Review: Hilton Gatwick Airport

I recently stayed at the Hilton Gatwick Airport hotel prior to an early morning flight to Barbados.

Upon arrival at the hotel at around 15:30, I received a warm welcome at the check-in desk from the reception team and was even delighted to find out that I had been upgraded to a larger room from the Triple room that I had originally booked. I was also greeted by one of the guest relations managers who had been interacting with me on Twitter; which was a nice touch.

I was booked on a Park and Fly Package; which meant I had a one-night stay at the hotel and car parking for up to sixteen days at the nearby Long Stay South car-park; which was just a five-minute shuttle ride away from the hotel and the airport itself.

The hotel is very large, but it is very convenient since it offers direct access to the South Terminal at the airport. If you happen to be flying with an airline from the North Terminal, the hotel is still convenient since the monorail runs between the two every couple of minutes.

My room was located on the first floor – the same as the reception area, walkway to the terminal, one of the restaurants, the gift shop and even a Costa Coffee outlet – yes, you read right.. this hotel even has it’s own Costa outlet, although it is only open until 19:00 most days which is a shame.

My room was very large indeed, and only a short walk from the lobby. Featuring a queen-sized bed  in addition to twin beds; the room was bright, airy, and there were plenty of lights and plug sockets too – something that is often hard to find in a hotel room. The bathroom was also of a good size, and I am pleased to report that it had a bathtub with a shower you can hold – not one of those fixed ones, which can be a bit of a pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once settled in the room; I decided to head over to Costa for a quick drink and a small snack whilst taking advantage of the free WiFi that is available in the lobby – all you need to do is ask the lovely folks at the Concierge for the passcode and you’re all set for 60 minutes of surfing the world wide web. Sitting in the lobby or Costa is also a great place to people-watch. There were a lot of business travellers around and families too, but it wasn’t noisy at all.

By the time I got back to the room, there was a surprise waiting for me…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To my delight, there was a plate full of delicious Chocolates and Macaroons, and also a bottle of wine on the desk; let’s just say the treats didn’t last too long… they were too good not to eat. It was the perfect thing to eat whilst watching a little bit on the TV. 

Since I had an early start in the morning, I decided to skip having dinner at the hotel and just had a small snack which was alright. However, I did have a quick look at the menu for the hotel restaurants and in-room dining… the prices were what would I call “normal” for an airport-location. Afterwards, I headed back to the room to relax, unwind and get some shut-eye.

The bed was very comfy, and I slept for a few hours peacefully. It was a little bit odd getting up and ready so early, but staying at the hotel meant I didn’t have to get up as early as if I was at home.

My stay at the Hilton Gatwick was excellent, and a great way to start my holiday. Thank you to the entire team for a wonderful stay, and I would thoroughly recommend the hotel for anyone who is flying from Gatwick Airport.

I was staying at the Hilton Gatwick with my parents and the cost of the park and fly package for up to sixteen days parking was approximately £175.  All views are my own, of course.

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