Airport hotel transfers: getting to the right door
Send the full hotel name, street address and postcode when arranging an airport transfer. Two properties in the same chain can be several miles apart, and a hotel described as an “airport hotel” may serve a different terminal from the one on your flight booking.
For an arrival, also check when you can enter your room. Reaching the hotel early does not necessarily mean a room is ready, so ask the hotel about luggage storage or early check-in before planning the rest of your day.
Check the hotel’s relationship to the terminal
Look at the hotel’s own directions for your exact terminal. A pedestrian connection, a shuttle and a road journey involve different arrangements. Confirm the walking route or shuttle timetable directly with the hotel, especially for an early departure, late arrival or journey with mobility equipment.
At Heathrow, Terminals 2 and 3 share a central area, while Terminals 4 and 5 are separate from it. Use the airport’s terminal transfer guide if your hotel directions involve changing terminals. Check that the suggested route is available to you as a passenger outside security.
For a road transfer, give the hotel entrance where you want to arrive. If the booking is for a conference attached to a hotel, ask whether delegates use the main reception or a separate event entrance.
Arriving before check-in
Keep the hotel reservation details available alongside the transfer booking. If you plan to leave luggage and go straight to a meeting, establish whether the hotel can store it and when the desk is staffed. These are arrangements with the hotel, so confirm them directly rather than relying on the car arrival time.
If you decide to go to another address first, contact us about the change before the journey. Collecting apartment keys from an office, stopping at a relative’s home or visiting a venue adds a destination that needs to be included in the plan.
Collecting you for a flight
Start with your airline’s check-in and bag-drop requirements, then agree a collection time that allows for the journey and arrival at the terminal. Check the airport and terminal for the departure even if the hotel organised an earlier arrival transfer.
Ask reception where a pre-booked vehicle can collect you. Share that entrance with us and keep your phone available. If you are staying in a large property, allow time to bring cases down from the room and meet the rest of your party.
For an overnight or early morning collection, check how to leave the building and whether any gates or doors are locked. Let us know about access instructions in advance. Avoid putting passport or payment-card information into general journey notes.
Several guests, several hotels
Choose one person to coordinate the travelling group. List all pickup addresses, the number of people at each location and the total luggage. Ask us to confirm a journey with multiple stops before treating it as a single collection.
If the party is splitting between hotels after landing, provide every destination. The order of stops and the required vehicle space should be settled before travel. Our group transfer guide includes a checklist for planning the load.
Bags and mobility equipment
Include cabin cases, pushchairs and mobility aids when describing the journey. A hotel trolley full of luggage may not fit a vehicle chosen only by passenger count. Check the published fleet capacities and contact us about anything large, rigid or unusually shaped.
If a passenger needs help between the hotel entrance and the vehicle, explain the requirement and confirm what can be arranged. Share practical details such as steps, a folded wheelchair’s dimensions or the need to remain seated in a wheelchair during travel.
For terminal-specific planning, see our guides to Heathrow and Gatwick.