An early morning flight from London Heathrow meant that an airport hotel stay was needed – and there was one hotel that was on my radar because of its runway views
Hyatt Place: Inside Heathrow hotel where you can watch planes take off
Staying in an airport hotel is about convenience for me, so I’m not particularly bothered about whether the room has nice views; as long as there’s a semi-decent bed and clean bathroom, I’m happy.
However since my stay at Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport, from now on I will have ridiculously high expectations.
That’s because the moment I got into my room, it was quickly apparent as to why this is a 4* hotel. For a start, the room was spacious with a very inviting king size bed, tea and coffee facilities, a big bathroom with some nice toiletries, heaps of storage space for my bags and a desk next to a full-length mirror.
But the real highlight of the room? When I pulled back the curtains, it overlooked Heathrow’s runway. I’m not the type of person who camps out near airports to watch planes, but there is something very exciting about getting to watch aircraft taking off and landing; especially the night before a holiday.
Despite the fact that I could watch the planes from my room, I was surprised by the room’s soundproofing; I couldn’t hear their engines at all, and considering the proximity that felt like an impressive feature.
The silence, cosy bed and blackout curtains meant that I actually had a really decent night’s sleep; considering I had to be up at 4am to head to the airport, those few hours were really precious and I was grateful that I felt as ‘refreshed’ as I could. The room had everything I needed for a comfortable stay from the coffee machine to the large bathtub and shower, so it was a great little base from which to get ready before a long day of travelling.
The hotel also has an onsite restaurant, The Gallery, where you can get a decent dinner that doesn’t make a ridiculous dent in your holiday budget. I had a mozzarella salad, the roast salmon and then some ice cream, all of which was delicious. The restaurant was fairly quiet (I was travelling on a Wednesday night) but I didn’t mind as I just wanted to have dinner and then head back to get some sleep.
Of course an airport hotel needs to be in a convenient place to, you know, get to the airport, and Hyatt Place delivered. There are a few options available. The hotel is on the Hopper bus routes, a free bus service that takes you to the terminals. The first one is at around 5.20am which would work for most flights, but I needed to get to the airport a little earlier so I ended up getting an Uber. It cost £13 for the five-minute journey which I am still slightly raging about, but you can get the free bus if you don’t need to be at the airport by 5am.
At least the Hyatt Place isn’t as extortionate. Rooms at the Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport start from £120 a night which isn’t particularly expensive compared to some other hotels in the area. Considering the standard of the room and the runway views, I feel like you do get good value for your money.
It’s worth noting that the hotel has 314 rooms, and you can specifically book ones with runway or airport views. There are also rooms where you won’t be guaranteed views if you’re not too bothered but want to the luxurious aspect on a budget.
To find out more about the Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport and book a stay, visit hyatt.com.