LHR hotel & car rental
 

We will be arriving at Heathrow terminal 3 at about 10pm on a weeknight. We'd like to stay in a hotel overnight and rent a car in the morning. We'd be returning to Heathrow, then taking the tube to London.

What hotel and car rental company would you recommend for convenience and minimum hassle? A hotel that is easy to get to from T3 and a major car company that we can easily reach from the hotel, then easily get to the LHR tube station (Piccadilly line) on return would be ideal.

I realize most rental companies have shuttles to/from the terminal, although walking a limited distance might be easier.

Sofitel atvTerminal 5 is very nice. There also is Hilton at LHR.

>>Sofitel atvTerminal 5 is very nice. <<

But not at all convenient to T-3.

As I mentioned on your other thread -- any of the hotels along the Bath Road will be on the Hotel Hoppa route or w/i a very short cab ride.

janis, we picked Avis for a car, although there seems little difference between the major car companies.

The Bath Road hotels are very convenient to T3 and Avis. Now if I can just figure out why the Premier Inn is £45 and the Sheraton is £165, when both get about the same reviews, are about the same distance from Avis and room pictures aren't all that different.

Any ideas?

Premier Inn Is a well known chain of budget hotels -- no charm but invariably clean. Sheraton gets the expense account trade, those w/ hotel points . . . and Americans who have heard of Sheraton and haven't heard of Premier Inn.

For one night it would make no difference except the £120 you'd save to splurge on a great meal during your trip.

We've stayed in Premier Inns before and they excel at being a reasonable inexpensive generic hotel. I'm just amazed at the price difference at an airport.

It's one thing to pay a lot more for a high-end hotel in a city or resort area, where size, view, decor, service, etc. are important, but for an overnight airport stay?

In any event, thank you for your responses here and in the other thread.

I did get the Sheraton once for 45 <B>DOLLARS </B> on Priceline.

Priceline is, or at least was, great for LHR hotels - not very good for central London. But I haven't used it for several years since I have avoided having to stay out at the airport.

But you could try bidding say $50 for 4 star and see if you 'win' -- if not, then I'd just book the Premier Inn.