Heathrow Airport, United States
A four-minute drive from Heathrow Airport
Stylish rooms with a clean, contemporary look
Rooms include flat-screen TVs and coffeemakers; some have mini-fridges
Two on-site restaurants and a bar
24-hour fitness center with treadmills and other cardio eqipment
Shuttle bus service available to hotel (free)
14 event spaces
Free Wi-Fi in common areas
Long-term car parking (for a fee)
Fee for in-room Wi-Fi (except for IHG Rewards Club members)
Hotel location on a noisy motorway
Water pressure low on higher floors
A mile from Heathrow Airport and about 40 minutes from London, the upscale Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4, Jct. 4, is a good choice for anyone who has an early or late flight or wants a low-cost alternative to a pricey, central London hotel. Many of the hotel's 616 rooms have been updated in an urbane style that's a step up from most Holiday Inns. Rooms include coffeemakers, but in-room Wi-Fi comes with a fee except for IHG Rewards Club members (Wi-Fi is free in the common areas). The hotel has two restaurants and there's a 24-hour bar. A fitness center is also open around the clock, and there's 14 event spaces, including one that can accommodate up to 200 guests. Travelers might want to also consider the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow Hotel, which has minibars and free Wi-Fi in rooms.
Scene
Surprisingly stylish Holiday Inn with minimalist decor
The style of the Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4 is a notch above most properties in the chain. The hotel was built in the mid-1960s, and while a few touches of that era's style remain, much of the interior has been redone. The lobby is filled with tan leather lounge chairs placed around circular tables. Behind the reception desk, the look gets a little futuristic, with lines of horizontal white light embedded into a smooth brown wall. Sampan's Chinese restaurant displays large tea lanterns, dragon statues, and several examples of traditional calligraphy on the walls. Callahan's Irish Pub does a reverent take on the neighborhood watering hole, with a stained-wood bar, pool table, and shelves filled with vintage bottles and jugs. The main restaurant is minimalist, with Holiday Inn-green chairs and a wood-grain patterned floor. The meeting room reception area, designed to look like a hip family room from 1965, has the most playful decor of any of the hotel's spaces.
Location
Next to Heathrow Airport, a 40-minute drive to London
The Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4, Jct. 4 is a four-minute drive from Heathrow Airport. The hotel operates a free shuttle bus that takes 25 minutes to cycle through its stops. For business travelers and tourists planning to use the hotel as a base for visiting London, driving time to London is about 40 minutes, and public transportation takes about the same amount of time. Business travelers with appointments in Canary Wharf should allow about 90 minutes of travel time.
Rooms
Refined and contemporary rooms with coffeemakers and safes
The 616 guest rooms at Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4, Jct. 4, are pleasant and refined. Standard Rooms pack a good amount of furniture into compact spaces: king-size beds, sofas, high-back library chairs, and desks. Rooms come with coffeemakers, and safes, and some have mini-fridges. All rooms have blackout curtains, making it possible to sleep at any time of day. The Standard Double and Executive Rooms have larger closets and desks. Standard Rooms have blond-wood furniture, while the Double and Executive Rooms are decorated in smokey grays. Bathrooms include shower/tub combos and contemporary fittings, but guests have complained about low water pressure on high floors. Also be aware that in-room Wi-Fi comes with a fee except for IHG Rewards Club members.
Features
Restaurants, long-term parking, business and fitness center
This airport hotel covers the bases when it comes to dining, entertainment, fitness, and business. There are three places to eat. Sampan's serves traditional Chinese fare. Callahan's Irish Pub has drinks, snacks, a pool table, and an outdoor terrace, and never closes. The main restaurant offers entrees such as steak, chicken, and sausages, using ingredients from local sources. The fitness center includes treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes. A business center has a computer, printer, and fax. There are 14 meeting rooms on the premises, four of which can be combined to accommodate up to 200 people. Free Wi-Fi is available in the common areas. Shuttle bus service is also available from the airport to the hotel at no charge. Long-term parking is available for guests who want to leave their cars at the hotel.