TRAVEL BUZZ

■ What: Hilton Garden Inn, Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. Rooms from £149 a night on a room-only basis with free wi-fi. See hilton.com

■ Where: Linked directly to Terminal 2 by a walkway, about a 10-minute walk to Terminal 3 and the Heathrow Express station.

■ Experience: The four-star property opened just before the pandemic and still feels quite new.

Checking in with the welcoming staff was simple and we were in our spacious 13th floor room in moments. It had a great view of the runways, a desk, huge HDTV and uncomplicated light switches and air-conditioning controls with plenty of USB points.

The bed was outstandingly comfortable, while the welldesigned bathroom had Crabtree & Evelyn products and the crucial winner for me – a great shower with simple controls.

We heard no noise at all from the aircraft landing and taking off and the air-conditioning was whisper quiet. We ate our evening meal in the Apron Bar (the Apron Restaurant was quite full) and, as we were not hugely hungry, shared a feisty Rustica pizza (£15.50) and an Italian antipasto starter (£9.50). A good decision, as they were sizeable portions. Service was very pleasant.

We did go to the restaurant for a quick 6.30am breakfast and just had yoghurt, fruit juice and a pastry with coffee. The hot food looked very tempting.

The highlight of this hotel is undoubtedly the 14th floor Runway bar. It’s a smart, welcoming contemporary space with superb views of the airfield – especially from the outdoor terraces – and a nice range of drinks and light bites. A shoutout to our excellent server Vally.

■ Quibbles: The lift buttons were a bit uncooperative. They made getting to the 14th floor an entertaining challenge.

■ Verdict: Excellent, friendly, super convenient airport hotel with a stellar bar. 9.5/10

■ By Nigel Thompson