http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418 http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418 http://ie2.trivago.com/images/layoutimages/logos/default.png http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i9181446 Thu, 17 May 2012 18:41:00 +0200 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/review-o1032000 Thu, 17 May 2012 18:41:00 +0200
Pretty much made out of glass windows, this hotel had a waterfall in the courtyard. On first impressions, I have to say, this did it for me. Without even stepping foot into the hotel, I was beyond impressed. I don’t think I have ever seen a hotel so grand and expensive looking. I was a little bit worried about how the staff in a hotel like this were going to be though. I had it in my head that as an expensive hotel if booked directly, the staff would expect certain things from guests and be a little bit stuck up. I know this is bad stereotyping but I had never stayed somewhere like this before.

As me and my Dad had been in the city centre all day, we didn’t get checked in until around 9pm, way past the usual time. Even so, the staff were super helpful. We explained that we had a quite early flight and wondered what the best way of getting to the airport would be. The receptionist explained about their shuttle bus service and booked us seats and also arranged a wake up call for us at 4am. They have a concierge service to get you anything you might need during your stay.

The hotel has 5 floors, 391 rooms and 2 suites. Rooms have satellite TV and pay per view movies if you're spending a bit of time there. Also included in the rooms are bathrobes, iron and ironing board, climate control, tea/ coffee facilities and much more. Everywhere in the hotel also has wireless internet access. There are plenty of places to grab some food or drink in the hotel. Even though it was quite late, we decided to get a drink at the bar before heading up to our room. The staff at the bar were happy to make us hot/ cold or alcoholic beverages as well as explaining that we could still get some bar food if we wanted. Considering it was quite late, I was surprised that food was still being served but I guess as a airport hotel, this is the norm.

Unfortunately, the room was not as grand as the hotel itself. I have never stayed in a Marriot before but I was a bit disappointed. The room looks just like any other chain hotel bedroom. With a double bed, desk with chair, TV, table with two chairs, bedside tables and mini bar, it wasn’t much different to other hotels I have stayed in. Yes, the finishes to the room were probably a little nicer but that is all. The bed, however, was extremely comfortable. With foam pillows and a lovely soft duvet, I was in for a great night sleep. As I didn’t have time to get a full 8 hours in, I was glad that this bed was so comfortable. After getting in the room, it didn’t take long before I went to sleep so I didn’t have time to use any other facilities like the TV or drinks.

Most hotels have a shower only in the en suite but not this one. I was impressed to see a very deep looking bath with a shower overhead. Before a long day of travelling, I was looking forward to having a soak in the bath before my flight. The bath itself was luxurious and I could have stayed in there for a lot longer, if I’d had the time. Instead of cheap/ no name shampoo and conditioner, there were small bottles of a leading brand. My hair does not agree with cheap hair products so this was another thing which made me smile.

As I was not in this hotel for too long, I cannot comment on this personally but for those who are interested The hotel has a range of facilities which are available for guests to use and they include a large swimming pool, sauna, spa, steam room which are all free of charge and there are massages available for an extra cost. I would have loved to have taken up these amazing facilities, especially the ones I wouldn’t have had to pay for. I don’t think it is right when hotels charge for you to use these things as you are already paying enough to stay there in the first place.

If you can afford regular prices, this is a fantastic place to stay for Heathrow Airport but I would advice trying to book the train and hotel deal through your travel agent first. I think they use superbreak.com. I would use this hotel again for sure if I ever fly from Heathrow again. ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037763 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:13:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037759 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:11:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037757 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:08:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037745 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:06:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037739 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:04:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037735 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:02:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037725 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:59:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037717 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:57:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037697 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:55:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i7037677 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:53:00 +0100 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/review-o547605 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:12:00 +0200
Airport hotels are generally a bit dire; they are the places where ships pass in the night, where nobody really wants to be and everyone is between one place and another generally taking no delight about being stuck by the airport. The Marriott adds an extra element of style and panache that's lacking from many of the older hotels on Bath Rd.

