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Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter

Crowne Plaza hotel – Gatwick airport

February 5, 2011
By olivia

The biggest nuisance with flying is getting to and from the airport, especially for an early flight.  I therefore tend to try to stay at airport hotels to avoid the dreaded shuttle bus nightmare.  It probably isn’t a nightmare at all, but in my head and at some ungodly hour in the morning, my brain tells me it will be so.

 

To my consternation on a recent long haul trip, I was disappointed that my usual suspects couldn’t accommodate me, so I stayed at the Crowe Plaza hotel, a whole 10/15 minute drive from Gatwick.  Of course, to me, it might have well have been as far away as the moon, but it just goes to show how prejudiced you can be.  APH do a meet and greet service, which, from my perspective, is exactly like the service offered by the other hotels on the airport and by the likes of Purple Parking.

 

I drove to the hotel, stayed overnight, drove my car to the airport in the morning and was met at departures. When I arrived back a week later, my car was waiting for me, even though my flight was delayed.

 

Being some distance away from the airport, this modern hotel is much quieter and the room felt spacious.  There was a comfortable king-size bed in the spotless clubroom and air conditioning.  Included in the clubroom rate is free Wi-Fi, use of the club lounge and breakfast.  The colour scheme was an attractive warm aubergine, beige and bronze, cleverly managing not to be too corporate or impersonal.  Dark wood also leant an air of sophistication.  Ideal for working, there was a large desk and a directional reading light by the bed.  Self-serve hot drinks were available and a robe with slippers.  The small bathroom was perfectly adequate with a shower over the bath. Lighting was good for make-up and shaving and there was also a magnifying mirror.  Quality toiletries and a box of tissues leant the finishing touch.

 

Add to that a peaceful night’s sleep and a seamless trip to the airport and it was an altogether good experience.

 

I didn’t get a chance to try out the spa and fitness room or the restaurants, but I have a feeling I will be visiting again to put that right.

 

Book directly with the hotel or through APH.

 

Services spa, fitness equipment, parking, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, room service, business services, internet access, air-conditioning

 

Useful links
Crowne Plaza Gatwick

Categories : Europe, Hotel Reviews, Travel, UK
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Trips 2018/2019

2019

January: Zanzibar

March: Cape Town & Pretoria

May: Slovenia

October: South Africa (tbc)

November: Kenya (tbc)

 

Trips 2018

March:  New York, including Frick Gallery

May:  Vietnam including Halong Bay

June:  Giverny and Monet’s garden

June:  Majorca

December: Hyderabad and Chandigarh, India

Trips 2017

January: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
February: Bangalore
April: Lake District
May: Malaga
September: Mexico, Cancun
November: Delhi, Agra, Shimla
December: Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Venice

Trips 2016 (not clickable)

January: Oxford, Tenerife
February: Hampshire
March: Manchester
April: Sicily, Germany
October: Bangalore, New Delhi
November: Bangalore, New Delhi
December: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

List of trips 2015 (not clickable)

January: European ski resorts; Milan
February: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
March: Istanbul, Jersey, Vienna, Prague, Budapest
April: Road trip Ireland
May: Road trip France, Germany, Benelux and Copenhagen
June: UK luxury hotels
December: Cannes

List of trips 2014 (not clickable)

January Weimar, Vienna
February - Berlin, London
April - Chicago, Toronto, Montreal
May/June - Driving trip, Spain
July – Majorca
July - Paris
August - Southern UK
September – Northern Italy including Venice
October - South of France
October/November - Germany, Austria and Switzerland
December - Cape Town, Durban, driving along Garden Route South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda

List of trips 2013 (not clickable)

  • January - Tenerife
  • March - Istanbul
  • April - Italy luxury hotels - mid and southern Italy including Sicily
  • June - Las Vegas
  • June - Massive west coast road trip - Vancouver, BC
  • June - Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego
  • September - Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
  • September - Carolinas, Georgia, northern Florida (Talahassee area)
  • September - New Orleans, Orlando, Miami; Vancouver
  • October - Puglia, Italy and Milan

List of trips 2012

  • January - Hawaii, USA
  • February - France - Le Touquet, Lens, Lille
  • March - Nelamangala, India
  • July - Milan, Italy
  • August - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • August - Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  • August - Montevideo, Uruguay
  • September - Delhi, India
  • November - Dubai, UAE

List of trips 2011

  • January - Madeira, Portugal
  • February - Bangalore, India
  • April - British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
  • May - Sicily, Italy
  • May - San Francisco, USA
  • June - Bangalore and New Delhi, India
  • July - Prague, Czech Republic
  • July - Munich, Germany
  • July - Washington DC, USA
  • August - Lake District, UK
  • September - La Grande-Motte, France
  • Annapolis, USA
  • October - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • December - Helsinki, Finland
  • December - St Petersburg, Russia

List of trips 2010

  • February - India - Kerala & Chennai
  • March - Manchester & the North West
  • March - Austria
  • April - Czech Republic
  • May - Lake District
  • June - Cologne
  • July - India - Bangalore and Delhi
  • August - Eastern Cape & KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • September - Grasse, south of France
  • September - Wick, Scotland
  • October - Utah, USA
  • December - Montreal, Canada
  • December - Madeira, Portugal
Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter
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