I only just realised that I’ve never posted a report from the Heathrow Sofitel, which is surprising given how often I’ve stayed here over the years. And so, without further ado, here you are!

Location

The Sofitel London Heathrow is located at Terminal 5. It’s directly accessible on foot from Terminal 5 arrivals. You just cross the atrium that links the terminal building to the multi-story garage and either take the lift or stairs up to level 1. From there a footbridge will take you all the way to the hotel’s lobby and reception.

Check-In

All the check-in counters are attended when I arrive, which means that I’m seen to without delay. The young man checking me in acknowledges my Diamond status and informs me I’ve been upgraded to a Deluxe Superior room on the second floor of the sixth wing. Jackpot! He also informs me that I have access to the Club Millésime lounge, where drinks and nibbles are served between 18h00 and 20h00.

Service & Staff

The staff at the hotel are friendly and courteous. Especially the staff in the lounge are great. During the meal times they’re kept busy replenishing food, tidying and attending to guests. One of the attendants is Australian. She’s lovely and really quite entertaining.

Deluxe Superior Room

So, an important thing to know about the Sofitel London Heathrow is that the hotel has six wings that are built around three atriums. This means that most rooms don’t actually have a view outside and overlook the atrium they were built around instead. Wing number 6 is the jackpot because it’s ideal for plane watching. The Deluxe rooms on wing 6 have windows to the outside of the building. The best case scenario is when approaches are from the west, in which case the northern runway 09L is used primarily for approaches, which means that aircraft glide down right in front of the Sofitel. But during may stay departures are from the northern runway 27R. Also good, I’ll take it!

The room itself is spacious, and despite its age it’s clearly been well maintained. It features a double queen bed, which is perhaps a bit soft but still perfectly comfortable. There’s also a large desk with both UK and US power sockets.

The bathroom is surprisingly spacious for an airport hotel and features a separate bath and a walk-in shower. The shower passes the stringent and scientifically (or something…) proven Knight of Malta shower test with flying colours. Can we have a fanfare please? It’s great, good pressure, accurate temperature control and no spillage. Well done! As usual at the Sofitel, the cosmetics are by Balmain and the bathroom amenities are well stocked.

Amenities

The room comes with the usual amenities. On the small coffee table are two large complimentary bottles of still and sparkling water and a bowl with mixed nuts.

There’s also a kettle and a Nespresso machine and, this being England, there are also biscuits because you can hardly be expected to have a cup of tea without a biscuit! In addition, the minibar drinks are complimentary. In the wardrobe are L size slippers and bathrobes.

The Sofitel Club Millésime Lounge

The Club Millésime lounge is located on the upper ground floor of wing 6. It’s open throughout the day and serves a variety of food, including a continental breakfast in the mornings. The spread they have in the evening is nice and quite extensive. It features a good selection of cheese and antipasti.

Dining

Breakfast is available either in the Club Millésime lounge or at Vive restaurant on the ground floor. Vive serves an extensive buffet that includes a full English, of course, as well as Indian Poha and spicy chickpeas which are, mind you, not all that spicy after all.

Conclusion

Over the years I’ve stayed many times at the Sofitel London Heathrow at Terminal 5. As far as airport hotels go, I think it’s definitely one of the better ones. Its location right next to Terminal 5 is convenient and it’s certainly not as depressing as some other airport hotels I’ve been to.