Firstly there's the architecture. It's a big square building with an enormous expanse of glass windows on the front which floods the atrium inside with natural light. The atrium itself has quirky design with acrobats modelled from wire suspended from the ceiling. It also has a coffee bar in the lobby. I think it's Costa, but it might be Nero, and this is a great alternative to over-priced breakfasts. The seating in the lobby is classy and doesn't make you feel like you're sitting in a glorified bus station.

The rooms are laid out around the perimeter of the square building and are of a very good standard. It's a Marriott and I've never been in one that wasn't pleasant and well equipped. Thinking to the visit we made with our friend, we'd booked a triple room to cut costs and the hotel had set up a small but sturdy camp bed fully kitted out with linens and had made sure we had enough towels and coffee and tea for three. I appreciate those little signs of attention to detail. We had a standard room and that was fine for us. We were only planning to be there for about 8 hours and to spend most of those asleep. The bathroom had a powerful shower over the bath and toiletries were supplied. The TV had a good range of channels, the kettle was provided with plenty of supplies and internet access was available if required.

We had prepaid so checking out was a quick affair and then we grabbed some tickets for the shuttle bus to the terminal and left. Our car took a holiday in their car park and when we returned everything was fine and it hadn't been moved. If you can get the Marriott at a good price, it's my preferred location on the Bath Road.
]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i5381342 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:42:00 +0200 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/picture-i5381340 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:41:00 +0200 ]]> http://www.trivago.co.uk/heathrow-405576/hotel/marriott-london-heathrow-airport-140418/review-o19139 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:55:00 +0100
ARRIVAL
The Heathrow Marriott is on Bath Road, a stones throw from one of the main Heathrow runways. Access is really straightforward, leave the M4 at Junction 4, onto a small exit road Jctn 4a, and then onto the A4 towards central London, the hotel is a few hundred metres up on the left hand side.

As you may have gathered, this strip of road is over-run with hotels, but the Marriott stands out, looking, at first glance, like a modern set of offices on a thrown together industrial estate. On this note I just had to share some comments from an article written in the observer

Bath Road is a soulless strip of dual carriageway en route to Heathrow lined with airport hotels which look like they have been constructed from Duplo by an unimaginative five-year-old. The Heathrow Marriott stands out because it looks like it has been constructed from Meccano by an inspired 14-year-old

(Source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/hotels/story/0,11327,638888,00.html)

RECEPTION AND CHECK-IN
Reception is a large affair with the concierge eager to assist. Adjacent to the check in desk there is Costa Coffee, a couple of bars, restaurants, a business centre and an executive lounge. There is also a stand alone cash-point, and unlike many of its counterparts in shops and other hotels, this one is free. There was also a small shop selecting a range of refreshments, cigarettes and newspapers.

Check in was swift, requiring completion of a records card, and a swipe of the credit card for extras, the room charge itself was paid for through the booking agent. Unlike any other hotel Ive used, I was asked how many room keys I would like, bizarre considering I was staying alone. I wasnt however, offered an early morning call or a newspaper, and had to ask.

The staff were very friendly, although few of them were English. What was interesting was that each member wore a badge with their name on, and underneath it their country of origin, quite a novel idea for a hotel that, because of its location, must get far more than its fair share of overseas visitors. I also noticed that many of the airline staff, pilots and cabin crew stayed here.

My room was on the 2nd floor, accessed via stairs, or one of four lifts, it was quite a fair trek from reception, although I was offered assistance with my luggage.

THE ROOM
On initially opening the doors, I have to say I was disappointed. It was little different in style or décor to many cheaper chains I have used. There was a double bed, cupboard area, working desk with swivel chair (now that was unique), small round table with two comfortable chairs, bedside table, a TV cabinet and mini-bar.

The mini bar (which has sensors to detect movement) was empty, and it took me ages to find the lamp switches. There were no overhead lights in the room, but the power of the 4 standard lamps provided more than enough light to work comfortably.

