to the US leaves at 5:15pm so we have some flexibility. Any suggestions as to whether to stay near the airport or somewhere in London - after returning the car? We could do a bit of sightseeing Sunday morning, but have no appetite for cutting things close for our flight home.

Thanks for whatever help you can give us.

jamikins

I havent stayed out at Heathrow but here is some info off the airport page:

http://www.heathrowairport.com/heath...eathrow-hotels

Gardyloo

We often stay near Heathrow, particularly when we have a late arriving flight or an early departing flight. We almost always use Priceline's bidding option for a 3 1/2 or 4-star hotel near the airport, and have never paid more than US$100 for a room, typically half or less of the hotel's own "best rate."

The problem with combining hotel stays at Heathrow with rental cars is that getting from the airport to the hotels (and vice versa) usually entails riding the "Hotel Hoppa Bus" as the hotels don't offer their own shuttles. The Hoppa is £4 each way, so for two persons you're looking at £16 just to get to/from the airport, where you can catch the (free) shuttles to the car rental stations. These, for the most part - Hertz included - are in a line on the North Perimeter Road, between the (A4) Bath Road - where many of the hotels are situated - and the runways.

So you can see the drill - arrive after a long flight, go through immigration, fetch your luggage and go through customs, walk (short or miles depending on the terminal) to the bus stop, wait for "your" Hoppa (there are numerous routes.) Then pay the driver and schlep your bags onto the bus, hope for a place to store them and find a seat, then ride to your hotel, possibly stopping at several others en route.

Repeat in reverse in the morning, then find the stand for the shuttle bus to the car rental office, and... so on.

So when I rent cars at Heathrow I do it in reverse. Take the shuttle to the car rental office then take the rental car to the hotel. Yes, you'll have to pay to park the car at the hotel overnight, but it's highly unlikely you'll pay as much as the Hoppa, and believe me, the next morning things will be ever so much easier. Out of the hotel, make your way to the M4 or M25 (depending on where you're headed) and badda bing, on the road.

As for which hotel if you don't want to gamble, we've stayed at most of the Bath Road hotels and prefer, in no particular order, the Sheraton Skyline, Marriott, and the Renaissance. We're least fond of the Crowne Plaza and both of the Holiday Inns, but none of them are truly dire.

Gardyloo

Meant to add, there are also a couple of hotels actually on the Heathrow premises, such as the Sofitel connected to Terminal 5 and the Hilton near Terminal 4. These can be accessed without relying on the Hoppa, but they tend to be a bit pricey compared to the other area hotels.

Sapphire

Thank you both for your help. We are not doing this in the typical way because we will already be in England for over a week before picking up the car rather than coming right off a plane.

janisj

Where do your friends live? That makes a huge difference re the best place to collect a car. Also, are you going anyplace between LHR and the Lakes? If not, there may be better places to collect the car.

As for going back south to LHR or London - again there may be better places to drop the car (even if you pick it up at LHR - there are seldom drop off charges). You could drop the car at MAN or in Liverpool and take a train down to London much faster than driving it. Then stay in a central London hotel and head out to LHR in the afternoon.

So give us a bit more detail and there may be better options than LHR.

Dukey1

I've done what you are contemplating a couple of times but I was coming off a plane each time.

I would consider using Hotwire or Priceline for the hotel. The Renaissance is one of the hotels which is a little closer to the Hertz facility. I once used a taxi to get myself to the facility and I also once used the bus to get to the terminal and then took the Hertz bus.

If I ever do it again I will simply take a taxi to the Hertz facility and be done with it.

Dukey1

Oops, sorry...actually wasn't coming of a plane each time obviously. Couple times did it from a hotel after staying overnight since i wasn't about to pay for a days worth of car use to simply park it in a PAY hotel lot.

Rastaguytoday

I've stayed at the Posthouse at Heathrow several times. The primary reason is that there is a great pub just off the property, with good food and drink.

It's frequented by locals and flight attendants.

janisj

The old Post House has been a Holiday Inn for probably close to a decade.

travelhorizons

If you get out into the countryside, you can be near Heathrow but enjoying something with more local flavor than a typical corporate airport hotel. Here's a blog post I wrote about several countryside hotels near Heathrow: http://tinyurl.com/d7umpeg

Runnymede-on-Thames is close (5 miles away) with rates starting under 200£ with complimentary breakfast for two.

Sapphire

Just got access to the Internet again..... Our friends live in Beckenham south of London and we are going directly to the Lake District and back. (Celebrating our 40th anniversary there.) We booked the Hertz rental through Auto Europe so I'm not sure how much flexibility we have on where we can drop off the car.

Thanks for the very helpful input!

Cathinjoetown

You are only 20 miles from Heathrow which will be a good hour by car.

Rather than mess around with a hotel at Heathrow, ask your friends to investigate a local car service to Heathrow. Very early morning, say 6:30 or 7:00, the traffic won't be too bad and the driver can drop you right at the car pick up.

Makes a lot more sense to me.

alanRow

Get the car then stay overnight in Windsor. Much better than an airport hotel - even the Queen stays there

janisj

>>We booked the Hertz rental through Auto Europe so I'm not sure how much flexibility we have on where we can drop off the car.<<

That is what you do in the booking process . . . tell AutoEurope where you want to collect and drop the car. It isn't up to them - you get to pick. You could have asked to drop it almost anywhere - Autoeurope then matches you up w/ the best rental company for those pick up/drop off locations.

I'd call Autoeurope's toll free number and see if you are stuck w/ your booking. Probably so - but worth a shot . . .

Maybe they can modify the drop off location at least.

julia_t

You are obviously not looking for a budget hotel, but for the benefit of future posters who may turn up this thread when searching for Heathrow Airport Hotel, I'd just like to mention that Travelodge offers rooms from £21 GBP.

I've stayed at the Terminal 5 one, and at another on the perimeter road. Both are clean, comfortable and cheap, and worth considering for budget travellers.

MmePerdu

"...we are going directly to the Lake District and back." Sapphire

Sapphire, since you seem to have no destinations along the way, might it make more sense to take the train to the Lakes and get a car there? It's what I'd do.

Sapphire

Just getting back to this thread....

We stayed at a hotel at Heathrow overnight before picking up our car. We arrived toward the end of a big wedding (or wedding reception) late Sunday afternoon. Picked up our car the next morning without any difficulties and headed north to the lake district. We stayed in Grasmere for 5 nights and enjoyed touring the area again.

Returning to Heathrow, we took Travelhorizon's advice and stayed at Runnymede-on-Thames our last night in England. What a lovely place to stay! We enjoyed walking along the Thames River in both directions and the delicious food.

Thank you all for your input!

Sapphire

Came back to this thread as we are again heading to London. We are going to stay at Runnymede-on-Thames for one night before attending a conference, then revisit the Lake District, and end up with a night at the Renaissance hotel near Heathrow before an early morning flight.

Not sure whether we will end up eating dinner at the Renaissance or have eaten before we arrive. My memory is that the food at dinner was not remarkable. Any recommendations of somewhere nearby for getting dinner?

Thank you!

Cathinjoetown

Bath Road, right? When we stayed at the Marriott they directed us down a side street to a pub which was pretty good. It should be walking distance from your hotel, the front desk might have name and exact location. Actually, the food at the Marriott has improved over the years. Another time we had a business dinner at a decent Chinese restaurant but it was not walking distance, much further west, still on Bath Rd, other side of main entrance to the terminals.