I was happy to have booked a last minute reward ticket with BA from LGW -> NCE during the summer holidays, only to be hit with a flight cancellation 2 hours before departure.
So there I was in the Gatwick South BA lounge enjoying the view, when the dreaded e-mail arrived:
Your BA2626 flight to Nice has been cancelled.
Long story short, this is how I ended up staying the night in the recently refurbished Hilton at London Gatwick Airport South.
As of August 2023, the hotel is still undergoing refurbishments of its executive rooms, suites and the executive lounge. Therefore, the only available room types are the standard and the deluxe.
The cost to book a Deluxe King Room was £201 for the 2 x points rate (why not!) and there seemed to be plenty of availability.
Hilton Gatwick Location
The hotel is connected to the south terminal at Gatwick so it’s the easiest one to get to.
It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the front desk of the hotel to the departure lounge where all the airline check in desks are.
This location and the set up is ideal for early flights (I was rebooked on the first flight out the following day).
Check In
The check in process was smooth. Around 5PM there were only a couple other people also checking in. I’m sure I saw one of them in the lounge previously, so I assumed they must have had the same idea as I did.
I did ask for an upgrade as a Hilton Diamond member, but I was told that the deluxe king was already the highest room category they had available. This is because of the refurbishments they are having done to the other room types and the lounge.
I was offered either a 4th floor room *top floor* or a ground floor room. I opted for the 4th floor room as I always prefer high floor rooms.
As a Diamond member, I knew I would have complimentary breakfast the following day and 1,000 bonus points.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to also be given a voucher to use at the bar.
In addition, there is also a happy hour between 6 and 8PM with complimentary drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). I gathered this is instead of the equivalent in the lounge.
The Room at Hilton Gatwick South
The deluxe king room was what I would expect of an airport hotel.
It was clean, newly refurbished, and reasonably comfortable.
The king mattress was a bit too soft for my liking, but otherwise no complaints.
It didn’t have much of a view, but considering that I was going to spend less than 12 hours there, and sleeping most of the time, it didn’t bother me.
The Bar
Soon after checking in I went downstairs to the lobby area where the Cafe Bar is located.
I wasn’t overly hungry so I just ordered a snack. I went for the spanish omelette which wasn’t bad. However, a bit too salty for my liking.
During happy hour I ordered a gin & tonic which was refreshing and really hit the spot!
The staff at the bar was very nice and attentive and I was informed at the end that there was nothing to pay, due to the complimentary voucher.
The Restaurant
As it was already around 8pm by the time I finished the drink at the bar and had a shower, I decided to just eat at the hotel.
I could have ordered room service, but I have always hated the idea of eating in the bedroom and not leaving the room. I therefore opted to go downstairs to the main restaurant.
As this was a Saturday night, it was very busy and I was asked to come back in 20 minutes as they would have a table then.
I was very impressed with the service here as well. The food was also pretty good albeit the only healthy item I could note on the menu was the sea bass. I opted for this and a portion of chips & side salad.
This is the full menu:
I went straight back to the room and fell asleep straight away.
The flight the next morning was at 7:30. This meant that I woke up at 5:30 to give me plenty of time for breakfast at the hotel. I also don’t like rushing to the flight gate.
Breakfast at Hilton London Gatwick
The breakfast was average for a European hilton, but higher than average for an American Hilton :D.
There was a large selection of fruit, cereal, and also cooked breakfast (Full english with vegetarian options).
For some reason I forgot to take a photo at breakfast. Probably because it was so early in the morning that I wasn’t fully awake!
Following this, I went back to the room, picked up my suitcase and walked to the terminal.
I always like to do this and bypass the front desk by checking out on the phone app. Saves a few minutes especially if the front desk is not on the way out!
Here are the rest of the photos:
Overall, the Hilton at London Gatwick South terminal is very convenient for an airport hotel. What I loved most was the connection to the terminal (5 minute covered walk) and the fact that the rooms are refurbished. The other Hilton option you have is the Hilton Hampton but that’s not within walking distance.
I would certainly stay here again if I have to catch an early flight or if I have to be in the area in the future.