Air conditioning was provided, although, despite following the on wall instructions, did not work particularly well. The windows didnt open, probably something to do with the potential noise pollution of being so close to one of Heathrows main runways, but the room was not what I would consider uncomfortably warm so it wasnt too much of a problem.

The bed, an easy 6 footer, looked deliciously inviting, however, erring on the side of caution, I decided to check it first, good thing I did. The pillows were feather and the quilt duck down, eek, not a healthy night for me.

In addition to the evident problems with the bed, the TV started changing channels on its own, eventually turning itself off. The volume would only rise to about 40% of its full potential; this was beginning to feel more like Fawlty towers than a 4 star classy outlet.

I am gracious enough to recognise that problems can occur, and that how they are dealt with provides an indication of an outlet's quality. Within 5 minutes of calling reception, two workmen appeared to fix the TV, and also rang housekeeping to get my bedding changed.

On realising they were not going to be able to fix the TV, which was apparently brand new, they replaced it. This caused another problem, as the very neat storage cabinet that enabled the TV angle to be changed, didnt work because the replacement was too big, resulting in limited movement capability. TV channels available include all the terrestrial offerings, free movies and additional movie channels at £7.50 a time.

The room had a double built in wardrobe with mirrors on both sides. Numerous hangers were supplied, and also on offer were a trouser press, iron and board.

A travel kettle, cups and coffee were available. There was also a free bottle of water supplied (not bad considering one would set you back £1.60 in the bar).

As expected the room was en-suite with numerous large towels, bath, overhead movable shower and Neutrogena shower gel and shampoo, there was also facial soap and a full sewing kit.

The bath looked incredibly inviting, however, was actually rather shallow, not encouraging a long drawn out soak, it was also rather short, which although ideal for me, would probably mean hell for someone over about 5 foot 5.

The internet facilities in the room were various. A modem docking station was supplied, and customers could either use the dial up facility (99p per minute) or £1.49 fixed charge for freephone numbers (per call), or, for £15 you could take advantage of 24 hours of high speed connection using either an Ethernet or USB cable.

Even with my firewall which often causes problems, I had no problem in getting connected. Unlike other places Ive stayed, the charge is made directly to the room bill, rather than on a separate credit card. You should note, if staying here for more than 1 day, that 24 hour time stamp is not strictly correct, all connection times run from midday to mid-day, hence if you buy at 8pm you still pay £15, and you must also leave your room by 11am on the day of check-out, so a little misleading, nevertheless, a very good deal offering reasonable speed (my Bandwidth test threw it up at 100K, although it did seem faster. All cables were also supplied by the hotel, although I chose to use my own.

I paid for my room through the booking agent? Around 1130pm, I received a copy of my bill through the door indicating I was to again pay for my accommodation, a swift call to reception corrected this immediately. All live bill updates can be checked through the TV system.

FOOD
Travelling alone, I took advantage of the room service. It took around 10 minutes to get a response from either room service or reception, which I consider somewhat excessive.
I found the menu rather limited ranging from one curry style to burger, steak, sandwiches or a few pastas.

They did state you could also order anything not listed, I tried with Spaghetti Carbonara, but the restaurant that made it was closed for the day. I plumped for Lasagne Al Forno accompanied by Green salad and Garlic dough balls, accompanied by a pint of Carlsberg; it set me back £15, which included a £2.50 room charge, easily comparable with far lowlier hotels Ive used.

I did not particularly enjoy the meal, however, the presentation and style were good, and I suspect it was more my fault for plumping for a meal which didnt actually sit well on my list of favourite foods. There is also a clause on the menu that if your food is not delivered within 30 minutes of ordering you will not be charged. Breakfast can also be ordered in the room, providing forms are placed outside the door before 3am, windows for delivery range between 6 and 11am, which is quite generous if you fancy a lie in.

Drinks were a little above average in price, but certainly not too bad considering this was the London outskirts, and a four star hotel. ½ a lager was £1.70, a pint £3.20 and a double Gordons G&T £7.60. The hotel bar shuts around 12 midnight for residents, and unlike many other places Ive stayed, they do not stop taking cash payments at 11pm.

