Renaissance Heathrow Hotel

Whenever I come to London, I stay here on my last night. The rooms are clean and quiet; prices are reasonable; close to LHR; and the staff is very nice. Food is fair and there are not many meal options close.

In the course of 24 hours I experienced Marriott hotels on two continents and experienced bot the sublime and the ridiculous and this poor excuse for a full service hotel is the epitome of the ridiculous! I suppose it could possibly be worse — but even with the old fogey (over 62) discount it cost me $ 252 for the night plus $ 22 for parking.
First thing we drive in to park and to be honest I cannot identify the entrance — just some dingy, dark, non-​lit double doors — really? Bellman waiting to help with bags? Hell no. Anybody to help with anything at all? Hell no. But that my friends is the entrance into this hellhole of a «hotel». The «grand» entrance is actually the other side of the hotel and is only accessible for coaches as far as I could see — so unwitting tourists who have a night here as part of their package feel a little special as they enter.
Back to the point — walk in through the dingy corridor and find the check in desk for Marriott Elites (I am Platinum). Get the keys and go up to our floor and walked through the maze until we find the room. It is the last day of May in London and it is raining a little and cold. The room is cold and, while I am not exactly dumb (I have a Ph.D.), I cannot figure out how to adjust the setting to raise the temperature. After a few minutes I realize I have to put my keycard in a slot before anything works — OK my bad. Now I could change the setting but guess what — NO CHANGE in the airflow or the temperature — Nada!!! WTF! So I call to request assistance or instruction. Guess what? I was told that they have to adjust the temperature remotely!!! You have to be kidding me! I am paying $ 250 a night for this crap room and now I have to beg permission for temperature control??? Really!!! What a F#%king joke!!! So the temp done
Decide to eat (wish I had eaten BEFORE we got to this dump). Basically they didn’t want to serve us anything but the buffet which I didn’t want but OK. I have to admit that the salad looked fresh and probably was but EVERYTHING else was tasteless mass produced reheated crap. Yuk! OK paid for that disappointing excuse for a meal and retired to the «Executive Lounge» — a privilege for Elite folks.
You guessed it — another total F$%king, F&$king, F72king JOKE!!! The worst EVER. I have posted pictures already. A totally useless, useless F&$king useless staff member in there. There was NOTHING, NOTHING, F&$king NOTHING. Look at the pics — everything was empty at primetime. There wasn’t any wine in the honor bar or whatever, the snack jars were EMPTY, there were TWO (yes 2) tiny stale brownie squares for all the Elite members to drool over, and a little stale sweaty cheese screaming «please eat me and get food poisoning for your flight back to the US tomorrow». Even the F&$king coffee machine was broken and he had no clue how to fix it (please remind me — why is this moron paid? What CAN he do!??). The ONLY soft drink was Pepsi — or would you like Pepsi? Fuming I went downstairs and asked for the besuited manager another moron who gave me a ginger ale without an excuse, apology or nothing!!! Pathetic service trickles down from the top and here at the top it was USELESS
We were entitle to free breakfast the next morning. NO THANK YOU — I would rather starve than eat your SH&T!!!
Would I consider staying again? Hell F&$king NO!!!

Our flight to FRA was cancelled, so LH put us up overnight. This was there choice. As I checked in, I realized this was a Marriott brand hotel and I have platinum status. I had to coax the receptionist to put in my number. I did get the points but was never recognized as a platinum member which is routine. Also no upgrades, not that we needed them.
We received voucher for lunch and dinner. Lunch was served in the bar. Pleasant atmosphere. I ordered the lamb kebabs. The portion was humongous but the meat was a long sausage like thing with a long wooden toothpick through it. There were 4 or 6 of them. Obviously meat product, pre made, frozen, then warmed. I’ll eat bad gyros and shawarma but this had a rubbery texture and not a good flavor.
Dinner was a buffet. I couldn’t find anything I liked. Service at dinner was almost non existent.
Upon checkout in the morning, my representative had to tell her trainee colleague to say thank you to her guest checking out. I thought it was funny
Overall, the rooms are ok. The food was horrific. I often give five stars. Here three are generous!

Skip this hotel, especially if you are used to regular Renaissance in the US and Marriott elite status.
The visit was in essence ruined from the start. The concierge completely screwed up our transport from the airport to the hotel via a series of miscommunications that ended in a shouting match at the hotel.
Now the hotel… it was completely underwhelming. Other reviewers are spot on… There are nicer Springhill Suites and Courtyards in the United States than this Renaissance property. The room was extremely small, and the executive lounge was uncomfortable and forgettable. Also, a mediocre dinner buffet that ended up costing us $ 34 per person.
So, what did it get one star for? Full-​service Starbucks in the lobby, although they do not accept the Starbucks card. Also, front desk staff was extremely friendly.
My recommendation… There is a full-​service Marriott a few miles further out from the airport. That was where we were going to originally stay, and I wish we had kept to our original plan.

