Executive Room
On my visit to the Hotel, I was able to spend time in an Executive Room, and the Executive Lounge. One of the first things that I noticed was how quiet it was inside the hotel, despite its close proximity to the airport. This is a large benefit as it means that the aircraft are unlikely to disturb you from a great nights sleep. Plenty of space was on offer in the room, with a luxury Queen Size bed, desk, flat screen television and much more. The room is also Wi-Fi accessible allowing you to keep connected with the outside world. The spotting ability from the runway view rooms is outstanding. A great view over the new Terminal 2, the beginning of the northern runway (27R) and the taxiways in the area are provided. Being elevated above the trees and fencing, it also provides a great opportunity to get photographs without these obstructions. Executive Lounge Also providing a great view of the runway is the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel Executive Lounge which is situated on the Third Floor. Throughout the day, complimentary drinks and snacks are available, with evening snacks being served from 5pm to 7pm with a small menu of three small dishes to choose from. Everything was of a very high standard. Staff were in and out of the Lounge all through the day making sure that the drinks and snacks were topped up, and that the area was clean and tidy. The staff serving the evening snacks were very polite, making sure that you were happy with everything that was being provided for you. If you cannot stay overnight at the hotel, between 10am and 5pm, you can get access to the Executive Lounge for £10 per hour. Getting to the Airport Accessibility to the airport from the hotel is fantastic. There are many options. The Hotel Hoppa service allows access to all terminals, and the bus stops right outside the hotel doors. Just a short walk from the hotel is the TfL bus stop. All red London buses from here to Heathrow Central (For Terminal 2 and 3) and Heathrow Terminal 5 are free of charge. The hotel also provide a taxi service if you wish to use this too. They can be booked in advance at the transportation desk just as you walk through the second set of doors on the left hand side. Final Score For Spotting Purposes, the room gets 5/5 - absolutely amazing! Everything else about the Room also gets 5/5 Airport Accessibility - 5/5 Staff - 5/5 Executive Lounge Food - 4.5/5 Atmosphere - 5/5
Unusually for an airport hotel, it only consisted of 3 floors. However these were very well kept and maintained, The brickwork throughout the corridors was something that added to the homely feel of the hotel. The room was very spacious, clean and tidy with the decor up to date, not looking old and tired. Unfortunately in-room Wi-Fi was extortionately priced at £12.99 per day for general browsing and £14.99 for video capable speeds. The amenities provided were of a high standard, the bed was very comfortable and provided a good nights sleep. Being an airport hotel, guests will be leaving at all times. This was very noticeable from in the room with the fact that it was fairly impossible to close the room doors quietly.
Food This was very disappointing for such a widely renowned hotel chain. Being an airport hotel, I would have somewhat expected a variety of food to be available so that they could accommodate for everyone who may be staying. The cheapest Main Meal on the menu was £12 for Portobello mushrooms with a basil and nut gratin and roasted shallot. Fish and Chips (one of only two simple dishes on the menu) were £14.50 and a simple Costa Latte… £4.75 (more than double the price of any other Costa Coffee shop at £2.55) Simple solution and one that I would recommend to others who do not want to pay through the roof prices. Request the free shuttle bus service from reception to the airport and get some food there and a takeout Costa (extra hot) - get the shuttle bus back and hey presto…. Hot drink and food in your hotel room at a normal price! The buffet breakfast was outstanding. Ranging from fresh fruit to sausages, Pain au Chocolat to cornflakes there was something for everyone. Presented very well and the area constantly being tended to by staff to keep it clean and tidy. The staff were on the ball and happy to get you anything that you wanted and that was available. Final Score So for spotting purposes, I would rate the hotel 2/5 - this is because there was no obvious room that viewed the airport although you could hear the aircraft Staff - 5/5 - Food - 3.5/5 - very over priced - breakfast was lovely Room - 4.5/5 - Everything was great apart from the doors slamming. Airport Accessibility - 5/5
Food
The food at the hotel was what you would expect. The typical Fish and Chips, burgers and pasta dishes. I opted for the Quarter Pounder with BBQ Pulled Pork. For a hotel, I have to say that I was very pleased with the standard of it. The bun was a little hard and the burger was a little over cooked. Breakfast was served from 6am until 11am and was the usual hot and cold buffet. There is nothing really that could go wrong with this. The cereal selection was a variety of Kellogg’s, unfortunately there were no croissants as they had not had their delivery. The food was cooked and kept hot well. Staff were extremely polite and friendly. They did not invade your space while you were eating and relaxing, asked about your plans for the day. It was a nice move from when I was last at a Travelodge. Service of the food was quick, the staff could not be faulted. Final Score So for spotting purposes, I would rate the hotel 4/5 - just because there is no decent view from the room of movements when using runway 27. Staff - 5/5 Food - 4/5 Room - 3.5/5 - The Z-bed lowered this score. It was not the best at all. |
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