Do you panic that you’ll miss your flight? Apart from the actual flying itself, it’s one of my biggest fears. Imagine paying all that money for a trip and then missing it because you slept through your alarm, or there was an accident on the motorway? Urg. Therefore, we always give ourselves plenty of (usually too much) time to get to the airport. And when we have an early morning flight we normally book a room at an airport hotel for the night before. This allows us to relax and get some all-important sleep (even if it’s just a few hours) prior to our trip. This means we can then hit the ground running when we arrive at our destination.
If you’re a regular reader of our blog you will know that we don’t have a local international airport. When we booked our recent flights to New York, the best value for money ones available flew from Gatwick airport. Unfortunately for us, it is a four and half hour drive from our house (traffic and accident dependent). Also, the flight was at 6.20am. Therefore it was a no-brainer for us to stay at an airport hotel the night before. We wanted to be close to the airport, preferably without having to mess around and lug our cases on an off a transfer shuttle. It wasn’t until we discovered Bloc Hotel Gatwick that we realised how close we could stay to the airport – Bloc Hotel Gatwick is actually in the airport.
Therefore we booked a room (well two actually because Vicky’s cousin Hannah was also travelling with us) sharpish and ensured we got to the airport in plenty of time to not only check out the hotel but also the facilities and amenities in the airport terminal.
Parking & Check-In
When we booked the room we took advantage of the great park/sleep/fly deal that they offer too. By booking the room and the parking together saved us loads of cash, especially as the parking offered is valet parking – parking at Gatwick can be extortionate. This meant we simply drove up, dropped the car key off and walked across the road into the terminal which took the whole of 2 minutes.
We followed the signs and headed to the reception of Bloc Hotel Gatwick. It is located on the 2nd floor, directly opposite the security entrance. As we had paid in advance and the hotel does not have a bar or restaurant, there was no messing about with credit cards or security holds. We simply gave our name and were handed the room’s key card – it could not have been simpler. We then set off to find our room – a VIP double room on the 7th floor.
VIP Double Room
We’re going to start off by saying this – the Bloc Hotel Gatwick is one of the most modern and high tech hotels we have ever stayed in. In fact, we had to keep reminding ourselves that it was an airport hotel. That was easily done simply by looking out through the massive panoramic windows around the room overlooking the runway. YES – the runway, the incredible view of the planes taking off and landing was mesmerising. The room had a king size super comfortable bed, full Sky TV package (although we didn’t have the time to check it out) and even a Nespresso coffee machine. Everything in the room (lights/ambient Artemide lighting/climate control/window blinds) is controlled by a Samsung Galaxy tablet next to the bed. Once we got the hang of it, after pressing everything a million times, often plunging ourselves into darkness, it was extremely easy to use.
The shower room was pretty cool too. Decorated in keeping with the main bedroom area – modern, dark, moody and complete with Armani Roca toilet. It even had a window overlooking the runway too. It initially freaked me out thinking people could see in and see everything. That was until I realised that was I being completely stupid. The monsoon shower was fantastic, together with the complimentary toiletries and really woke us up following our early morning alarm and freshened us up ready for our 8-hour flight.
Turning Into Tom Hanks
After we had checked in and spent a bit of time in our room, it hit us – we’re in an airport! It was 5.00pm and our flight didn’t depart for over 12 hours. We now (temporarily) lived in the terminal. It was too early to go to bed and we didn’t really fancy watching TV. Therefore we decided to venture out to see what we could find. Luckily Gatwick South Terminal had everything we needed to keep us entertained for the evening.
The hotel does offer dinner packages (and breakfast ones too), however, we decided to simply go with the flow. We started off by heading to The Beehive Wetherspoons pub (love a ‘spoons) for a couple of ‘start of the holiday’ drinks. Then stopped for a bite to eat in Giraffe (restaurant serving dishes from around the world – very apt for an airport). We also grabbed a few last minute bits and bobs from Boots and WH Smiths. Basically, everything we needed, we found in the terminal.
As guests of the Bloc Hotel Gatwick, we also received a voucher for a free hot drink each from Joe’s Coffee House. We took full advantage of that following our stay to perk us up before we went through security. Speaking of security we also got given VIP security passes (included with the parking package). It meant we could whizz through security without having to wait in the queue. Therefore, from leaving the room in the morning to getting to the departures lounge took the whole of 20 minutes and that included checking out (ok dropping the key card in the slot) and checking in – perfect!
Would We Recommend Bloc Hotel Gatwick?
100%! Everything about the Bloc Hotel Gatwick was fantastic. The hotel itself would not look out of place in a city centre. However, I’m sure we would pay a lot more than they charge if it was. It’s modern and funky yet fully functional. As Vicky is a nervous flyer, our holiday has never ‘started at the airport’, yet it really did this time. We were refreshed and relaxed. It meant we had an enjoyable journey and ensured that we weren’t overly shattered by the time we landed in New York.
Staying in the actual airport terminal was simply the clincher. In fact, it’s something we will look to do whenever we fly from Gatwick (or Birmingham) in the future. If you can push the boat we would also recommend plumping for the VIP Suite. The main reason is that it’s spacious. Which if travelling as a couple or family group with a lot of luggage is vital and also you will have the best views!
- Thank you to Bloc Hotel Gatwick for giving us a great media rate and wonderful upgrade. Opinions as always – our own.
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