Ramada Crawley Gatwick

The fixed shower over the bathtub was a letdown: the water pressure was extremely weak, the temperature hard to control, and with the head fixed to the wall you can't direct the water. That's why I'm giving four stars. I've stayed a few nights and otherwise been pleased. Both rooms were spacious and clean, the beds comfortable, parking adequate, and service friendly. It's about a 10-minute drive from the airport and a short walk to Crawley town centre, with plenty of shops open during the day. At night the area can feel like a ghost town, and some places close surprisingly early. I also appreciated that the Ramada Inn still has some rooms where smoking is allowed. Most hotels seem to have done away with smoking rooms, and I think keeping a few available to book makes sense.

The shower and tub were small and slippery, and the shower had low flow. The sink also had those separate hot and cold taps that I find useless. On the plus side, the staff were friendly and the room was decent, spacious, clean, and had a nice desk. The hotel's main areas had some character, and the view depends on which room you get. You can hear some street noise and sounds from other rooms and the hallways. It's pretty close to the airport, and the area seems like it could be nice in summer. Fine for a night or two while waiting for a flight, or maybe a summer vacation.

Purple Parking booked us for the wrong month, but it wasn't a problem at first. We were given a room that hadn't been booked, then another guest was later sold that same room and let themselves in, much to their surprise and ours. I'd happily stay again, just not in an unbooked room. The hotel is easy to reach, parking is easy, and the room was quiet and comfortable. For a pre-flight bed, that's enough. There's also the hotel grill and restaurant, plus several other places an easy walk away.

They gave us a small bed upgrade and ground-floor rooms because we had so many bags, which was helpful. We stayed for about two weeks and found the hotel cosy and very nice. The rooms were clean, the food was good quality, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It also has a lovely, traditional English look.