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tl;dr – The Sofitel London Heathrow is a convenient airport hotel attached to London’s Heathrow Airport. With enough amenities to get you by, the Sofitel is a good option whether you’re facing a long layover or need a place to drop your luggage for a few hours.
I had a plan—a good one at that. I’d arrive off my British Airways first-class flight from Johannesburg, grab my bags, make my way to the Sofitel hotel to drop my bags and get a workout in, head into London for a meal, come back to the hotel to scoop my backs, then stroll back to the airport to fly out to New Orleans. Not a bad few hours between two long flights, right? While things didn’t go exactly as planned – shoutout to Crowdstrike – I did stay at the Sofitel London Heathrow. Here’s my review.
Booking the Sofitel London Heathrow
As my flight from Johannesburg was scheduled for a 6 am arrival and my flight to New Orleans wouldn’t depart until 4 pm, I booked a day rate for the Sofitel London Heathrow directly through Accor for £185.00 ($228.84 at the time of this writing).
Billed as “the only luxury hotel connected to Heathrow Terminal 5”, I’ve long heard the Sofitel London to be a favorite of travelers transiting through Heathrow in need of being within walking distance of the terminal. Accordingly, a day room was just what I needed, as we’d be able to access the room as early as 8 am and needed to be out by 6 pm, which was well after my flight would depart.
Location and Arrival
The Sofitel London Heathrow is attached to Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Coming from the Arrivals area of Terminal 5, you’ll want to locate and follow the signage for the Sofitel London Heathrow, which should eventually lead you to some elevators and a footbridge that will take you directly to the hotel.
The footbridge will deposit you into an atrium with a Sixt Rental Car booth. The escalators in front of you (or elevator) will take you to the hotel lobby, where the check-in desk will be to your right.
Escalators and footbridge to terminal – Source: You Are Travel
You’ll find a gift shop, perfumery, and a few other stores in the lobby.
Perfumery and gift shop – Source: You Are Travel
Opposite the front desk is the street entrance to the hotel, where you can get picked up or dropped off by car.
Lobby leading to street entrance – Source: You Are Travel
After a quick check-in, I went to my room to drop my bags and change before heading to the gym. Along the way, I was taken aback by the size of the place. The Sofitel has 605 keys, and I actually got turned around trying to find my room.
Atrium views – Source: You Are Travel
The Room
My day room was basic but comfortable. It had a queen bed, a lounger chair, and a standard bathroom. There was economy-level coffee and tea, though there were bathrobes and slippers.
Standard room – Source: You Are Travel
Dining
As I had plans to venture into London later on, I didn’t eat at the hotel. The Sofitel has a few dining outlets – two main restaurants (Vivre Restaurant and La Belle Époque), a coffee and tea shop (Tea 5), and two bars (Sphere Bar and Le Bar Parisien).
Additionally, the Sofitel does Afternoon Tea at the Tea Salon.
Room service is an option as well.
Amenities
The Sofitel Spa offers many services, and you can check out the menu here.
Going to the spa and gym – Source: You Are Travel
The gym is serviceable. It is by no means the most glamorous hotel gym in the world, but there’s everyone you need to get a solid workout – a good mix of free weights, weight machines, cardio machines, and some space for body weights and calisthenics. It can feel a bit crowded during busier times.
The Sofitel London Heathrow Gym – Source: You Are Travel
I have one quirky anecdote to share. While leaving the gym, I noticed a Thai Airways Lounge sign on one of the doors between the gym and spa. I’m not sure what that was about, as it would be peculiar (though not unheard of) to have an airport lounge deep in the basement of a hotel.
Peculiar…though not unheard of – the Sofitel’s club lounge – Club Millésime – used to participate in Priority Pass, meaning eligible members could visit the lounge even if they weren’t staying at the hotel. (The Club Millésime lounge is now only available to hotel guests staying in a qualifying suite or club room or otherwise having elite status, granting them access).
Conclusion
The Sofitel London Heathrow is a strong airport hotel. It’s a welcome reprieve from the madness that can be London’s Heathrow airport. With two legitimate restaurants, two bars, a full spa, and a 24/7 gym, one could easily rest, recuperate, revitalize, or just chill at this hotel while you await the next leg of your journey.
