Know your terminal and situation?
Our pick for every terminal and trip
One hotel per box, the one we would book. Open a box for the full short list, with the other options and what each costs in total.
Choose your terminal
Each terminal has its own short lists, because the hotels you can walk to are different at every one.
Not sure which terminal?
Your booking confirmation names it. If you only know the airline, this is where each one mostly flies from. Airlines do move, so check before you book a room.
| Terminal | Airlines you will mostly find |
|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | Most Star Alliance airlines, such as Lufthansa, United and Singapore Airlines |
| Terminal 3 | Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, Emirates, American Airlines and others |
| Terminal 4 | Many SkyTeam airlines, such as Air France and KLM, and Qatar Airways |
| Terminal 5 | British Airways and Iberia |
How Heathrow is laid out
What about the layout decides where you should sleep.
- Terminals 2 and 3 are neighboursThey share the central area and you can walk between them indoors. A hotel that suits one usually suits the other.
- Terminals 4 and 5 stand apartEach is a train ride from the centre and from each other. A hotel "near Heathrow" can be a long way from yours.
- Trains between terminals are freeThey are frequent in the day and thin out late at night. Allow 20 to 30 minutes door to door.
The kinds of Heathrow stay
Almost every hotel around the airport falls into one of these. Knowing which you want is most of the decision.
Connected to the terminal
You walk indoors to check-in. The highest rates, and no transfer to pay for or wait on. Best for flights before 07:00 and late arrivals.
A short shuttle ride
Full hotels at mid prices. You depend on a timetable, and the bus is usually charged per person. Best for mid-morning flights and families.
Further out
The lowest room rates. You need a taxi or a local bus, so add that to the price. Best for later flights and longer stays.
Or start with your situation
Pick the trip closest to yours. You will choose your terminal on the next page.
Early flight
Sleep close enough that the morning is a short walk or a short ride.
Early flight staysArr 23:55Late arrival
Get from the gate to a bed without waiting on a shuttle that has stopped.
Late arrival staysConnect 9hOvernight connection
Decide whether to stay inside the terminal, next to it, or head out.
Connection staysFamily × 4Family trip
Rooms that fit everyone, and a transfer that works with bags and a buggy.
Family staysLayover 7hLong layover
A day room, a shower or a few hours out. What is realistic in the time you have.
Layover optionsHeathrow guides
- Getting between Heathrow terminalsWhat is free, how the terminals connect and how long to allow.Read →
- Walk, pod, bus or taxi: the real cost of getting to your terminalWhat each way of reaching the terminal costs, when it runs and when it stops being the cheap option.Read →
- Layovers at Heathrow: stay in, rest nearby or go outWhat is realistic in four, six or ten hours, and when it is worth leaving the terminal.Read →
- Showers, luggage storage and somewhere to rest at HeathrowWhat the terminals offer for a long wait, what they do not, and where to go for the rest.Read →
Common questions
Which Heathrow terminal do I fly from?
Your booking confirmation names it. If you only know the airline, the table on this page shows where each one mostly flies from. Airlines do move, so check before you book a room.
Which Heathrow hotels are a walk from the terminal?
The stays we list as a walk from each terminal, rather than a shuttle, bus or taxi. Terminal 2: Aerotel London Heathrow, Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. Terminal 3: Aerotel London Heathrow, Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. Terminal 4: Crowne Plaza London Heathrow T4, Hilton London Heathrow Airport, Holiday Inn Express London Heathrow T4, Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4. Terminal 5: Sofitel London Heathrow.
Are the Heathrow terminals close together?
Terminals 2 and 3 are neighbours. They share the central area and you can walk between them indoors. A hotel that suits one usually suits the other. Terminals 4 and 5 stand apart. Each is a train ride from the centre and from each other. A hotel "near Heathrow" can be a long way from yours. Trains between terminals are free. They are frequent in the day and thin out late at night. Allow 20 to 30 minutes door to door.
What kind of hotel should I choose at Heathrow?
Connected to the terminal: You walk indoors to check-in. The highest rates, and no transfer to pay for or wait on. Best for flights before 07:00 and late arrivals. A short shuttle ride: Full hotels at mid prices. You depend on a timetable, and the bus is usually charged per person. Best for mid-morning flights and families. Further out: The lowest room rates. You need a taxi or a local bus, so add that to the price. Best for later flights and longer stays.
The stays we cover
- Aerotel London HeathrowA small hotel inside Terminal 3 itself, bookable by the hour. Nothing gets you closer to a Terminal 3 flight.Read the note →
- Crowne Plaza London Heathrow T4The full-service choice joined to Terminal 4. Worth it when you want a proper evening, not only a bed.Read the note →
- Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3The one hotel you can walk to from Terminal 2 under cover, and a short underground walk from Terminal 3.Read the note →
- Hilton London Heathrow AirportA full-service hotel with its own covered walkway into Terminal 4. A slightly longer walk than its neighbours.Read the note →
- Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5A full-service hotel a short bus ride from Terminal 5. It works when your flight is not at the very start of the day.Read the note →
- Holiday Inn Express London Heathrow T4The shortest walk to Terminal 4 of the hotels we cover, at a budget rate.Read the note →
- Hyatt Place London Heathrow AirportA mid-priced hotel on the Bath Road, with the Hotel Hoppa stopping at the door, and one of the closer ones to Terminal 5.Read the note →
- ibis Styles London Heathrow AirportA value hotel on the Bath Road, a short Hotel Hoppa ride from Terminals 2, 3 and 5.Read the note →
- Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport T2 & T3 (Bath Road)A budget hotel on the Bath Road, a bus ride from Terminals 2, 3 and 5. The lowest-priced way to stay near the central terminals.Read the note →
- Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4A covered walk to Terminal 4 at a budget-hotel rate. The simplest answer for most people flying from this terminal.Read the note →
- Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5A budget hotel a short Hotel Hoppa ride from Terminal 5, for much less than the hotels beside it.Read the note →
- Radisson Red London HeathrowA modern mid-priced hotel on the Bath Road, a short Hotel Hoppa ride from Terminals 2, 3 and 5.Read the note →
- Renaissance London Heathrow HotelA full hotel on the bus route to Terminals 2 and 3, for a good deal less than the walkable one.Read the note →
- Sofitel London HeathrowThe one hotel joined to Terminal 5. You pay for that, and the premium is only worth it when your flight is early or your arrival is late.Read the note →
- Thistle London Heathrow Terminal 5The pod makes this the next best thing to a hotel you can walk from, at a much lower rate. You pay per person for each ride.Read the note →