On the verge of booking their perfect holiday, Mr and Mrs Smith find out the flight departs Gatwick at 6.30am and their faces fall. What do you do?
You could find another holiday, but that’s time-consuming and you risk losing a sale. The solution? Offer to book them an airport hotel for the night, pointing out that the price will include parking – up to 15 days in most cases.
Add-on specialists such as Holiday Extras and First4Extras have hotel and parking deals at airports around the UK and they offer incredible value. In most cases, clients pay the same as they would if they were parking their car but they get a restful night’s sleep to boot.
As airport hotels rely heavily on business travellers, some of the best deals are in the peak season, when parking can be at a premium. Travel Weekly found out what was on offer at eight regional airports.
| Gatwick |
What’s there? There are long-term car parks at both the South and North Terminals, and numerous off-site car parks, many of them sold through holiday add-on specialists. BCP has its own car park, 15 minutes from the airport. Hotels range from a Hilton and Le Meridien at the airport to a Premier Travel Inn at Crawley, about 20 minutes’ drive away. All offer eight or 15 days’ parking, either in the hotel car park or at the airport.
Busy? Very. If clients don’t pre-book in the peak season, they may find there is no room either at the inn or in the car park.
Sample product: new from Superbreak is the three-star George Hotel at Gatwick, from £39.50 per person per night room-only, including eight days’ parking. Holiday Extras offers the Felbridge Hotel at Gatwick from £90 per room, including 15 days’ parking. Courtesy bus transfer takes 20 minutes.
| Newcastle Airport |
What’s there? The long-term car park is five minutes from the terminal; the Britannia hotel is on site. A Novotel and Travelodge are up the road, and there’s a Holiday Inn 15 minutes’ drive away. All offer 15 days’ parking with an overnight stay.
Busy? Yes. Clients should book early for travel in peak periods.
Sample product: First4Extras has the three-star Novotel from £107 per room, including 15 days’ parking. For bed and breakfast and parking, the cost is from £120. Taxi transfers to the airport cost £7 one-way.
| Liverpool John Lennon |
What’s there? There’s a long-stay car park two minutes from the airport as well as one on site, but drivers should drop luggage at the terminal before parking as there’s no transfer bus. The Britannia Adelphi is about 20 minutes away and free taxi transfers are available.
Busy? Not really, except during school holiday periods.
Sample product: Holiday Extras now offers the Marriott hotel, about five minutes from the airport by the courtesy transfer bus, from £88 room-only, which includes 15 days’ parking.
| Birmingham Airport |
What’s there? Just one on-site long-term car park, but plenty of choice nearby, including Holiday Extras’ Airparks Services, which is about 15 minutes’ drive from the airport. Airport Parking and Hotels has parking about 10 minutes away. For overnights, there’s a Novotel by the terminal. Otherwise there is the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, about a mile from the airport, a Travelodge, a Crowne Plaza and more, all within about 20 minutes’ drive of the airport. They all offer 15 days’ parking.
Busy? Book early for Christmas, summer and Easter.
Sample product: new from APH is the Renaissance Solihull Hotel, four miles from the airport, with prices from £85 per room, including up to 15 days’ parking. Transfers to the airport cost £8 each way. Clients booking the Hilton Birmingham Metropole through Holiday Extras qualify for up to 28 days’ parking.
| Nottingham East Midlands |
What’s there? A medium – for up to four days – and long-stay car park are on-site. Airparks Services car park is about 15 minutes by courtesy coach. Overnights at the on-site Thistle East Midlands, the Hilton, about five minutes away, and others, come with 15 days’ parking.
Busy? Not one of the busiest, but it’s big for low-cost carriers so there’s a lot of early flights.
Sample product: new from APH is the Hilton East Midlands Airport, with prices from £115 per room, including up to 15 days’ parking. Superbreak has added the three-star Express by Holiday Inn for £49.50 per person per night, including continental breakfast and 15 days’ parking.
| Stansted |
What’s there? Pink Elephant runs the long-term car park for stays of over five days. For shorter trips, select mid-stay, with a minimum of three days. The new Radisson SAS is next to the terminal but there is no parking. For hotel/parking deals, the Hilton London Stansted is most convenient and comes with 15 days’ parking. The Saracen’s Head and Stansted Airport Motel are five and 10 minutes away respectively, and also come with 15 days’ parking.
Busy? Yes – there isn’t much hotel availability and Stansted has a lot of low-cost flights with early departures.
Sample product: First4Extras has added the Hilton London Stansted, with eight and 15-day packages from £87.60 per room. New from Superbreak is the three-star Express by Holiday Inn for £54.50 per person per night, including continental breakfast and eight days’ parking.
| Manchester Airport |
What’s there? On site, the Premier Park long-term car park is for stays of more than five days, and multi-storey for eight days or more. Securapark, off site, is for three days or more. Airparks Services has parking about 20 minutes away by transfer bus, while APH parking is about 10 minutes from the airport. Hotels include an on-site Hilton, Radisson SAS and Crowne Plaza, all with 15 days’ parking, Further out there is a Marriott, Thistle, Moat House and more.
Busy? Manchester is one of the UK’s busiest airports so although there are many hotels, clients should book early.
Sample product: new from First4Extras is the four-star Moat House hotel, three miles from Manchester Airport. One night starts at £99 per room, including 15 days’ parking.
| Glasgow Airport |
What’s there? Long and short-stay on-site parking. Flyaway Parking is a three-minute courtesy transfer from the airport. There’s a Holiday Inn and an Express by Holiday Inn on site, just a short walk from the terminal, which both include 15 days’ parking in the overnight package. A Ramada and Travelodge are properties about five minutes away, all offering up to 15 days’ parking.
Busy? Yes, but there shouldn’t be a problem outside the school holiday periods.
Sample product: Holiday Extras offers the Dean Park hotel, 10 minutes from the airport by courtesy bus, from £54 per room, including up to 15 days’ parking.
