Update: Here’s a detailed review of the Aerotel Heathrow Terminal 3.
I seem to spend more nights near Heathrow than anyone would ever want to. Heathrow has tons of airport hotels, though very few of them are conveniently located.
In this post:
My Heathrow Airport Hotel Strategy
When deciding where to stay near Heathrow, here’s my general rule of thumb:
- If I’m flying into/out of Heathrow Terminal 4 and have a fairly long overnight then I like the Hilton, because it is just a short walk from the terminal
- If I’m flying into/out of Heathrow Terminal 4 and have a very short overnight then I like the Yotel, which is located in the arrivals hall
- If I’m flying into/out of Heathrow Terminal 5 then I like the Sofitel, because it is just a short walk from the terminal
- If I’m not flying into or out of one of those terminals I usually stay at the Sheraton Skyline so that I earn Marriott points, and also because I like that there’s a Starbucks in the lobby and they have a surprisingly good Indian restaurant
Well, it looks like there’s now another hotel I should add to my rotation — it’s only the second in-terminal hotel at Heathrow, and the first in Terminal 3.
Aerotel Heathrow Terminal 3
Today the Aerotel Heathrow Terminal 3 has opened, which will be the only in-terminal hotel at Terminal 3. It’s located landside in the arrivals hall, so you’ll have to clear security and immigration to access it.
The hotel is owned by Plaza Premium Group, which operates lounges in Terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Given its location, you’re just a five minute walk to the nearest bus station, and a similar length walk to the Heathrow Express, which gives you access to Terminals 2, 4, and 5, within 10 minutes.
The two floor hotel offers a total of 82 guest rooms. It’s open 24/7, so that you can book stays starting and ending at any hour of the day. You can book rooms in blocks of six, nine, or 12 hours.
Aerotel Heathrow Room Types
The hotel has the following room types:
- Solo Plus Room, which is a 10 sqm room that sleeps one; it has a bed, TV, and private bathroom
- Double Plus Room, which is a 14 sqm room that sleeps two; it has a bed, TV, and private bathroom
- Family Room, which is a 21 sqm room that sleeps four; it has two beds, a TV, and a private bathroom
Aerotel Heathrow Library Lounge
In addition to the rooms, the Aerotel has a library lounge with chairs and sofas, plenty of reading material, and more. They also have a menu with light refreshments and drinks for purchase.
Aerotel Heathrow Rates
You can book the Aerotel Heathrow in blocks of six, nine, or 12 hours, or overnight packages.
As an opening offer, they’re offering a 30% discount when you book until December 31, 2019. You need to book a minimum of a 12 hour stay to take advantage of this, and use promotion code LHRAER30.
Looking at the standard rates for a random date next week:
- For a six hour block, a Solo Plus Room can be booked for $64 and a Double Plus Room can be booked for $76
- For a nine hour block, a Solo Plus Room can be booked for $99 and a Double Plus Room can be booked for $123
- For a 12 hour block, a Solo Plus Room can be booked for $127 and a Double Plus Room can be booked for $152 (though through the end of 2019 you can score a 30% discount, and pay just $89 or $106)
Bottom Line
It’s nice to see a convenient option at Heathrow Terminal 3, as this will be convenient for those flying American, British Airways (on select flights), Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, and many more.
This is only the second in-terminal hotel at Heathrow, and definitely the most convenient hotel If flying in or out of Terminal 3.
Anyone plan on staying at the Aerotel Terminal 3?
How do you book with the 30% discount? Is it automatically applied at booking, or do you need a code?
@Genise: "I just transited through LHR and will avoid it as the pest when I can.
Arrived T5 on BA late night – because the flight was delayed by two hrs.
Train stations closed after 23.15 pm – no transport to anywhere possible."
While trains may not be running, the statement that no transport is possible is false - the Heathrow N9 bus (which originates at T5) runs at regular intervals all night...
@Genise: "I just transited through LHR and will avoid it as the pest when I can.
Arrived T5 on BA late night – because the flight was delayed by two hrs.
Train stations closed after 23.15 pm – no transport to anywhere possible."
While trains may not be running, the statement that no transport is possible is false - the Heathrow N9 bus (which originates at T5) runs at regular intervals all night and will take passengers to the Central station (T2/T3) before running towards central London.
I just transited through LHR and will avoid it as the pest when I can.
Arrived T5 on BA late night - because the flight was delayed by two hrs.
Train stations closed after 23.15 pm - no transport to anywhere possible. Had to wait out until 4 am the next morning at this horrible arrivals hall in T5 until a bus started service to T3 to find a lounge and catch my next early flight to the US.
AMS Schiphol is the much better and convenient airport to transit.
