They rarely feature four or five stars, the amenities are utilitarian and their biggest sales point is the complimentary Internet hookup. In short, airport hotels do not seek to compete with their bigger and more fashionable city center counterparts. That being said, there are a number of advantages these venues offer to holiday travelers only the occasional fashionable place even considers.

Weighing the pros and cons of staying in an airport hotel is not as easy as pointing to the location and the price tag. Are you ready for a closer look at the rarely praised yet often maligned hotels?

Airport Hotels and Their Advantages

Business travelers find that these locales are custom tailored to their needs. Just a quick peek at Heathrow airport hotels shows that they feature – onsite! – a veritable business suite with computer access, faxing capabilities and oftentimes provide highly detailed receipts for the accountancy department.

Since they are so close to the airport, there is rarely a need for a rental car, especially since a shuttle handles guest pickup and drop offs. For the adventure traveler on weekend holiday, this can translate into huge savings, especially if s/he is brave enough to work out public transit options. If you are a regular traveler, the fact that these chain hotels offer generous reward structures to loyal guests can make these stays huge money savers.

Airport Hotels and Their Disadvantages

Light sleepers may despair at the noise from lorries and airport traffic. A good many Heathrow airport hotels are located smack on the major roadways that are preferred by commercial drivers. The leisurely weekend traveler may be able to get away with a restful stay, but the business week traveler is sure to hear the horns and road sounds.

These hotels do not feature the gyms and spas the discerning weekend getaway tourist has in mind. Functionality trumps posh comfort, and although there is sure to be a gym on the premises, more often than not it only features a few machines and little else. Room and also premises décor is likely to be bog-standard with little that is visually outstanding.

Although in excellent repair, the little architectural and interior décor extras that make fashionable hotel rooms cozy, frequently do not find inclusion with the airport hotel designers. Adding insult to injury, the costs of rooms are sometimes a bit more than the average holidaymaker had anticipated paying.

There is not hard and fast answer that will once and for all resolve if airport hotels are worth it. A closer look at Heathrow airport hotels shows that the target demographic – the business or short term traveler – is extremely well served and stands to save money. The leisure traveler, however, may be missing out on the little extras that are the heart and soul of a weekend or even weeklong holiday.