Looking to book a hotel before your flight from Heathrow airport?
Then take a look at the Sofitel five-star Heathrow T5, you won’t be disappointed.
The Sofitel at Heathrow Terminal 5 is not the cheapest option – in fact it’s one of the most expensive, but the level of service and convenience of location is what makes the Sofitel the best and most luxurious airport hotel we have stayed in.
Let me tell you why it’s a great choice for families flying from London Heathrow Terminal 5.
Location
One of the main reasons we chose the Sofitel Heathrow was because of its location. It is the only hotel directly connected to Heathrow Terminal 5 – the main terminal used by British Airways and where our flight to Texas was departing from the next day.
We typically use the Heathrow official meet and greet parking when flying out of Heathrow but as the Sofitel had its own secure on-site underground car park we decided to park there on their park and fly package which was so convenient.
We wanted a stress free start to the holiday, meaning that we didn’t have to drive to the airport early in the morning for the meet and greet or use the dedicated Hotel Hoppa bus that all other Heathrow hotels use (£5.00 per person).
Dedicated British Airways Check-In
Another major benefit for families choosing the Sofitel when flying with British Airways is because of their dedicated BA desk at the hotel.
This was a fantastic service and after breakfast we checked-in, collected our boarding passes and our hold luggage was whisked away onto the plane.
Once we checked in for our flight at the hotel we made the 5-10 minute walk across the covered walkways into the terminal 5 building. If that’s not a reason enough to stay here with kids for a stress free start to your holiday then I don’t know what is. (This service is available to BA passengers staying at the hotel between 5:00 and 13:00 each day.)
The Hotel
Along with these perks, the Sofitel oozes luxury. It’s not like your typical airport hotel – this was superior in terms of its rooms, service, location and facilities and more importantly was very welcoming to families.
The décor, scent and ambience of the contemporary lobby and the public areas were gorgeous and the staff were so friendly and a credit to the Sofitel brand.
By the time we had reached the check-in desk from the car park, we had been greeted by several of the hotel’s staff, creating a great first impression.
We had a lovely warm welcome from the reception staff and the check in process was very quick and efficient. There were a lot of businessmen that were using the hotel but it very much had a family feel and catered for children brilliantly.
Family Rooms at the Sofitel Heathrow
The Sofitel has 605 rooms across the following different categories – classic, superior, luxury and suites and all of which were very impressive, modern and sleek. Holly loves planes so was really excited to see the planes at Heathrow from the end of our corridor as we made our way to our room.
The warm welcome we received continued as we entered our room as we were greeted with a box of cakes each which brought smiles to our faces. This was a greatly appreciated gesture and what makes the Sofitel Heathrow T5 such a special family hotel.
We booked two interconnecting luxury rooms consisting of a king room and a twin room which provided nearly 700 sq ft of space offering a little bit of luxury the night before our flight.
We find that interconnecting rooms are perfect for our needs as they offer the extra space we require with a growing family.
The girls don’t have to sleep on sofa beds and there is no squabbling trying to get them to sleep at night which is what tends to happen when we are all in the same room. It’s also nice being able to close the door to get some peace – ha!
Chloe and Holly soon made themselves at home, settling in watching their TV and using the complimentary WiFi for their iPads – a definite pre-requisite when travelling with kids. There was also a spacious work desk and plenty of plug sockets in the room to ensure that all of our gadgets could get charged before our flight the next day.
Our rooms at the hotel offer everything you would expect from a modern 5-star hotel including
- Large flat screen TV with plenty of kids channels to keep the girls entertained,
- Air conditioning,
- Nightly turn down service,
- Fluffy white bathrobes and slippers,
- Complimentary high speed WiFi,
- A mini fridge with complimentary water,
- Tea and coffee making facilities and a selection of magazines.
Our rooms had really comfortable beds with quality linens and along with the blackout curtains we all slept wonderfully, and were well-rested for our 10 hour flight the next morning.
The bathrooms in our rooms were as just as impressive as the rest of the hotel. As many of our readers will know, I love a luxury hotel bathroom, and once more the Sofitel didn’t disappoint.
With a huge walk-in shower with a fantastic rainfall showerhead and a separate bath complete with its own television (a bonus of staying in the luxury rooms) This was one of the many highlights of the rooms for the girls as they watched Britain’s Got Talent from the comfort of their bath.
I can’t tell you how excited I was to see that the hotel uses ESPA for their bath products; they are one of my favourites.
Executive Lounge
One of the features we look for when choosing our hotels is if they offer an executive lounge. At the Sofitel it’s definitely worth the upgrade to the luxury rooms which along with the suites and certain levels of Accor Le Club membership provide access to the child-friendly Club Millesime Lounge.
In the evening between 6pm and 8.30pm a selection of canapes and drinks were available, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and it was a great place to start our evening with pre-dinner drinks.
The girls made themselves at home helping themselves to the complimentary snacks and drinks whilst relaxing on their ipads or using the computers in the lounge.
In addition to the lounge there were lots of stylish communal spaces to enjoy, with a number of bars including a Perrier Jouet bar and several restaurants, one of which La Belle Epoque is Heathrow’s only fine-dining restaurant.
For families the Vivre restaurant was a better option offering more informal dining and a more family friendly menu and well priced, although you could make the short walk into the terminal where there are more dining options including a Carluccios and the George pub.
Other facilities at the hotel include a fabulous looking spa (which I would have used if we had more time), gym, hairdresser and small gift shop.
Breakfast
Breakfast at Vivre restaurant at the Sofitel was delightful in fact you would be hard pressed to find a better breakfast offered at any other airport hotel.
We were greeted upon arrival and a beautiful buffet selection awaited us catering for all tastes which included a selection of cereals, fresh fruit, pastries, muffins, yoghurts and a hot breakfast counter where you can watch the chefs prepare breakfast in the open-kitchen.
Once more the level of service received during breakfast was exceptional and this high level of customer service is a credit to the hotel management because it really does make a difference to your stay.
Is the Sofitel Child-Friendly?
Yes, it is an exceptional hotel and a great place to stay and is highly recommended. If you are flying from Heathrow Terminal 5 there is no better hotel to stay at.
It is the only hotel connected directly to the airport so getting to departures only takes a few minutes and being able to check-in your baggage for our BA flight from the hotel lobby was fantastic.
There are cheaper hotels options if you are flying from Heathrow T5 but you will find it hard to beat the standard of accommodation, facilities, service and convenience of the location that the Sofitel offers.
We absolutely loved this 5-star luxury airport hotel at Heathrow Terminal 5 and we’re sure you will too.