It doesn’t matter how much I travel, I still fear flying. Stupid perhaps, and before anyone explains to me that it is supposedly the safest form of transport, I get it; but equally I still don’t like it. So when we arranged a stay at the BLOC Hotel London Gatwick complete with runway views you can probably imagine I was slightly hesitant.
The BLOC Hotel itself is housed within the airport concourse, so it does have a certain convenience factor about it. The idea that you can literally park up or get the train straight into Gatwick and then wander through the entrance and head directly to check-in is fantastic. Likewise, as long as you are travelling from the South Terminal, you can literally check-out of the BLOC and wander immediately through customs and into the departure lounge. Therefore, if you want a hassle-free start to your trip this is the way to go about it.
Reasons to choose the BLOC Hotel, London Gatwick
Reception area
Regardless of how long we are going away for, be it a long weekend or a month, the idea of relaxing the night before an early morning flight definitely appeals to us. I hate the idea of getting stuck in traffic, panicking about whether I will make the flight on time and therefore I will go out of my way to alleviate this problem. Let’s face it I am already stressed enough about the thought of spending time at 39,000 feet in what is effectively a tin can so I don’t really need to add to this in any way.
I also don’t want a hotel that claims to be an airport hotel only to have to pay for a 15-minute taxi ride to get close to the terminal building. To me that once again takes the enjoyment out of it, worrying about whether our transport will arrive on time (because we all know how reliable taxis can be).
Therefore the only option for us is to have something within walking distance, and let’s be honest you can’t really get any closer than in the airport itself. However, it was only after reading a review in The Telegraph about the Bloc Hotel that I realised just how close I could stay.
“A no-frills, low-cost hotel in Gatwick airport’s South Terminal. Rooms are modern and tech-advanced, with dangerously comfortable beds and an intuitive use of limited space. Service is quick and as self-sufficient as possible, making this a convenient pitstop for those rushing off to early-morning flights.” (The Telegraph)
So, other than its location why should you choose to stay at The BLOC Hotel?
#1 The Modern Design of the Rooms
It seems that wherever you go today space is a premium and whilst yes, the rooms are compact, they are stylish and have more storage space than some larger hotels we have spent time in. We both loved the fact that the Vista Room that we booked into came complete with a view – albeit of the runway – and the fact that they had used the wardrobe space to create some privacy between the bed and this amazing view won brownie points.
Only one side of the bed was accessible, which did mean that should one of us have to do a midnight dash would have had to climb out over the other person, but the mattress was extremely comfortable and the purple mood-lighting did help to create a relaxing atmosphere.
#2 An Abundance of Technology
Paul is a bit of a tech geek so when he wandered into the room and found a control panel that worked everything from the lights to the TV, to the blinds he was in heaven.
It was from this little gem on the wall that you could add mood lighting, dim the lights or even add a ‘do not disturb’ sign to the door.
There was also a large TV recessed into the wall above our bed which, in all fairness, was far larger than the one at home resulting in a cinema-type feel to your viewing whilst lazing back onto fluffy pillows. The only downside we could find to this was the fact that you couldn’t insert a memory stick into the side of the TV and therefore could only watch what was available to us through their Sky system but for one night we honestly couldn’t really complain about this.
Plus, if all else fails there is always the internet and their free wifi to fall back on.
#3 The Bathroom
They use the space well. You can pretty much see the entire bathroom from this angle.
It is always the bathroom that amazes me in these small spaces. In a room where I can touch both sides when stretched out, they still managed to fit in a decent-sized basin and a very large rain shower. It may have been the fact that there was a full wall of tinted glass but the fact that we didn’t feel claustrophobic in such a small space is quite impressive.
#4 The Amenities Nearby
How many hotels can brag about the number of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars within a 2-minute wandering distance?
Unless you go to a large all-inclusive hotel with numerous facilities, the most I personally have ever experienced in a hotel is a bar and restaurant although these are often all combined into one so to have seven options for an evening meal is quite considerable, and that’s not including the two shops where you could buy a takeaway sandwich should you want to.
#5 The View
View from our room
To say that you can have a room with a direct runway view is not common and although I do hate flying, it was quite nice to lie in bed and watch the lights on the planes as they descend and land. Likewise, it was interesting to watch the planes being guided onto the correct flight path or see just how gentle the baggage handlers were being with people’s luggage.
Amazingly, even though we literally had planes flying over our heads, we heard nothing. The sound-proofing in these rooms really is a top-selling point.
Ultimately, the BLOC Hotel allowed for us to rest up before an early morning flight out to Prague, and whilst perhaps the rooms were not as large as some of its competitors just outside the airport, the stylish rooms along with the attractive price tag meant that this was an affordable overnight stop-off.
If you are looking for a convenient, contemporary and ultra-modern, wallet-friendly stay, the BLOC Hotel at London Gatwick South Terminal is one definitely worth considering.
Have you stayed in an airport hotel? Is it something you would consider doing again? Perhaps you have stayed in one you would recommend to others. If so please let us know as we are always seeking out new hotels to visit.
Did you enjoy this article? Then PIN it for later…
We would like to thank Bloc Hotels and in particular the staff of the BLOC Hotel Gatwick Airport for making our stay truly enjoyable. We did receive a complimentary stay, however, as always all views and opinions are our own.