Friendly and professional staff, it’s had a significant refurb since I was last here and looks all the better for it.
Had a runway facing room, although the condensation in the double glazing meant you couldn’t see it anyway, and the rooms are small.

Nicely upgraded since the days that this place was the Penta Hotel.
Conveniently located but no FREE shuttle — there is a pay option on something called the «HOPPA».
I booked a premium room with runway view but was given a non view room… Getting that sorted was a long frustrating experience. I had to physically go back to the front desk to get anything done.
Seems that this place lacks in training and management and so is disorganized and the restaurant closes at LUNCH TIME!
There is food at the bar which was actually very well executed.
Overall an OK airport hotel experience if you don’t mind paying for the shuttle.
Finally the runway view room is very cool for £20 more.

Stayed April 2015: «„Under Construction“»
This hotel is located on what I would call «Hotel Row». There are several other locations available and possible nicer than this place. My friend had issues with parking lot due to the arm not working correctly, and one of the tenants telling her she needed to pay — even though she only went in the parking lot to turn around since there was barely any room in the drop off area. The lobby was a vast array of different areas, all decorated in different styles, furnishings, and color scheme. The restaurant was in one area behind the gigantic concierge desk, and the pub was next to it. Both had an open floor plan like the sitting areas before them. There was a small gift shop next to the lifts. One of the lifts was scary. It would make noises as it when up or down, shake, and be slow to opening the doors. The carpeting on our floor was unique. Outside the lift it was green, and reminded me of a tutor rug. The rest of the hallways, and I do mean hallways, were grey with geometrical designs. I felt like I was in a bizarrely modern version of «The Shinning». There were sheets of paper taped up around the corridors with arrows to guide you. The doors were dark plaited leather or faux leather. The rooms were elegant, modern, and definitely updated. There is a free «shutte» (a city bus) that takes you to and from the hotel, and the stop is right out front.

The location is great and the condition is very up to date. The hotel itself, mouse maze like corridors makes finding your room a pretty trying task. All that said, we found the service to be above and beyond here. We over slept breakfast and arrived to the restaurant in the closed gap between breakfast and lunch. Our server checked with the chef and no worries they would be happy to make lunch for us! The next day I had another wonderful experience in the gym. The lady at reception appears to also be a personal trainer and he helpfully corrected people using the equipment.
Not a great building but they are doing everything they can to make it the best it can be.

The reviews I read made me a little anxious about staying here, but I’m glad I stayed. I should mention that there is still construction/​renovations which is why this review is four stars not five.
Check in was easy, super easy! I made my reservation the morning of my stay and my room was ready when I arrived.
The hotel is HUGE! One could easily get lost, but I didn’t because I’m not about that life. Finding my room was relatively painless, and I was pleasantly surprised to have a modern bathroom, comfortable bed and a very quite room considering that the hotel is literally on Heathrow.
If you’re a Marriott rewards member, the executive lounge is a pretty cool place to have a glass of wine or two, and socialize before hitting the restaurant downstairs.
Some of us Americans can’t easily give up our Starbucks. Don’t judge me, I’m just not that in to Costa. Thankfully there’s a Starbucks in the lobby so you can get your fix.
As of late September 2015 there is a shuttle that runs approximately every 20 minutes and only costs about 5 quid.
Honestly this hotel is too far from most of London’s sites, but for me it makes sense to spend the night here prior to flying out of Heathrow. I already can’t wait until my next trip.

No shuttle which sucks! Platinum elite get a trainee who can’t figure how to run your credit card, bar asked me for cash instead of room charge while I was chatting with another customer, then forgot my beer, then asked if they had charged me for it, then never bought me a drink, then had to ask for ketchup, cleaning carts in hall… tacky tacky tacky. No help with suit cases. Not clear directions to elevator, no notice on email about renovations!!!

For a Renaissance, it felt a lot like a cheap motel. I think I did get one of the renovated rooms because I had a flatscreen TV rather than this ancient box others are complaining of. The room was rather narrow and there was construction going on everywhere. The carpeting is dirty and old and the view outside is just more construction and dingy, unused chairs. Additionally, the garbage can in my room was broken.
They definitely need more lifts (there were only 2) because each floor is so expansive it’s like navigating streets. They had signs directing you to the proper room numbers but it took 3 turns and around 5 minutes to reach my room. Hopefully, they will complete renovations soon.

Not up to Renaissance standards. They offered to upgrade, backed out of upgrade, offered the upgrade again, for £150. Rooms are small — décor is fine, but it’s Courtyard-​level, tops. Wouldn’t stay here again.

