For a dawn flight, the hardest part of the trip is often the first hour: an alarm at 3am, a dark motorway, and a check-in desk that opens before most people are awake. A night at an airport hotel swaps that for a short walk or ride to the terminal after a proper sleep. It is not always worth the money, but for some flights it clearly is. This guide covers when a hotel the night before makes sense, how to work out whether it pays, and the hotels that are joined to, or a few minutes from, the terminal at the main UK airports.
When a hotel the night before makes sense
- Very early departures. Check-in opens early: at Humberside, for example, it opens at 04:30 for the 06:10 flight. Work back from your airline's bag-drop deadline and the airport's advice, add the drive, and if the alarm lands before 4am, a hotel starts to look sensible.
- A long drive to the airport. Two or three hours on the road in the small hours is tiring before the flight has even started. Driving the evening before splits the journey.
- Travelling with children. Waking small children at 3am is rarely a good start to a holiday. Our guide to flying with children has more.
- No early public transport. At some airports the first bus is too late for the first flights. Leeds Bradford's buses, for example, usually run from about 6am.
- Bank holidays. Taxis cost more and trains stop on Christmas Day and run little on Boxing Day, so a hotel can be simpler. See our Christmas parking guide.
Working out whether it pays
Compare the two versions of the morning:
- Without a hotel: your parking for the trip, plus the cost of getting there at that hour, which may mean a taxi in the small hours, or simply a very early start.
- With a hotel: the room for one night, plus your parking for the trip. Ask the hotel whether you can leave the car there for the length of your trip and what it costs, or book your airport parking separately and check in to the hotel the night before.
The money is only half of it. A hotel buys you sleep, a margin for anything that goes wrong on the road, and a calmer morning, which on a holiday or an important trip can be worth more than the difference.
Hotels at or beside the terminal
At several airports, a hotel is joined to the terminal or a few minutes' walk away:
- Heathrow: the Hilton at Terminal 4 and the Sofitel at Terminal 5 are linked to the terminals by covered walkways. See our Heathrow guide.
- Gatwick: the Sofitel at the North Terminal and the Hilton at the South Terminal both have covered walkways. See our Gatwick guide.
- Manchester: the Radisson Blu, Crowne Plaza and ibis Budget are within walking distance of the terminals. See our Manchester guide.
- Birmingham: the Novotel is directly opposite the terminal, and the ibis a short walk away. See our Birmingham guide.
- Bristol: the Hampton by Hilton is on the airport site, linked to the car parks and the Transport Interchange by walkways. See our Bristol guide.
- East Midlands: several hotels are at the airport itself, including the Radisson Blu. See our East Midlands guide.
- Humberside: the Hampton by Hilton is within walking distance, with a secure car park and free baggage storage. See our Humberside guide.
- Southend: the Holiday Inn is a few minutes' walk from the terminal. See our Southend guide.
Elsewhere, hotels are a short taxi or shuttle ride away, so check how you will get to the terminal in the morning, and how early that runs, before you book.
Booking and the morning
- Search hotels for your airport. Our airport hotels search finds hotels near your departure airport for the night before you fly.
- Check the details that matter at 4am: whether breakfast is available that early, how you get to the terminal, and whether you can leave the car or your bags.
- Do as much as you can the night before: check in online, print or download boarding passes, and lay out what you need. The Before You Fly checklist covers the night before.
- Still leave a margin. Even from a hotel next to the terminal, allow time for the airline's bag-drop deadline and security. Our how early to arrive guide explains it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth staying at an airport hotel the night before a flight?
Often, for a very early departure, a long drive to the airport, or a trip with young children. Compare the room and your parking with the cost and stress of a pre-dawn journey, and remember a hotel also gives you a margin if the roads are slow.
Which UK airports have hotels joined to the terminal?
Heathrow (the Hilton at Terminal 4 and Sofitel at Terminal 5) and Gatwick (the Sofitel at the North Terminal and Hilton at the South Terminal) have hotels linked by covered walkways. Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Humberside and Southend have hotels within a few minutes' walk.
Can I leave my car at the airport hotel while I am away?
Some hotels allow it, but it varies, so ask the hotel before you book and check the price for the length of your trip. Otherwise, book your airport parking separately and drive over from the hotel in the morning.
Sorted before you fly.
