Review: Yotel Gatwick Airport

When I booked my flights to Rio I did the traveler thing (as my Dad called it) and booked the cheapest set of flights going without really taking too much notice of the dates and times. It was a rookie error which left me with needing to stay at the airport the night before because I had no other way of getting there. This of course meant said flights instantly became more expensive because I needed to pay for a hotel to stay in. When I realised the sheer amount of baggage I was going to be lugging around with me coupled with the fact I wasn’t feeling very well I decided to spend a bit extra and stay at a hotel in the terminal rather than one miles away.

My choice, Yotel Gatwick.

I left making any kind of booking for Yotel Gatwick to the very last minute, ie. Sunday when I was staying there Monday night. This meant I paid slightly more than I should have but lets not dwell on the price because it was super nice to wake up, walk out of my room and be in the terminal I needed for my flight.

When making a booking for Yotel Gatwick you can select from a minimum of 4 hours and the price increases depending on the time slot you book. Knowing I wasn’t going to get to Gatwick until 8pm meant I selected a check in time for after 8pm and saved on a few quid. I love this option of selecting the exact time you want and not having to pay for time you don’t actually need.

I arrived at Gatwick airport and followed the signs to easily find the hotel entrance. After taking the lift down I was greet by a purple coloured entrance desk and a very swift but friendly check in. My room was no. 42 a single cabin with everything you could need for one person. I was in one of the lower cabins and this meant my bed was low down thankfully. Each cabin alternates with low and high beds to make the most of the space they have at Yotel Gatwick. The rest of the room follows a similar theme of ‘making the most of space’. There is a pull out table which can be put up and I found this sat perfectly over my luggage. The toilet and shower then occupies the rest of the room. It is the perfect blend of not showering over the toilet but not taking up the whole room. The doors are also glass with a huge mirror along the toilet/shower area making the room feel much bigger. The only problem is said glass doors are hard to see and in my tired state I went head crashing into the toilet door because I had cleverly closed it. Cue swearing loudly and having to ask reception for some ice.

This aside the rest of the room was much safer. The bed was comfy, roomy and the frame around protected to stop anyone hitting their head… There were several different settings for the lights including another purple color light, a TV situated at the end of the bed and enough channels to keep you entertained. The hotel provided free hot drinks and water, all you had to do was ask at reception. They also had things like hair dryers – the perfect place to store them if you ask me. No point having these things take up valued space when you have no desire to use them. They also offer simple food options including a breakfast tray which could be ordered through reception, although I didn’t try anything they had a reasonable selection with reasonable prices.

My sleep that night was peaceful and although people were probably leaving at early hours I never heard them. The cabin also has no natural light which makes trying to sleep during daytime hours much easier – ie. if you were saying here during a layover in the day. Check out was a breeze and as soon as I arrived in the terminal I was grateful of such a stress free arrival to the airport.

Staying near the airport the night before always feels like such a luxury but actually staying in the airport felt even more exciting. Maybe a little too exciting. Still it was exactly what I needed when I had 16 hours worth of traveling to do that day. I could only have imagined how much longer my day would have felt if I had had to travel to the airport as well. Yotel Gatwick was the perfect place to crash the night before and the cabin despite small was perfect for what I needed. I would highly recommend a stay here.