May possibly become a 4 – 5 star, the staff is in place for the next step. The facility is in the renovation process so once it’s done they will hit all the right points. Great location: close to airport, plenty of foodie locations within walking distance, transportation at the door. The hit right now is the eager to please staff, quick, friendly, knowledgable. Will not judge the rooms, spa, gym as all are in then process of upgrades. It is very busy hotel very busy but the staff keeps it all together.

Attended for a wedding reception and wasn’t too impressed by the hotel/​entrance but it was the brides choice and being from the grooms side. Just thought go along with it. The hotel was in the middle of a full refurbishment so hoping once the refurbishment is completed the hotel looks a lot better and more welcoming. I don’t know who decorated the venue but they did a great job making the venue look amazing for a typical traditional indian with british twist wedding reception.

Dont be fooled by the pictures, this place looks and feels very old and tired. Rooms are around 30 years old, TV and AC units are the same age. Mattress has what feels like a plastic liner to stop fluids seeping thru (you know its a nice place when they have those). Food was below average, bar area looks great but its the only nice looking place. Ducktape on the carpet, blood stains on the sheets, 1950s toilet décor. Not ANYWHERE NEAR worth the 200 pound a night they charged us, horrific.
They had a starbucks downstairs and was close to the airport, only reason its 2 stars and not 1.

This place is a dump. Sorely in need of a refurbishment. TV is 30 years old. AC non existent in room. Windows do no open. Peeling and cracked wallpaper. I am marriott gold member, key to club room did not work.
Service in bar, poor at best.
If my stay was longer than 10 hours, I would have left

Ich bin in diesem Hotel für zwei Nächte abgestiegen. Ein Grund, eigentlich DER Grund, warum ich diese Hotel ausgesucht habe, war der gute Blick auf die Runway vom Flughafen Heathrow. Ich bin ausschließlich zum Fotografieren von Flugzeugen nach London gereist und dieses Hotel hat den besten Blick auf den Flughafen.
Ok, direkt am Flughafen… das könnte die meisten jetzt abschrecken wegen dem Lärm. Ich fand es aber völlig in Ordnung, da ab ca. 23 Uhr eh Ruhe war. Zudem sind die Fenster mit zwei Scheiben versehen und dazwischen noch Dämmmaterial.
Das Zimmer war sehr geräumig (ein Doppelzimmer, obwohl Einzelzimmer gebucht war). Eine ziemlich bequeme dicke Matratze mit je zwei Kissen. Sehr gemütlich. Im Zimmer gab es auch eine Steckdose für EURO-​Stecker — sehr praktisch.
Das Badezimmer war auch in Ordnung, auch wenn man die üblichen kleinen Schimmelspuren an den Fugen mal wieder entfernen könnte. War aber nicht dramatisch.
Die Lobby vom Hotel wurde zu meiner Zeit gerade renoviert. Es sah aus wie auf einer kleinen Baustelle. Ich fand das aber nicht weiter störend. Der normale Betrieb wurde aufrechterhalten. Es gab keinerlei Lärmbelästigung. Eine Renovierung macht auch Sinn, da die ganzen Teppiche schon ziemlich historisch aussehen. Aber das ganze Drumherum ist mir egal, solang das Zimmer gut ist — und das war es wie gesagt.
Im Hotel selbst gibt es noch einen kleine Starbucks und einen Souveniershop.
Das Restaurant habe ich nicht in Anspruch genommen, daher kann ich nichts zur Essensqualität sagen.
Was ggf. verbesserungswürdig ist, sind die Kenntnisse von Fremdsprachen. Da mein Schulenglisch auch schon etwas eingerostet ist, war es mühsam sich zu verständigen. Ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass in einem Hotel direkt am Flughafen, die Mitarbeiter mehrere Sprachen beherrschen. Das war leider nicht der Fall.
Alle Mitarbeiter waren aber freundlich und hilfsbereit.
Um den Flughafen herum gibt es kostenlose und kostenpflichtige Buslinien. Hier sollte man sich ggf. ein wenig erkundigen. Man kommt auf jeden Fall sehr bequem zu den Terminals.
Sicherlich ist das Hotel etwas in die Jahre gekommen und kommt sehr altmodisch rüber, aber das störte mich nicht. Zudem wird aktuell ja renoviert (das stand auch bei mir in der HRS-​Reservierung mit drin).
Fazit: Ich würde bei einem weiteren Foto-​Trip zum Flughafen wieder dieses Hotel buchen. Es hat eigentlich alles gepasst.

