I will have one night in London on my way to Serbia in July. My husband has 36000 Hilton points that he will let me use. I can stay in Kensington or Euston for 35,000 points or at LHR or Paddington for 40,000. It would cost about $50 to buy the points I need for the last two options. I arrive on a 21:15 flight from Newark. I leave at 13:40 the next day. I need some help sorting through the options here.

If I choose LHR, it is at the terminal and I have no other expenses associated with this---for a purchase of 4000 more points at $50. Paddington would require the purchase of points plus a R/T on the Heathrow Express, but it might be quieter--is it noisy in the rooms at LHR?

If I choose the other options in town for 35,000 points, I have the cost of the Heathrow Express and Underground or taxi to the hotel, but don't need to purchase any more points.

Thoughts? Guidance? Thanks!

With the limited time you have I would just stay at the Heathrow Hilton if you absolutely have to use the points. If you're willing to spend about $100-125 dollars per night I would try to Priceline an airport hotel.

I would stay at Heathrow--getting into London isn't cheap and I can't see you getting in before 23:00 given Immigration (although might not be much of a line at that time of night), bagage claim, then a very expensive taxi or the express train (around $30?) to Paddington or the tube (which takes about an hour), only to practically turn around to be back at Heathrow by 11:15 or so the next morning. One caveat, the Heathrow Hilton is at terminal 4 but if I remember the train which goes to Paddington is free between terminals 1,2 and 3 and terminal 4. If you're flying into the new terminal five, I haven't a clue but would assume there's some sort of connection. Also, unless it's changed, the Hilton (and all other Heathrow hotels) does not have a courtesy van--there's a general bus which stops at all hotels called the Hotel Hoppa which is pretty cheap and can be pretty miserable but again, you may be at an advantage coming in late. The Hilton is connected to terminal four by an over the road tube-like walkway. They also were always very nice about calling a private car/taxi--clean and reliable but about 15 quid just to take you from the hotel to terminals 1.2.3. The hotel itself is clean and fairly comfortable, nothing special.

Kellye, Ssave your $50 and your Hilton points, if you stay near LHR.
Instead, book a LOH-area hotel on Hotwire. There's a 4 star Heathrow-area hotel for about $60 (or it was last week for the dates I booked) --the Crowne Plaza. It gets excellent reviews on assorted sites.
There will be other travel situations when you can use those poins more advantageously.

Apologies for typos, incluidng LOH. i meant LHR.

I took the advice to try Priceline, etc. instead of using the points. I won a $75 bid for a 4* airport hotel and got the LHR Marriott for the night. Now, how do I get there most economically and easily? The Marriott website said that it has access to London on the HEX. That made me wonder just how close this hotel is to the airport.

The easiest way to get to the Marriott (at least if you are coming from T1, T2 or T3), is to go to the public bus loop, and take a free public bus that goes along Bath Road. I don't know what they mean by saying that the Marriott has access to the HEX, because it doesn't, at least not directly.

&quot;<i>The Marriott website said that it has access to London on the HEX. That made me wonder just how close this hotel is to the airport.</i>&quot;

<u>Every</u> LHR hotel has access to London via the HEX -- IF one goes back to LHR to catch it. The site also says the hotel is 1 mile from LHR on Bath road. (it is less than a mile as the crow flies)

Are you an extra early riser?

If you honestly think you'll be up and out the door before 7 am for a morning whirl around London (for just a couple of hours, since you have to be back at LHR by 11:30 am), then either the Paddington or Kensington hotels might be viable (Paddington for HEX back to the airport or Kensington for the Tube, cheaper than HEX but longer).

Otherwise, stay at Heathrow, either Pricelining or using your points.

I'm glad to hear you used Priceline. The airport hotels are a great deal on Priceline. We've stayed at LHR hotels a few times, including the Marriott, which was pretty nice.

We took the Hotel Hoppa Bus once or twice and other times we took a taxi, although it was a lot of money for a short trip (sorry, don't remember how much exactly), but we were tired from a long flight and we had 4 people, so 4 bus tickets versus the taxi fare seemed reasonble.

&quot;<i>4 bus tickets versus the taxi fare seemed reasonble</i>&quot;

The local buses (not the Hoppa) are free immediately around the Airport. That includes stops near all the hotels along the Bath Road etc . . .