BREAKFAST
Served from 6am and priced at £14.95 was buffet style. (This was with the exception of tea/coffee and orange juice which the staff insisted on serving to your table).

There was a cold buffet, consisting of a wide range of juices, cereals, fruits and pastries, cold meats, cheese, smoked salmon, pastries, and a wonderful array of hot foods including:

Bacon (smoked and unsmoked), Sausages (Irish or Lincoln), scrambled egg, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, fried bread, egg potato and onion patties, and potato rostis (posh hash browns to the rest of us. You could also enjoy pancakes and maple syrup, or there was a chef area for freshly cooked fried eggs, omelettes or anything else that took your fancy. My only gripe was there was no un-smoked bacon out when I arrived, and it wasnt refilled for about 10 minutes. Other than this, it was evident that all the food was freshly cooked and extremely tasty. There was plenty of variety and my only gripe was that I didnt have more time to enjoy it, because I was rushing for my meeting.

LEISURE FACILITIES
My second reason for staying, and I wasnt to be disappointed. These facilities are free to hotel guests.

There was a sizeable swimming pool (I would guess around 18/20m) with stepped in access, a hot spa, sauna, steam room, plus massage facilities (extra charge). The communal changing rooms were large with numerous substantially sized lockers requiring a £1 refundable deposit.

The showers were large overhead sprays with measured thermostatic controls; shampoo, shower gel and conditioner were provided. There was also two hairdryers in front of large mirrors. The leisure club is open to clients from 7 till 11 daily, and children under 14 must be supervised, rather than banned as I have seen in several other outlets.

GETTING AROUND
Many might think it a good idea to stay here the night before the flight, and I can assure you, you wont be disappointed. However, if you think it might be a good idea to leave the car here for your holiday, you might be disappointed, the daily charge is £12, and the bus to the Heathrow terminals costs £3 single and £5 return, tickets can be purchased from a machine in front of the hotel. I was also informed that there would be a £9 charge for leaving my car at the hotel, but this was never forthcoming.

My original intention was to take the bus to Heathrow and then get the tube from there. However, reception kindly advised me that I could take a service bus (numbers 556 or 285) to Hatton Cross tube station free of charge, where I could pick up the Piccadilly line to central London.

The bus journey took about 15 minutes (not bad in rush hour) and the tube journey into Leicester Square about 40 minutes. The fare was £7 return, although had I been able to wait until 9.30am, I could have picked up an all day travel card for £5.40.

On the return journey I was desperate to get away from Heathrow before rush hour, and took a taxi back to the hotel from Hatton cross, which set me back around £7.

Interestingly, you can book rooms for day periods only, presumably to recover from your Jet Lag, however, I did notice several rooms with DND notices which were cleaned around 7pm, makes you wonder the actual purposes of the room hire, Mr and Mrs Smith!!

OTHER INFO
This hotel is ideally situated for Heathrow, central London and many other local attractions such as Windsor, Chessington and Thorpe Park, and is well within easy reach of the M4/M25 motorways and the tube and rail networks.

The hotel has 13 meeting rooms, and also a dedicated area of stand alone computers for those travelling without laptops.


IN SUMMARY
A nice hotel with excellent facilities and first class service, although I felt that around 400 rooms, it was a little too large to be able to add that personal touch.

The room was comfortable, and thanks to the "double" double glazing you would have been hard pushed to realise you were so close to one of the busiest airports in the world

Would I stay there again? Without a shadow of a doubt, although not at £139 per room, much as I would be tempted, this is way over my subsistence rates and overpayment has to be kept for those occasions when there are no alternatives.

I should imagine that many corporate organisations have discounted rates with this chain, unfortunately, most education establishments are unlikely to fall into this category.

Next time I stay in this area, my mission will be to find a deal with the Sheraton Skyline next door, which looks fabulous from its website and outside.]]>