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Sofitel Bring High-Tech Luxury to Heathrow's T5

Go To The Hotel's Web 
  Site Where: Terminal 5, London Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom, TW6 2GD

by amandak | August 11, 2008 at 10:24 AM | 0 Comments

It's early days in the life of the new Sofitel London Heathrow which is the only hotel that directly connects to the airport's Terminal 5. The hotel soft opened in July but should now be fully functioning. And it's not your average airport hotel either.

The concept architect was Stephen Williams (Conrad Hotel in Chelsea Harbour) with the interiors designed by Khuan Chew who worked on the Burj al Arab.

Themes of country and continent resonate throughout the hotel; in the entrance lobby ‘Antarctica’ takes central stage with a dramatic water fountain centrepiece commissioned from RHS Chelsea winner David Harber.

Khuan Chew’s also created one of the most swank suites we've heard about in an airport hotel yet--the hotel's Imperial Suite include the first Swarovski crystal bathrooms in a European.

The hotel also features a restaurant Brassiere Roux (that will serve French regional fare), a Tea Salon, and two bars, the Icelandic blue Sphere Bar and the Library Bar. Lastly, rounding out the hotel amenities is a spa, complete with jet lag treatments.

Despite all these goodies, there have been the odd teething problems with checking in and getting information from staff.

One of the big selling points of the Heathrow Sofitel is that it's modern and hi-tech, but that doesn't suit everyone. Some of the early visitor reviews praised all the gizmos and cool design, whereas others figured that the "fiddly" light-switches and complicated air-conditioner controls were too challenging for many visitors.

Opening specials don't exist now--the best offer you can get at the Heathrow Sofitel comes from booking ahead, with cheaper rates if you reserve your room more than two weeks in advance.

Average rates come out around $280 a night which is fairly luxurious for an airport hotel.

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