3* Thistle London Gatwick

[Cruzer Two]

Has anyone stayed at the Thistle London Gatwick Hotel?

 

I read on another website site that a Priceline counter bid of $113.78 (including taxes) was accepted for a 3* hotel at the Gatwick Airport and the hotel turned out to be the Hilton. This is an excellent hotel conveniently connected to the airport and train station.

 

Hoping for the same results I posted a similar bid and got the Thistle London Gatwick Hotel. The reviews for this hotel are not very good.

 

Ron

[Mines]

Has anyone stayed at the Thistle London Gatwick Hotel?

 

I read on another website site that a Priceline counter bid of $113.78 (including taxes) was accepted for a 3* hotel at the Gatwick Airport and the hotel turned out to be the Hilton. This is an excellent hotel conveniently connected to the airport and train station.

 

Hoping for the same results I posted a similar bid and got the Thistle London Gatwick Hotel. The reviews for this hotel are not very good.

 

Ron

 

I remember this hotel from 30 years ago, before it became part of the Thistle chain. It was a very good hotel then. It is an old coaching inn - the countryside around this area is beautiful.

 

It is a taxi ride away from the airport - the only hotel in the airport itself is the Hilton.

[handfordr]

The Thistle is certainly not up to the standard of the Hilton, but iits OK. Its about 1.5 miles from the terminal complex on the edge, it has a transfer bus that it shares with the Best Western Gatwick. This is not complementary, I think its 3 GBP per person each way.

The Thistle chain has a reputation for taking grand old hotels and running them into the ground underinvesting in maintenance. They were bought out by Arabs a couple of years ago who are slowly injecting the capital required to bring them up to scratch and closing some 'no hopers'

The hotel is on the edge of a small town and you can escape the hotel for reasonably priced pubs and restaurants a 10-15 minute walk away.

[Keith1010]

I remember this hotel from 30 years ago, before it became part of the Thistle chain. It was a very good hotel then. It is an old coaching inn - the countryside around this area is beautiful.

 

It is a taxi ride away from the airport - the only hotel in the airport itself is the Hilton.

 

I just wanted to point out that there are actually two hotels that are connected to Gatwick rather than one. The Hilton is closest to one of the terminals while the Sofitel Hotel is closest to the other terminal. For the Sofitel you just take a two minute walk from the hotel in a hallway over to the terminal.

 

Keith

[Nickwolf]

Further to Keith's answer, The Hilton is linked by a covered walkway to the south terminal and the Sofitel (previously called Le Meridian) to the north terminal.

 

I have stopped at both and found them very convenient, if a little impersonal.

 

The Hilton is the only hotel to offer day rooms at Gatwick. The cost is about £80 and you get the room from 9am to 6pm. If you have time this can be a real godsend when you arrive all redeyed and exhausted after a trip across the Atlantic.

 

Nick.

[Globaliser]

I just wanted to point out that there are actually two hotels that are connected to Gatwick rather than one. The Hilton is closest to one of the terminals while the Sofitel Hotel is closest to the other terminal. For the Sofitel you just take a two minute walk from the hotel in a hallway over to the terminal.

Further to Keith's answer, The Hilton is linked by a covered walkway to the south terminal and the Sofitel (previously called Le Meridian) to the north terminal.

Just to add one more thing to this. The walk from the South Terminal to the Hilton is a relatively long and tortuous route through the car park complex attached to the South Terminal. Even if you're at the South Terminal, it can actually be faster to jump on the inter-terminal shuttle train and then do that 2-minute walk to the Sofitel, which is very close to where the shuttle train stops. This certainly involves less walking than going from the South Terminal to the Hilton.

 

Having discovered this fact last year, I think that I will always go for the Sofitel in preference to the Hilton if all other things are equal, whichever terminal I'm flying to/from.

[Keith1010]

Just to add one more thing to this. The walk from the South Terminal to the Hilton is a relatively long and tortuous route through the car park complex attached to the South Terminal. Even if you're at the South Terminal, it can actually be faster to jump on the inter-terminal shuttle train and then do that 2-minute walk to the Sofitel, which is very close to where the shuttle train stops. This certainly involves less walking than going from the South Terminal to the Hilton.

 

Having discovered this fact last year, I think that I will always go for the Sofitel in preference to the Hilton if all other things are equal, whichever terminal I'm flying to/from.

 

As usual, I agree with you on this. The Sofitel is much easier to use from my perspective.

 

Keith

[Cruzer Two]

The hotel is on the edge of a small town and you can escape the hotel for reasonably priced pubs and restaurants a 10-15 minute walk away.

 

Are you talking about the town of Horley? We had thought about taking the train to Brighton for dinner, but we might just stay in Horley if there are some good restaurants and pubs near the hotel. Do you remember any names that you might recommend?

 

Thanks,

Ron

[Len3]

We have been BURNED twice by using Priceline - it won't happen again.

[handfordr]

Yes, the Thistle is at Horley. Its about 15 minutes walk from the rail station at Horley though.

I'm not that familiar with the quality of restuarants, there certainly is a choice of traditional pubs and ethnic cuisinies though in the town. Ask in the hotel.

A frequent bus goes to Redhill one way, the other way to Crawley (via the airport). These are larger towns with a much bigger range of restuarants, cinemas etc.