@Grey:
"In USA, even the ‘free shuttles’ are not really free and you are expected to pay for them."
This is just not true... I can't remember the last time I was charged for an airport hotel shuttle in the US, if ever.
I often need to stay overnight at Heathrow and leave the next day from T3, so I’ve been looking forward to the Aerotel.
My take is that if convenience is of maximum importance and price is of little importance, Aerotel would be a good choice. But if you’re willing to spend a little extra time, you can get an equally good room for less than half the cost of Aerotel.
In January, my flight...
I often need to stay overnight at Heathrow and leave the next day from T3, so I’ve been looking forward to the Aerotel.
My take is that if convenience is of maximum importance and price is of little importance, Aerotel would be a good choice. But if you’re willing to spend a little extra time, you can get an equally good room for less than half the cost of Aerotel.
In January, my flight from Vienna arrives at Heathrow at 3pm. Flight to USA leaves T3 next day at 1pm. I need a room for 18 hours (4pm on arrival day to 10am next morning).
At Aerotel, the booking site shows cost as $152.
At Premier Inn (connected by walkway to Terminal 4), cost is $60. I’ve stayed before and found rooms and meals to be very good. A Meal Deal package with dinner & breakfast is $32.
To get from Premier Inn to T3, hotel is 10-min walk to Heathrow Express train in T4. Trains to T3 leave every 15 min.
Unlike Aerotel, Premier Inn does not require payment in advance.
Aerotel charges a minimum 25% cancellation fee. Premier Inn charges no fee if cancelled by 1pm on arrival day.
More about each hotel:
AEROTEL (T3)
All bookings must include specific arrival & departure times.
Rate include all taxes.
Must pay fully in advance with credit card at time of booking.
Fee of 25% if canceled more than 24 hours before arrival time.
Fee of 100% if canceled less than 24 hours before arrival time.
Rooms have free Wi-Fi but no minibar or refrigerator.
Aerotel has no restaurant.
T3 has several landside restaurants, and M&S grocery store is open 530am to 11pm.
Hotel entrance is on ground floor of T3.
From hotel, it's a 5-minute walk & escalator or elevator ride to departure security lanes on upper level.
PREMIER INN (T4)
Lowest cost room in January is $60.
Price varies depending on how far in advance booking is made. Room cost can be as low as $48.
Rate include all taxes.
Meal Deal package with dinner & breakfast is $32.
Costa Coffee shop in lobby open 24 hours
Can cancel or change reservation at no charge up to 1pm on arrival day.
Rooms have free Wi-Fi but no minibar or refrigerator.
Check-in time: 2pm
Check-out time: 12 noon
I’ve stayed previously at Hilton T4 and Premier Inn T4. Found them to be about equally comfortable and meals about equally good, but Premier is a much better value.
It's disappointing that Aerotel brands itself as Aerotel Airport Transit Hotels. My understanding is that a true “transit hotel” is located airside allowing you to avoid go thru immigration when just connecting in a country. This is true of some Aerotel locations such as Abu Dhabi, Rio, and Singapore. But some Aerotels are landside such as this new Heathrow location. It would be helpful if the term “transit hotel” was reserved only for airside hotels.
@Phil Duncan: While you are correct that the free buses are generally a better option, they don’t cover all of the Heathrow hotels - some of the Bath Road hotels on the northeastern side of the airport are outside of the free zone and require the payment of the bus fare.
That doesn’t necessarily make the Hotel Hoppa a better option, but it should be noted just for full information.
I also don't understand the comment that very few of the hotels are conveniently located. I feel like most airports might have one hotel that is on property and anything else you have to take a shuttle or public transport to. In USA, even the 'free shuttles' are not really free and you are expected to pay for them. Also, you often have to call the hotel in order to request it. At least Hethrow has very frequent free buses that go to most of the nearby hotels.
@JDS The check in area and arrivals at T3 are on the same level but they're quite separate (I think you might have to go outside from arrivals just to get to the check in area but I'm not sure). Each check in area is quite small and they each have an escalator which takes you up to security and the airside area.
If arriving by train the underground walkway splits at the end leading...
@JDS The check in area and arrivals at T3 are on the same level but they're quite separate (I think you might have to go outside from arrivals just to get to the check in area but I'm not sure). Each check in area is quite small and they each have an escalator which takes you up to security and the airside area.
If arriving by train the underground walkway splits at the end leading to departures and arrivals, although it is possible to walk between the 2 without going through the tunnel
I'm not sure what's going on with their website (which I accessed through the link in this article), but I tried to book one night for mid-November and it automatically took me to May 2000 and told me the promotional code had expired.
@Tom
Depending on how you define similar size but
FRA and ATL better yes. Same goes for AMS, DEN, DFW, DXB.
