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Sometimes I get to take a look at a hotel but don’t really get to fully experience it (like on a one night stay where I check in late and leave early the next morning) and it feels a little unfair to call whatever I write about that property a ”review”. Instead I’m calling these type of posts “a quick look” to differentiate them from my full on reviews and to let you know what to expect.
This is the second “quick look” post I’ve done of Holiday Inn properties at Heathrow (the first was the Holiday Inn Heathrow T5) and, once again, my visit was purely as a result of the IHG Summer Accelerate promotion I discussed earlier this week.
Just like with the Holiday Inn Heathrow T5 I spent enough time at the property to get a good look around (as hopefully the pictures will show) but I didn’t stay the night so you should bear that in mind when forming any opinions from what I post here.
Location
Before I checked on a map I wasn’t really sure where the Holiday In Heathrow Ariel was located but, now that I’ve checked out Google Maps, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this property from the air as I’ve been coming in to land.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Location
As the map shows, the property is located just to the north east of Heathrow Airport and about 15 minutes (by Hoppa Bus) from Terminal 2.
Check-In
I arrived at around 4:30pm and was one of only three guests in the lobby of the hotel.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Entrance & Lobby
There were no staff members on view when I arrived…..
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Front Desk
….but an agent appeared almost as soon as I approached the front desk.
Check-in was swift and, within 5 minutes, I was on my way to the 3rd floor to check out my room.
The Property/Room
The property itself is pretty unique and, based on this postcard in the room, is a renovation of a building of some age:
I actually really liked the building as it made a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter hotels you normally find dotted around airports worldwide.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel
The curvature of the building was evident from the moment I stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway…..
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Hallway
….there wasn’t a straight line anywhere! 🙂
As I only made this booking for the purpose of meeting my IHG Summer Accelerate promotion targets I booked the cheapest room possible – something the property calls a “single room” – so I wasn’t expecting much for my £45/$59 outlay.
Just like just about every hotel room I’ve visited this one had a hallway with a bathroom leading off it (more on that later) and the sleeping area straight ahead.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
The sleeping area was small and the desk and the bed took up most of the room:
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
What space there was at the end of the bed was taken up by a chair and small table:
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
It was quite cramped but, then again, this was a “single room” so expecting any more than this would be a bit of a stretch – I was reasonably impressed at the size of the bed as I’d been expecting something smaller.
The view from this particular room was of the main road outside….
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
…and the in-room amenities on offer were standard Holiday Inn fare:
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
The desk was a good size for getting some work done….
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
…and, with three power outlets (UK specification) I couldn’t really complain about lack of charging options.
I forgot to check to see if there was an outlet next to the bed but, considering how close the bed was to the desk, that doesn’t really matter.
The bathroom was small but functional….
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
…and housed a shower in a very small bathtub:
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room
Dining
The hotel restaurant is located just to the right of the main entrance….
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Restaurant
….and opens at 6pm…so it was closed while I was visiting.
I took a quick look inside and it seemed quite nice – the large bank of windows gave the room a feeling of space that’s often lacking at Holiday Inn airport properties.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Restaurant
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Restaurant
As with the last Heathrow Holiday Inn I checked out the room had a full menu showing what the restaurant offered (click the images to expand them in a new window).
Dining Times:
Breakfast
Mon – Fri: 06:00 – 10:00
Sat – Sun: 06:30 – 10:30am
Dinner
Daily: 18:00 – 22:00 (last seating 21:30)
Room Service
24 hours a day but limited options after 23:00
Main Food Menu:
Wine Menu:
Kids Menu:
In-room Breakfast Menu:
Next to the restaurant is the hotel bar…..
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Bar
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Bar
….which, despite what the photos may show, had quite a few people in it and had a good deal more atmosphere than the bar I saw at the Holiday Inn Heathrow T5.
WiFi
WiFi is complimentary and guests use their first name, last name and room number to get online.
Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – WiFi
Other Info
- There is no gym on site but the property offers a complimentary taxi service to the Crowne Plaza Heathrow where guests can use the gym at a cost of £5/$6.50.
- Taxis can be ordered at the front desk and cost around £10/$13 to terminals 2 & 3 and around £16/$21 to terminals 4 & 5.
- The Hotel Hoppa Bus service stops right outside the hotel and costs £4.50/$6 per person
- Car parking is available at a cost of £12/$15.50 per night for residents but, if you plan on visiting with a car I suggest you check out the IHG Park, Stay, Go packages.
- The hotel has a monitor showing departures from Heathrow….
…useful for checking if your flight is delayed before you leave the hotel.
- The property runs a “green choice program” which allows guests to earn 500 IHG Rewards points for each night they turn down housekeeping. Unfortunately I couldn’t take advantage of this as its only valid on stays of 2 nights or more and not on the day of departure.
Bottom Line
For one person staying one night my room was more than adequate but it’s definitely not large enough for a couple – spend a little more and get a regular size room.
The property was interesting (I liked the donut shape!) and looked well maintained. It’s not exactly close by for Terminals 4 & 5 but it’s not bad for passengers departing Terminals 2 & 3.
Overall I’d be happy to stay here for a night on my way through Heathrow – with weekend prices for a single room as low as £45/$59 I think it’s actually a pretty good deal.
[…] The Bath road is where you’ll find better known Heathrow Hotels like the Sheraton Skyline, the Radisson Blu Edwardian, the Renaissance Heathrow and the Holiday Inn London Heathrow Ariel which I took a look at earlier in the year. […]