Let me quickly summarize all the reviews from before Summer 2014: «Eek! What an old, rundown hotel! They even have…(Gasp!)…old picture tube TVs! Oh, the horror!»
Well, they were renovating heavily here during my overnight stay, so I have a feeling things will be improving soon. (Though why they just don’t close the hotel for a month and ‘get it over with’ is a mystery; maybe they can’t afford to)
As for my stay, it was perfectly adequate for an airport hotel, even one with so much construction going on. It was clean, had all the basics, a comfy bed, and a very friendly staff. The gym downstairs was better than most, and the Starbucks in the lobby was über-​convenient for a light breakfast and coffee before departing for my flight home.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the lack of quick and convenient transportation options to the airport. (It’s so close, I would have loved to walk, but there are no paths or sidewalks to the terminals). The only official option was to buy a shuttle ticket for 4 pounds and wait 20 minutes for the next shuttle to arrive at the hotel.
Unofficially, there is a free public bus stop one block away (to the right, after exiting the front lobby) that will whisk you to the airport central terminal, free, and in under 5 minutes. That worked quite well.

The Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel is a good airport hotel with both positives and negatives, though what those are will greatly depend on your own preference.
The hotel itself is very tired and worn and has a layout that, well, isn’t fun to navigate if you have a lot of bags like I did. It isn’t located at the airport or within walking distance, so expect to take a bus or cab to get here. The ride will run you about 5 – 10 minutes, and if you decide to take a cab, could cost you between 10 & 15 GBPs. That being said, it’s a relatively quiet, clean hotel that will provide you a good nights sleep. Suffice to say, if you’re looking for a basic hotel, then this will work for you just fine. If you’re looking for a luxurious experience, or even a modern experience, this hotel is not for you. IF, however, you are an AvGeek, I’d highly recommend this hotel regardless of how you feel about the interior because of the view of LHR’s runways!
Admittedly, the rooms here are small by US standards, but are average, I suppose, by European standards. Access to outlets is ok, but not great. The bathroom is also tiny, though functions well. There’s interesting features like a trouser press and a strange mini bar that isn’t stocked unless you request… I think? I didn’t try. The property does have a restaurant, that I didn’t try either, though I did take advantage of the Club Lounge for breakfast. The spread was pretty good, including sausage, bacon, eggs, breads, pastries, yogurt, juices, teas, etc. It is a little small, so finding a seat might get a little difficult during peak times, but I didn’t have an issue. The CL does, however, have a great view of the runway, so it’s great for plane spotting as well.
On the service side, my experience at the hotel was very positive. All of the staff that we encountered were extremely friendly and always willing to assist. Despite being a Marriott Rewards Platinum, I did not receive an upgrade at check-​in, though that didn’t bother me. My wife and I would be in the room less than 12 hours, so a Jr Suite or great view wasn’t necessary. If I ever do stay here for more than a day, though, I’d probably request a room with a view of the runway at the least!
Would I stay here again? Of course. It’s not the best hotel, not even a great hotel… but it gets the job done and is great for plane spotting!

An absolute disgrace. More like road side motel than a RENAISSANCE!!! The staff is very very nice but this is a very poor showing for the brand. Needs a radical make over NOW. Sorry to be rude I was shocked and appalled.

Maybe one star is too harsh. Maybe not. If the staff wasn’t so friendly, it would be an easy one star. Marriott needs to get to work on improvements here. Is this the forgotten marriott? I cannot recall a hotel this outdated. Maybe road trips with my parents 30 years ago?
The rooms look like they were filled with furniture from a lawn sale. Including the TV. Where’s the Betamax folks?
I looked into the club lounge and kept right on walking. Looks awful. Like a really bad airport lounge.
The good news is, I won’t miss my early flight in morning. Can’t get out of here fast enough!
All right. Friendly staff gets this place one more star.

Für ein Event was auch direkt im Hotel statt fand, verbrachte ich 3 Tage in dem Hotel.
Das Personal war freundlich & hilfsbereit, aber dafür, dass das Hotel ziemlich teuer ist, fand ich es nicht außergewöhnlich toll. Und Wifi kostet ebenfalls extra und war SEHR teuer!
Die Badewanne war schmutzig.
Die Zimmer altmodisch eingerichtet (was ich aber mag!)
Frühstück (Buffet) war lecker, und z. B Waffeln & Rühr-​/​Spiegeleier wurden direkt frisch zubereitet.
Direkt in der Hotellobby war ein Starbucks.
Das Hotel ist nah am Flughafen und nur einpaar Meter vom Hotel ist die Bushaltestelle.
…
I stayed in the hotel during an event for 3 days.
The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel was pretty expensive but actually unimpressive. Wifi WASN’T for free and expensive as well!
Our bath tub was dirty.
The rooms was outdated (but I like that!)
Breakfast (buffet) was delicious and they cooked waffles & scrambled eggs fresh!
There was a Starbucks Coffee directly in the Lobby :-)
There is a busstop just few steps away and the hotel is really close to the airport.