LHR Airport Hotel
 

Will be arriving at LHR on British Airways flight from Edinburgh at 10pm on a Friday night. Then depart LHR on Delta flight back to the US the next morning at 10:30am.

What hotel will be most convenient? I think we'll be arriving at terminal 5 and leaving from terminal 3?

Any good breakfast options for our last meal in the UK?

Thanks!

Any airport hotel will be convenient since all are served by the Hotel Hoppa (and would be a short cab ride which would be just about the same cost)

I'd get one of the hotels along the Bath Road/A4 because they are closer to T-3.

>>Any good breakfast options for our last meal in the UK?<<

Eat at LHR. There are several options in the Terminal after security. Other that that -- you only real option would be at your hotel.

I had a long layover on the way back from Africa last year and stayed at the Sofitel in Terminal 5. Anything in Heathrow is a long walk, but at least there was no bus off-campus to deal with. I had a nice breakfast there.

For T5, the Sofitel is the most convenient. It's less than a 10 minute walk from arrivals but it ican be pricey.

Since you are leaving from T-3 so I would not stay at the (expensive) Sofitel.

I'd want to stay convenient to my departure terminal.

I guess it's a matter of preference, Janisj, as I'd not want to schelpp myself and my bag on any Hoppa bus and around the airport both ways. I arrived at Terminal 3 and departed from Terminal 5 and found this to be convenient. I originally had booked into Yotel at T3 but they closed for construction the week I was there and they rebooked me into Sofitel, which was fine for what I needed.

Rachill_Nz, take a look at Yotel too, as that's at T3.

Missed the departing from T3 bit. Of course hotel at T3 would be better. Have no idea as to options at T3 but there are a number of good choices nearby. As for places to eat, I agree with janisj. I alway find some place in terminal which is almost always a better and cheaper option even when I'm staying at the expensive Sofitel. ;)

I think the Hoppa is a massive hassle. The Sofitel would be my first choice.

<i>Rachill_Nz, take a look at Yotel too, as that's at T3.</i>

It is actually at T4, along with the Hilton. I quite like the Yotel, FWIW, but schlepping to T4 from T5 only to schlep again to T3 in the morning is not worth it to me. At that point, I'd suffer the Hoppa.

The yotel is fine for a few hour rest (not in this case since it is the wrong terminal) -- but I'd never stay there over night. They charge by the hour and for an overnight stay a more comfortable 'real' hotel would probably be cheaper and you wouldn't be sleeping in a cubicle.

I don't find the hoppa a hassle at all -- but the schedule does have to fit. But most of the T-3 hotels are such a short cab ride that for 3 a taxi will be cheaper and for 2 it will be pretty close.

When I'm solo -- I just take the Hoppa and w/ someone usually take a cab.

OK, now let's have a big argument about whether a hotel near your arrival terminal is more "convenient than a hotel near your departure terminal.
Then we can start in on a definition of term hassle.

Thanks for all of the responses.

I'm a bit confused about the terminals. Anywhere I have been, it's not too much of a hassle to get from terminal to terminal - just a quick 3 minute ride on the airport inter-terminal shuttle. I have never been to LHR though - it seems like the terminals are very far apart?

What is a hoppa?

We'd like the option that is most convenient even if it costs a little more. We are okay paying for a cab if needed, unless there is a closer option at the airport.

<i>Anywhere I have been, it's not too much of a hassle to get from terminal to terminal - just a quick 3 minute ride on the airport inter-terminal shuttle. I have never been to LHR though - it seems like the terminals are very far apart? </i>

It is more of a hassle at LHR than most places. If you aren't connecting right away, you basically have to take the train between the terminals and they don't run that frequently. T4 (where the Yotel is) is especially annoying for your purposes, because you can't get from T5 to T4 directly - you have to go to T3 and switch trains.

<i>We'd like the option that is most convenient even if it costs a little more.</i>

To my mind the most convenient option is definitely the Sofitel. Step out of T5 from your night flight and walk to the Sofitel (IIRC, it is covered the entire way) and you are done. In the morning, walk back to the terminal and head to the train station to take you to T3.

<i>What is a hoppa?</i>

Hoppa is the bus service for the airport hotels that aren't actually connected to the airport. It basically replaces the courtesy shuttles you are likely familiar with, but is more annoying because it stops at multiple hotels and you have to pay for it.

Last year end november, we stayed at the Hilton at the airport. We arrived by train from cotswolds into central london, had lunch, picked up our suitcases held at the serviced apartment we stayed at for almost a month, finished last minute shopping, took the train from Green Park station and arrived at the airport. We got the Hilton buggy to pick us up from the start of the passageway towards the hotel, checked in and took rest in the afternoon. Got ready for last evening out in town and went to a lovely thai restaurant around central london (I forget the name, it was in touristy area but really good nonetheless), took walk around piccadilly, came back to the airport via train, went back to the hotel via the buggy again and slept comfortably without any stress of reaching airport from central london the next morning. Morning breakfast was adequate, but nothing too memorable. Room size was adequate for our purpose, the bed was super comfortable, bathroom was clean and not old-looking. Plumbing was upto the mark. Decent toiletries - Crabtree & Evelyn. Our booking did not include breakfast, but at check in, they did offer us the breakfast for extra payment, which we opted for. We flew off from T4 the next day afternoon 1 PM.
Even though our flight was not early morning and we did venture back into central london despite checking in an airport hotel, it made sense to us. We had already lived at a service apartment next to Ritz near Green Park station for a month and had the spent last week in Cotswolds. We did not want the stress to reach the airport from central london on our last day of the trip. We had total 4 suitcases as we were there for few weeks. Train connectivity into central london is easy peasy from the airport, and we were used to it by then.