Travelling to and through and airport can often be the most stressful and traumatic part of any trip away.
Particularly when it means travelling out via one of the large international hubs, where security is at its most stringent.
London Heathrow Airport is one of the world's busiest airports with its five terminals handle 80 million plus passengers annually and flights to over 180 destinations worldwide.
Looking to get to an airport as late as possible can be a real recipe for disaster.
Where logistics allow, spending a night in an airport hotel, such as the Hilton London Heathrow Airport, offers an integral and enjoyable part of the travelling experience.
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lhraptw-hilton-london-heathrow-airport
A great way to get away in style
Our first ever night in an airport hotel will not be the last
Ann and I have been travelling for more years than we care to remember.
No, that's not true.
We positively cherish the memories of so many places visited and so many wonderful people we met along the way.
A first for us
But this is the first time we opted to spend the night before our flight (to Germany) in an airport hotel.
The Hilton London Heathrow Airport to be precise.
The question we are now asking is why it took so long to take this option.
Flying can be a stressful business at the best of times, and I look to lessen its impact by leaving for the airport as early as possible.
This invariably means the cab picking us up at some unearthly hour, with us then inevitably arriving, bleary eyed, and with several hours to spare.
But at least we are there and ready to go.
This time it was different - and very much the better for it.
Arriving mid-afternoon
We took an early afternoon Elizabeth Line train to Heathrow terminal 4 and stroll the 10 minutes along an undercover walkway to the Hilton.
The rest of the afternoon is spent simply relaxing before early evening drinks and a delicious dinner (as Ann explains below).
We could also have walked to the airport and checked in our bags, but decided this was not necessary.
After a very comfortable night's sleep it was off to the terminal, in our case terminal 2.
There is a free shuttle service between the terminals at Heathrow.
With an early flight we had to skip breakfast but that was the one disappointment from our overnight at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport.
The cost of a stay is nowhere near prohibitive, if one can add an extra night to a trip, I can certainly recommend this option.
An excellent hotel
The Hilton London Heathrow Airport has 398 guest rooms, three onsite dining experiences under the new OXBO brand along with a gym and walking and running trails in parkland.
The on-site kitchen garden is used to create seasonal plates and cocktails and it is also home to 160,000 bees, which provide the honey enjoyed by guests.
Finally, being just 20 minutes by train from central London, the Hilton London Heathrow Airport would also make a fine base for those flying into Heathrow and looking to spend a couple of days in the UK Capital before flying or elsewhere.
A stay at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport
By AnnMealor
This is the way to do it!
I had never considered staying at a London Airport Hotel when flying abroad – until now!
Living in the capitol, we have always driven, got a cab or when convenient used public transport to catch our flight.
However, with increasing cab fares and traffic hold-ups on the motorways, when it was suggested we should consider staying overnight at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport before a planned flight to Dusseldorf, Germany, we decided to give it a go.
We set off for the Hilton the day before our flight and had a relaxed and easy afternoon tube journey to Terminal 4 on the Elizabeth Line.
The Hilton was a short, undercover walk from the Tube and we were quickly checked into the recently refurbished, bright and very modern hotel.
The room
Our room was compact but well designed with everything needed for a short stay.
The bed was large and comfortable, there was a fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, full size, luxurious Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries, slippers and bathrobes.
The executive lounge
We were able to enjoy complimentary appetisers and wine in the executive lounge that evening.
The canapes, which included mini brioche, choux pastries, goats cheese, aubergine, pistachios, figs and almonds were beautifully presented, bite size flavour bombs that I found hard to stop eating.
The hummus dips with fresh peppers, tomatoes and cucumber slices were also very good.
The beach terrace
Before dinner we took a walk around the gardens outside.
It was a warm evening, the outdoor beach terrace, which is the ideal place to chill out with a glass of wine and enjoy the view – which is exactly what we did before heading to the OXBO for dinner.
Considering the hotel is at the airport, the grounds were very tranquil with a small lake, fountain and a little sandy area with striped deck chairs and palm trees.
A selection of 21 raised beds grow edible plants, herbs, fruit and vegetables while 160,000 bees produce honey.
Harvested by the hotel's onsite beekeeper, honey is used in a variety of cocktails and dishes in the OXBO Kitchen restaurant and bar.
The chef, Phillip Clarke and his culinary team deservedly pride themselves on their sustainability efforts and use as much of their homegrown produce as they can, including tomatoes, radish, beetroot, apples and strawberries.
The OXBO Restaurant
With floor to ceiling windows, the bistro style OXBO Restaurant has lots of natural light and is very comfortable and spacious.
There is plenty of choice on the menu (which also shows the calories for each meal) including 20 new dishes that are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.
For starters we had a flavoursome Beetroot Smoked Salmon with horseradish cream and mini-crumpets and a delicious, dressed Brixham Crab with beetroot, radish salad and toasted rye bread.
Then followed main courses of succulent Ribeye Steak with fresh watercress and chunky chips and a sweet Chalk Stream Trout fillet with glossy, slow cooked cherry tomatoes, crispy potato wedges and dill yoghurt.
To finish, we shared a generous helping of Pimm's Eton Mess with elderflower-soaked berries, gin and lemon sorbet and crunchy lemon meringue.
And, according to the menu, it was a guilt-free 396 calories – so a big thumbs up all round!
As we had an early morning flight, we unfortunately didn't get the chance to try breakfast, but maybe next time, as our stay provided such a great start to our trip, it is something we will definitely do again.
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