Gatwick Airport is not exactly oversubscribed with business hotels, with travellers often having to hike in from Crawley - not everyone's idea of a dream town.
What the business traveller really wants is a hotel situated right in the heart of the airport - such as those in Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Copenhagen for example - that allow them to walk straight into the terminal from check-out.
For many years Gatwick has had a ”bucket and spade” image, courtesy of its large number of charter operators, but despite the dash to Heathrow by several long-haul carriers, it still retains a significant business travel element.
And the 518-room Sofitel London Gatwick - currently being refurbished - ticks many of those business boxes, set right in the heart of the North Terminal, having a dedicated business floor and a substantial business centre to boot, capable of hosting individual meetings or larger conferences.
Executive floor guests have a dedicated hotel check-in, a private lounge, complimentary drink and canap”s and although the rooms are not the largest, they are more than adequate for the job featuring extremely comfortable beds with feather duvets.
Visitors arrive up escalators through an impressive tunnel from the North Terminal into a vast atrium that, although not on Asian scales, remains an impressive introduction. There is the choice of three bars and restaurants ” La Terrasse (informal bar), La Brasserie (more formal dining) and Kua (cocktail bar), while in-rooming dining is also an option.
”Our business centre here has 11 meeting rooms, while we also provide a board room or syndicate point for six to ten people,” Sofitel London Gatwick general manager, Graham Hawksworth, ”while we also have a lot of customers wandering in and asking for a meeting room.”
”What we are hoping to do is to have something that will be known as the best hotel from a product perspective in the South East.”
Standard rooms start from £99 ($202), while top end rates reach £250, with the hotel”s ”Park & Fly” or ” Park & Fly Valet” services also proving particularly popular.
But it is the hotel's arrivals lounge that is its jewel in the crown, catering exclusively for business and first class passengers of British Airways, Delta Airlines and Emirates.
Available from 5am to 1pm, the recently-opened lounge offers a continental-style breakfast in an open-plan room reminiscent of Scandinavian architecture with liberal use of wood and glass, as well as a sunken area (formerly a pool) that has a fire at one end.
Sky News on wall-mounted plasma screens updates travellers on the latest developments, while staff are on hand to answer queries and to direct passengers to the generously appointed cubicles that offer showers and a pressing service.
Those wishing to shower can place a shirt in a cupboard in the cubicle and at the touch of a button, the item will be removed by a member of staff and will reappear, ironed, on exit. There is also a gym for those hardy souls wanting to work out.
Gatwick has a dearth of on-site hotels, its major competitor being the Hilton London Gatwick linked to the South Terminal by covered walkway and featuring executive rooms with lounge access. The Hilton also has its ”Time to Fly” scheme, offering inclusive airport parking for pre-booked guests.
The Sofitel has friendly but not overly fussy staff, extremely comfortable rooms and an impressive array of business facilities, including walk-in options for last minute meetings. Its other key attraction ” as with the Hilton ” is its swift access to London.
At just 30 minutes with the dedicated and non-stop Gatwick Express, Victoria Station is easily accessible, while just about every train bound for the south coast will stop at the airport.
The stampede by several majors to Heathrow is unusual in that despite the larger airport being considered the UK”s premier business gateway, surface access is often difficult while the Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express services terminate at Paddington.
Gatwick is easy by comparison, although the introduction of direct services to the shiny new Terminal 5 at Heathrow should prove a great help. The Sussex airport”s only real bottleneck is that traffic can sometimes back up down the M23 ” as was the case recently when nationwide security alerts resulted in drop-off restrictions.
But if using the less crowded North Terminal, still having a major tranche of business destinations served by British Airways among others, the Sofitel comes highly recommended.