Finding the perfect UK airport hotel for your client
An airport hotel can be more than just a place to rest your head.
A carefully chosen airport hotel can set the tone of an upcoming trip, whether it’s enticing clients with a taste of the food they’ll be sampling abroad or echoing the activities planned for a themed break.
Seamus McCauley, editor at Holiday Extras, says as well as providing a hassle-free start to a holiday – especially for those with early-morning flights – airport hotels can help make a getaway even more special.
He explains: “Recommending specific airport hotels that are perfectly paired with the trip your client is taking can only make you stand out, and there is such a variety of hotels at airports around the country it’s easy to find one that will help build clients’ excitement the night before they fly.”
Here are some suggestions to get customers in the mood for their break.
Hit the highway from Heathrow
Build up to an adventure across the States at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow.
McCauley explains: “With an enticing American burger menu and design elements that include an eye-catching Cadillac car and American sports banners and road signs, its Sports Bar & Grill is the perfect place for a meal before clients fly.”
After dinner, clients can pay homage to Hollywood and catch a movie on a huge screen above the hotel pool, choosing snacks from the popcorn, ice cream and candy floss machines.
The hotel has 350 rooms and on-site parking. Guests can use the regular Hoppa shuttle bus to access the terminals.
BOOK IT: Prices start from £154 per double room per night, including eight days’ parking.
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The write stuff in Edinburgh
For clients jetting off on a culture-filled trip, suggest the Moxy Edinburgh Airport Hotel.
It celebrated its first birthday last month and boasts a literature theme inspired by the city’s Unesco City of Literature status.
“We have murals of authors within the hotel, clan shields and book-styled art installations to give our guests a unique experience. There is a hanging book installation, neon book seats and a retro games arcade,”
says general manager Julie Wilson.
There are 230 rooms and five room types.
Wilson recommends the Moxyfied Biz Sleeper, which boasts extra amenities including tea, coffee and snacks.
Parking is available and the hotel is five minutes’ walk from the airport.
BOOK IT: Double rooms start at £69 per night.
Get in the swing at Gatwick
For golfers wanting to squeeze in a few holes before teeing off abroad, propose the Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel.
The 151-bedroom property is located 15 minutes from the Lets Golf indoor golfing simulator centre, where guests can hire a simulator booth and play with a PGA pro.
Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) managing director Nick Caunter adds: “Situated just four miles from Gatwick airport, it’s a peaceful yet luxurious location for golfers to rest the night before heading off on their golfing holiday.
“The hotel is ideal for sporty travellers in general, boasting an on-site fitness centre and indoor pool.”
Suggest APH’s Meet & Greet service for clients travelling with bulky golf clubs, as chauffeurs will meet them at the airport before driving their car to a nearby secure car park.
BOOK IT: Prices start at £80 a night for a double room, including eight days’ of park-and-ride parking.
Musical legends in Liverpool
Housed in an art deco former airport terminal, which once graced the cover of an Oasis single, the Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport Hotel is perfect for music fans.
In the 1960s the property was synonymous with The Beatles, when the hometown band was greeted by thousands of screaming fans when they landed at the airport after returning from touring around the world.
Holiday Extra’s McCauley adds: “The Crowne Plaza has a fantastic history that will appeal to music lovers, having won over the likes of The Beatles and Oasis over the years. Its striking appearance will make every stay memorable – with vintage aircraft outside adding an extra element of excitement for clients’ upcoming trips.”
There are 164 rooms and the long-stay parking site is five minutes’ walk from the terminal.
BOOK IT: Prices start from £82 per double room per night, including eight days’ parking.
Focus on fun at Manchester
If fun is on the agenda, suggest Oddfellows on the Park, and preferably one of its stylish Playground Suites, complete with a roll-top bath.
The 22-bedroom property is nestled within the 120 acres of Bruntwood Park. General manager Carlo Iulianella says: “Guests can enjoy the fresh air by walking or jogging through the park, borrowing our vintage-style bicycles or booking private yoga classes on the terrace.”
The hotel can ensure the focus is on fun and not stress by helping arrange parking, printing boarding passes and itineraries, giving breakfast-to-go bags to early risers and arranging a security fast-track service and access to a VIP lounge.
BOOK IT: Priced from £135 per double room per night, including breakfast.
Child’s play at Birmingham
To ease the mania of an early-morning flight with young children, APH’s Caunter suggests the 195-bedroom Novotel Birmingham Airport Hotel.
He explains: “It’s a great option to keep children in the holiday mood prior to jetting off, since along with being the closest hotel to the terminals, it also includes a children’s play area, an on-site family-friendly restaurant, sound-proofed windows and even gifts for children when they arrive.
"The hotel also caters for a range of family sizes, including rooms suitable for four people.”
APH can arrange parking nearby, which includes a free shuttle bus to the airport, with the hotel located a short walk away.
BOOK IT: A family room sleeping four starts at £103 a night, including eight days of parking.
Birmingham Airport
Birmingham Airport is the UK's third-largest airport outside London, and the UK's seventh-largest overall, handling 12 million passengers per year.
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