Again what makes LHR suck is the runway issue using 110% of 2 runways doesn't make LHR more efficient just lack of vision. If you cut T5 the average drops significantly.
FYI had a 6 hour layover in Singapore on Friday so booked into the Aerotel in Singapore . Great room size with bathroom and 2 double beds for USD $111 for a 6 hour block. Clean as a whistle and in terminal,1 which is where my Qantas lounge and departure gate resided.
Will try the Heathrow one.
To answer Ben’s question...
Yes I will definitely stay at the Aerotel T3 during my next long layover at LHR coming up in December. Thanks for the tip!
That was meant to be +1 to Phil Duncan’s post about not using the Hoppa, by the way!
@CraigTPA / @Phil Duncan / @Eskimo, the second sentence of the post complains there aren’t many conveniently located hotels at Heathrow despite the fact that, as I said, Heathrow has more hotels directly attached than any other airport. My point is every post about Heathrow starts with an (often unfair) complaint, I make no comment about the Heathrow experience itself. It’s irrelevant to discussion of Heathrow hotel options.
Although if you’re bringing it up, I...
@CraigTPA / @Phil Duncan / @Eskimo, the second sentence of the post complains there aren’t many conveniently located hotels at Heathrow despite the fact that, as I said, Heathrow has more hotels directly attached than any other airport. My point is every post about Heathrow starts with an (often unfair) complaint, I make no comment about the Heathrow experience itself. It’s irrelevant to discussion of Heathrow hotel options.
Although if you’re bringing it up, I struggle to name an airport outside Asia of similar size that is as efficient as Heathrow, actually (do you think FRA / CDG / JFK / LAX / MIA / ATL honestly offer a better experience?). So many US travellers have a warped perception of what it’s like to pass through a large US airport as a non-US citizen.
+1
@Tom – most of the Heathrow Hate has nothing to do with the hotels.
Never stayed near LHR but never heard bad things either, expect the Hotel Hoppa scam where many local bus can go for free.
Heathrow Hate has to do with T2 T3 T4 T5 experiences are inconsistent, located far apart, and alliance airlines are messed up. Not to mention the long overdue runway and the M25. Then they want to build a new airport. And you end the decade with Duchess of Sussex and Brexit.
Don't ever use the Heathrow Hotel Hoppa bus. People not local to the area may not know that you can board any Transport for London service and use it free on the perimeter road to whereever you want to go. Only once you get past Hatton Cross does charging kick in. Just explain on boarding to the driver where you are going - places like the Sheraton Skyline are very easily served on routes 111...
Don't ever use the Heathrow Hotel Hoppa bus. People not local to the area may not know that you can board any Transport for London service and use it free on the perimeter road to whereever you want to go. Only once you get past Hatton Cross does charging kick in. Just explain on boarding to the driver where you are going - places like the Sheraton Skyline are very easily served on routes 111 and 285 among others and the services are far more frequent than the Hated Hoppa.
@Tom - most of the Heathrow Hate has nothing to do with the hotels (except for that wretched "Hotel Hoppa" bus), just with the rest of the Heathrow experience. I don't think LHR is that bad, certainly better than most of JFK, but it can be annoying with its sheer volume and some of BA's more ridiculous connections.
Again with the unnecessary Heathrow hate! Heathrow has more hotels directly attached to the airport than any other airport on the planet - Sofitel T5, Crowne Plaza T4, Hilton T4, HIX T4, Premier Inn T4, HGI T2/T3, Yotel and now Aerotel. Many of the other hotels you can reach in less than 15 minutes by bus or Uber. How many 'conveniently located' hotels do you need?
Booked a 12-hour stay for October 14th night :)
Silly question but T3 is unusual in that arrivals and check-in desks are on the same level, which is odd in a large international airport. Is there any separation landside between arriving and departing passengers? Or does it really matter since everyone is landside anyway?
As an Accor guy, I love the Sofitel, but it is often so expensive ($325/night) that I usually schlep into the city on the Heathrow Express and stay at the Mercure by Paddington for half the price and spend some of what I've saved on some amazing Indian food and a few pints!
Do the rooms have bathrooms w/ showers?
I like the Hilton T4. But if I am arriving late and only need a bed and nothing else then the Premier Inn at T4 is basic but clean and amazing value. It you are using T2/T3 it is only a short ride on the free train then a slightly shorter walk than the Hilton (uses the same covered walkway).
I am coming off a 10pm AA arrival from JFK in Dec and booked the Premier Inn (advance non refundable rate) for £32
Yes brand new T2 Hilton Garden Inn.
There is a new Hilton Garden Inn connected to Terminal 2 and 3.......
There ist a brand new Hilton Garden Inn next to Terminal 2 and 3. That's an option, too.