News | UK Airports

Heathrow Terminal 5's first hotel opens

2008-08-05

After much-maligned beginnings, it looks like Terminal 5 is battling the storm, especially with news today of the first hotel opening at London Heathrow Airport's new area. And it seems if you're looking to start or finish a trip in style, this is the place to be.

With a direct bridge link to Terminal 5, the five star rated Heathrow Sofitel hotel, owned by Arora International Hotels, has 605 guest rooms and suites, making it one of the largest of Europe’s airport hotels. Architect is Stephen Williams, who designed London Chelsea Harbour’s Conrad Hotel. The interiors are designed by Khuan Chew of KCA International, who worked on Dubai's seven-star fantasy hotel, the Burj Al Arab. Chef consultant to the hotel is French legend Albert Roux, while Executive chef Julian Jenkins will be in charge of the kitchen.

The Sofitel also houses a tea salon, two bars, a spa, and 45 meeting rooms.

Meanwhile, British Airways has launched a new integrated campaign to promote the airlines’ base at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, six months after its problematic opening. The campaign uses the strapline ‘Terminal 5 is working’ - designed to communicate to us wary punters that the terminal has recovered from its teething problems.

Katherine Whitton, general manager for marketing communications at BA, was quoted in the press as saying: “The terminal has now been open for 131 days, more than six million people have travelled through it and it has been performing very well for some time. The aim is to communicate to the travelling public that Terminal 5 is now working well.”