Hotel of the week: ibis London Luton Airport

I reckon I was asleep less than five minutes after my head hit the pillow the night I stayed at the ibis London Luton Airport hotel, which is odd because I wasn’t even that tired, but the bed was so cosy and the room was so quiet I drifted off regardless.

Thanks to the double – or possibly triple – glazed windows I didn’t hear a sound, despite the fact the hotel is only a short stroll from the airport. My partner said he was woken by an alarm in a neighbouring room at 4am, but I slept undisturbed till the hotel receptionist rang, as arranged, to wake us at six.

Ibis says its ‘Sweet Bed’, installed in all 162 rooms, has been ‘fully designed, tested and developed …for the cosiest and most exclusive comfort’. Admittedly that sounds like a whole load of marketing guff, but I can now say, hand on heart, that the ibis at London Luton certainly does have great beds.

The reason we chose to stay at the ibis was its proximity to Luton Airport and although we spent only 10 hours in the hotel (which I imagine is fairly typical for its guests), it made for a pleasant start to our overseas trip.

The receptionist was super-friendly, offering to store our SIX suitcases (don’t ask) in the hotel’s luggage room overnight. When we insisted on lugging them all to our room she provided us with a trolley instead. The room itself was compact, but we did manage to squeeze in all the bags, so if you’re travelling a little lighter than us you should have plenty of space.

Our room on the third floor had a small hanging area for clothes, although I don’t suppose many guests bother to unpack, and a TV at the end of the bed. There were also complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, which is great if you’re rushing for a flight and don’t have time for breakfast.

The en-suite shower room, which seemed to have been moulded out of plastic, was spacious enough and, more importantly, pristine.

Wi-fi  is complimentary throughout the hotel, which is another nice touch. It also makes you wonder why more expensive hotels still charge for this service if other properties with much lower room rates can offer it free.

After off-loading our cases we headed back to the ground floor where we found a small bar area serving snacks and a restaurant , which was fairly busy, although this wasn’t surprising as there are few other dining options in the vicinity. The restaurant menu was reasonably extensive but threw up no surprises – currys, pies, burgers, pizzas – that sort of thing.

I tried a beef burger and fries while my partner opted for the chicken curry, which was probably the best dish on the menu. I was also intrigued by the sound of the ‘pear cheesecake’ but sadly didn’t have room for dessert. The service was fine, if a little perfunctory.

Unfortunately, as we had to be at the airport for a 6.30am check-in, we didn’t have time the next morning to sample the hotel’s ‘all you can eat’ breakfast buffet, although it is served from 4am specifically to cater for those with early departures.

We had driven to the hotel, which has parking for up to 74 cars on a first-come, first-served basis. There were several spaces available when we arrived on a Monday evening in July. Parking charges start at £5 for guests. From the hotel it’s only a minute’s drive to the airport, or it’s a 10-minute walk.

Ibis has three separate brands in the UK; ibis, isbis Styles and ibis budget, all of which are offering discounts of up to 30% for stays between July 19 and November 2, with rates at the ibis London Luton starting at £32 a night. Ibis Styles properties start at £45 a night and Ibis budget hotels are available from £18 a night.  The offer will be available through all reservation channels until September 5.

By Linsey McNeill