Holiday Inn Express London Heathrow T4 by IHG

Getting to Terminal 4 is especially easy because the hotel connects directly to it, which is handy before an early flight. The room was clean and modern, and quieter than I expected so close to the airport. The bed was comfortable and I slept well. Check-in was quick and straightforward, and the staff were friendly. Breakfast was included, began early, and had a good mix of hot and cold food. Nothing fancy, but it did the job. Good value for a short stay before or after a flight, and I’d stay again.

After staying for a week, I went to reception two days before checkout to add one more night. The receptionist told me it was arranged and the hotel would charge the card I’d used for the booking. When I got back at about 1 am, expecting to go to bed, my luggage and personal things had been taken out of the room and left there. There’d been no warning, phone call or email, and no one took responsibility. I was stranded late at night, exhausted after a long day and carrying my bags, and had to urgently find another room near Heathrow. The only one I could find cost £208 for the night. The staff seemed confused and unaware of what had happened. The lack of coordination was shocking, and the whole thing was humiliating and stressful. This was a complete operational failure that caused distress, embarrassment, exhaustion and an unnecessary expense. For an airport hotel where people may arrive tired or late after a flight, this is unacceptable. I’ll never stay here again. Be very careful relying on any booking change or extension made at reception. Shameful experience.

A lovely place to stop between flights. The risotto at the bistro was worth recommending, and I was impressed by the freshly made green salad. It was a far cry from the bagged salads served in North America. The restaurants, hotel and staff were all amazing, and I had a very pleasant stay.

The rooms are fairly spacious, with modern furniture and nice amenities, and the beds are comfortable and roomy. Despite the number of people coming and going to the terminal, it stayed quiet in the evening and morning. The best thing is the location beside T4, just a short walk from the terminal check-in desks. Check-in was quick and friendly, and the bar stays open in the evening, which is handy since there’s barely anything in the terminal before security. It’s a modern, very nice hotel.