As most will know, since April this year my days catching flights have increased dramatically thanks to friends and family being based in various countries, and also because I want to review
As most will know, since April this year my days catching flights have increased dramatically thanks to friends and family being based in various countries, and also because I want to review more places for you all. But with no car and often catching either really early or extremely late flights to and from destinations, it often means airport hotels are the best option. But with so many to choose from, it can often be hard to decide which hotel is best to stay at. Here, I review another hotel at London Heathrow - Novotel London Heathrow T1, 2 and 3.
As the name suggests, this Novotel serves mainly passengers using terminals 2 and 3 at London Heathrow, it also used to serve the now-defunct terminal 1 which closed its doors in 2015. However, this hotel has one feature which means I've used it in the past even if flying out of terminal 4 or terminal 5, the latter of which I was flying out of early on checkout day.
The Executive suites are beautifully positioned, with the one I was staying in even able to give me a little bit of a runway view despite there being another hotel across the road. They are also extremely spacious despite not being tagged as accessible, and I was able to get my chair in, out and around the room with ease. However, unlike other hotels within the Novotel brand, the seating area isn't separate from the bedroom area meaning that if anyone is using the sofa bed, there's no privacy for anyone! Because of the lack of separate living area, the coffee machine is also completely out of reach to wheelchair users, as is the rest of the tea/coffee making area as it's all hidden underneath the machine on the same shelf.
The bathroom is the Executive Suite's hidden gem, with a jacuzzi bath as well as a double sink and vanity area. A bathroom like this is the stuff dreams are made of - not even Sofitel, Heathrow's 5-star hotel at terminal 5 has Jacuzzi baths! This is the entire reason I don't pick accessible rooms at this hotel because unfortunately, the accessible rooms don't have these baths in them. It's a shame because the choice of having these baths in an accessible room would surely be welcomed by disabled people who not only like the choice of having a bath instead of a shower, but also for those who find hydrotherapy jets help them. There is a desk area in the room too, which doubles up as a vanity area for those unable to use the vanity area in the bathroom.
Overall, the suite felt more like an 'Executive room' rather than the suite it's advertised to be, especially as the living area wasn't separate and this is normally a given in any suite in any hotel - even junior suites in some hotels have a separate living area! However, the jacuzzi bath is a hidden gem, and if you're wanting that feature when the Executive rooms aren't available, then the only way to get it is to be in one of the suites. The suite is also spacious enough to get a wheelchair around despite not being tagged as accessible. I just wish that hotels with multiple suites would at least turn some of them into accessible suites as they would be hugely welcomed!
As the hotel rate was room only I didn't get a chance to review breakfast.