Best Western Heathrow Ariel T2, 3, 4

We booked mainly to leave the car for two weeks, and only used the room for a few afternoon hours. It was comfortable and perfectly fine for that short stay, though perhaps we were lucky. The cab from Heathrow cost us £28 for a journey of only 1.5 miles. When we came back around 10pm after a nonstop flight from Bangkok, we were exhausted and found the car wasn’t where we’d left it. Reception gave us the keys when we showed our receipt, but said they didn’t know where the car was and told us to search every space ourselves. Apparently a third-party parking company can move cars and leave them elsewhere, which hadn’t been explained when we handed over the keys. The car park wasn’t huge, but traipsing around in the cold while shattered was infuriating. The car was covered in dried bird droppings, which will be a nightmare to remove. From the mileage, it seems it hadn’t left the hotel car park and may just have been moved to a less premium spot. Maybe staff wanted the space we’d chosen near reception?

Getting around was easy: the bus stops are close, the desk staff were welcoming and helpful with taxis, and having a Starbucks on site was nice. Just be aware the buses can get crowded, and if there’s a problem in the terminal tunnel, everything shuts down, so flexibility helps. The elevator was out when we arrived, but staff offered to carry our luggage upstairs and it was fixed fairly quickly. The buffet breakfast was great, though it’s worth timing your visit around the tour groups. The poor kitchen staff had a hard time keeping up while people piled their plates high, and waiting behind them took patience. Our room had what we needed and housekeeping kept it tidy, even if things were a bit dated. Wind outside made a horrible buzzing noise, like an Indy track, though we didn’t hear the internal noise other guests mentioned. The beds and pillows felt firm to us, just a matter of preference. We were pleased with the stay for the reasonable price.

There was no way to adjust the temperature in our room, which made a five-day conference stay uncomfortable. There was no room phone either, so we were told to call reception from our own mobiles. On top of that, we were asked to leave the conference room before our paid booking time was up, and told tea and coffee weren’t included, with extra payment needed for coffee. Dinner service was the worst part. Staff were rude and openly hostile, leaving the atmosphere uncomfortable. Professionalism and basic courtesy were missing throughout, and customer service didn’t seem to matter. Tbh, the lack of hospitality and respect made this a very negative stay. I wouldn’t recommend Best Western London Heathrow Ariel Hotel.

For a long Heathrow layover, we booked a day room from 9:00 to 17:00 for £58, and it saved the day. Check-in was simple, everything felt smooth, and we got a lovely long nap in a bed that was surprisingly comfortable. The room showed a bit of wear, but for the price it was well worth it. Getting the bus to and from Heathrow was easy too, and a hot bath before the flight was a real treat.