Heathrow Airport

Stuck at Heathrow Airport? Check in and chill out.

Hotels, Sleeping, , ,

A rare working week in London is bracketed by two very different, but equally impressive at/in Heathrow Airport hotel stays.

6 AM arrival: after a long, sleepless flight from the US west coast beside a fidgety, too-tall seatmate, I can’t face heading to town and trying to stay awake until hotel check-in time. Instead I visit the short-stay YOTEL in Terminal 4, where compact and very cozy, ship-cabin-inspired rooms offer just the essentials: bed, TV, Wi-Fi, and bathroom.  Four hours later I’m refreshed and ready for the Tube-trek into town.  Not for the claustrophobic, but a great option for folks with very early arrivals or departures.

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6 AM departure: With such an early morning flight, its just makes sense to stay at – or in – the airport.  In the past I’ve snagged an acceptable rate at the Heathrow London Hilton Airport Hotel, attached to Terminal 4, but this time I’m snuggled in for a short night at the new, ultra-swank Sofitel London Heathrow, attached to the new Terminal 5.

Rooms offer pillow menus and many public areas have themes:  for example the lobby is “Antarctica,” with a cool ice-block-inspired fountain, and there’s a huge, peaceful indoor Zen Garden.

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There are multiple restaurants, several bars and a fitness room, but it’s the spa that offers a hidden treat for folks stuck – or just worn out – at the airport.  For about the same price as four hours at the YOTEL, travelers can hang out in the Sofitel’s Hydro Suite, which has a shower, steam room, sauna, giant spa tub, and some very inviting-looking lounge chairs.  If you’re nice, they might even let you stretch out in the official relaxation room as well.

Heathrow Airport: Emma Thompson says no go on 3rd runway

Environment, , ,

In an effort to thwart plans for a 3rd runway at London’s Heathrow Airport, Greenpeace, other environmental activists and a few celebrities, including Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, have bought up a piece of land “slap bang” in the middle of the proposed project site.

Opponents of the 3rd runway project are worried about greenhouse gases, noise and other issues.  BAA, the airport operator, say the third runway is needed because Heathrow is “jam-packed” and losing its status as a world class airport.

This BBC news story gives more details about the debate over Heathrow’s 3rd runway.

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Sleep fast and stretch your travel dollars at the airport

Deals, Economy, ,

When you’re stuck at the airport, wouldn’t it be great if there was a place where you could take a shower and a nap or just close the door and watch a movie or get some work done?

In some airports there are. A great example is the YOTEL, the short-stay hotel located inside the South Terminal at London’s Gatwick airport.

The brainchild of Simon Woodroffe, a brash British entrepreneur who also created a conveyor belt-style chain of sushi bars called YO! Sushi, the 46-room Gatwick YOTEL offers rooms that are a cross between what you might find in a Japanese pod-hotel and an amenity-rich first-class airplane cabin. But these rooms also include full showers, flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet access and room service.

Travelers can book a YOTEL room for as little as four-hours. So it seems ideal for those times when you’ve just come off a long flight or have a super early departure in the morning. Prices start at about $50 for a standard cabin for the minimum four-hour booking, but during August, to celebrate the GATWICK YOTEL’s first anniversary, overnight stays will go for under $100.

Not traveling through Gatwick? There’s a 32-cabin YOTEL in Terminal 4 at London’s Heathrow airport and another YOTEL scheduled to open at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport later this year.

So sleep tight – but sleep fast!

Does the Queen ever get stuck at the airport?

Events, History,

I doubt it. But we do know that she popped over to Heathrow Airport at least twice.

Back in 1955, Queen Elizabeth II was on hand to open Heathrow Airport’s first terminal building – which is now Terminal 2.

She was back on site again today for the opening of Terminal 5.

According to the BBC, the Queen spoke of the ‘bright, airy space and clean, efficient layout,” as she declared the terminal ready for business.

I’m hard at work figuring out how to swing my own visit to the shiny new structure, but in the meantime here are some fun facts about Heathrow’s new baby:

· It took 60,000 people to build the new terminal.

· The UK’s biggest single-site dig unearthed 80,000 items, including pots, cups, buckets, flints and a 3,000 BC hand axe.

· During construction, two rivers were diverted. Fish and other water creatures were moved and new channels were made habitable for wildlife.

Want even more fun facts? Check out Heathrow Airport’s official Terminal 5 Web site, which includes a virtual walk-through, some cool photos, a time-lapse video, and lists of all the shops, restaurants and services.

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Photo from BAA website