Aerotel London Heathrow
BACKGROUND Aerotel is an airport hotel brand run by Hong Kong-based Plaza Premium Group, best known for its lounges. The first Aerotel debuted at Singapore Changi in 2016 and there are now properties in ten countries, with more in the pipeline. After some delay, the 82-room Heathrow location opened at Terminal 3 in October last year. Bookings are by the hour, with a starting price of £50 for six hours. Nine-hour, 12hour and overnight packages are available, and the maximum stay is 24 hours.
WHERE IS IT? Landside in the arrivals hall at Terminal 3. If coming by Tube, the walk is a little under ten minutes – follow the signs to Arrivals and keep an eye out for the right turn halfway. In the main hall, look for yellow signs directing you to Aerotel – it’s next to the Emirates chauffeur service.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Once you’ve spotted the reception over in the corner, it really stands out and looks quite welcoming, especially given the uninspiring setting. Up close it looks even better, with tasteful artwork and light fixtures, a grey and taupe colour scheme and some plants. The member of staff who greeted me at reception was friendly, although didn’t really explain the layout of the hotel or the facilities, even after prompting.
ROOMS There are two floors of rooms, which are a mixture of 10 sqm singles, 14 sqm doubles and 21 sqm family rooms. I was pleasantly surprised by my groundfloor single room – sure, it was windowless and the bed took up most of the space, but it was softly lit, everything looked clean and new, and the bathroom was bright and well-stocked with amenities. I only had a small suitcase so there was plenty of room for me for one night. Double rooms have more floor space and a small table to work at, while family rooms have two beds and include a sofa.
There were three hangers for my coat and clothes for the morning, a stand for my suitcase and a couple of shelves for smaller items. The room also had a TV, free and fast wifi, tea and coffee and some milk. There were USB points, plug sockets and light switches by the bed. The bathroom was fitted to a high standard and had a hairdryer, a toothbrush and paste, plenty of towels, and amenities by Urban Skincare Company. In short, it had pretty much everything I could imagine you’d want for a short stay.
Soundproofing was good and it was easy to control the temperature. The bed was comfortable, with crisp white sheets. I did notice a green light around the fire alarm on the roof that created a faint glow during the night. It didn’t bother me, but if you’re a sensitive sleeper it might be intrusive.
FOOD AND DRINK I had arrived at 7pm and at about 9pm I ventured to the 24-hour Library Lounge, which also serves as a café. The reasonably priced à la carte menu included soup for £5, vegan Thai green curry or vegetable lasagne for £8, and chicken tikka masala or beef bourguignon for £10. There were also sandwiches, soft and alcoholic drinks and a free coffee machine. Service for hot meals ends at 10pm. A hot and cold breakfast buffet (£10) is served from 6am, although the pastries and hot plates were a little sad. I’d go for the all-day cooked breakfast plate for the same price, or the à la carte veggie breakfast (£8), bircher muesli or porridge (both £4). It would be a good place to work when it’s quiet, and a departure screen showed flight updates. A TV was playing silently in one corner.
Rooms are well-designed and equipped and the location is as convenient as it gets if you are flying out of Terminal 3
MEETINGS/LEISURE No facilities.
VERDICT This addition to Heathrow airport’s hotel stock was worth the wait. Rooms are comfortable, well-designed and equipped, and there are decent food and drink options. The location is as convenient as it gets if you are flying out of Terminal 3. Jenni Reid