Le Meridien, Gatwick Airport Reviews

Love this place. Upgraded room this time and worth it as it actually saves money as you get access to food and drink saving you spending in hotel bar and restaurant. Safest place to park as well.

This clearly hasn't always been a Sofitel; while the room follows the same basic design of its Heathrow cousin, it's significantly smaller with a bathroom more reminiscent of a Premier Inn. There's nothing wrong with a Premier Inn, but if you're paying Sofitel rates... Checking in was good, with some great staff members, but dining in the bar want quite so slick. The food was fine, but service was painfully slow, if still very polite and professional. Overall there's not a lot to actually complain about, but there's also nothing to get excited about. Distinctly average.

A great place to stay and chill out and enjoy good food too

The room was good and we have stayed at the Gatwick Sofitel many times. However this time we had a meal at the Vanda oriental restaurant and my wife had food poisoning and was violently ill all night and we were going on holiday on the Saturday. We notified the hotel on departure of my wife's illness and was informed there had not been other complaints but it would be reported. I have not received any update as yet. As a loyal Sofitel customer I hope that this comment will be acted upon.

We had had a very emotionally draining week and arrived at the hotel to be told that we were the guests of the day and were promptly upgraded to the 8th floor, VIP lounge etc. What a felt plus! Thank you.

We stayed for a few hours as the flight was early morning. I was impressed how quiet the hotel was in view of the high occupancy and proximity to the runway.

It's feeling its age. Well cleaned but not well maintained. My last room had a transformer buzz and an odd smell. Staff were nice.

My son has serious allergies and it is really hard for us to find a good restaurant for him to eat. London Gatwick Sofitel restaurant was very understanding and the chefs prepared an excellent meal. I would like to say special thanks to chefs: Roger, David who personally made sure that my son is happy with his meal. Our waiter, Razvan provided an excellent service. Special thanks to two amazing Managers: Feras and Russel.

Have stayed at Sofitel Gatwick several times before an early morning flight. Always pleased with friendly and efficient staff, very comfortable rooms and exceptional service. Wouldn't consider any other way to start a holiday. Thank you Sofitel.

As a mid range hotel it would be alright, but it certainly doesn't meet the Sofitel standards. The rooms are outdated, the shower plumbing is wonky, there are no power outlets anywhere near the beds, and the cleaning staff was very noisy in the hallways. The bed was also not to the Sofitel standard.

Check in was smooth with good staff. The hotel was smart, the room clean and comfortable.
We ate in the Brasserie and were amazed at the quality of the food served. For a hotel doing quick turn round business the care and quality of the food was up with some of the top London restaurants.

Terrible Customer Service! I had email conversations with the hotel prior to our stay about the airport lounge. At the hotel they had no record of our preferences in regards to this, then they got our preferences wrong and so my husband had to call reception to sort it out for the third time.

Pointless Stay! We had set our alarm for 545am. We had chosen to stay at the hotel to enable us the valuable extra hours sleep, crucial to travelling with a well rested and not grumpy child. If we'd stayed at home we would have had to get up around 430am! At 350am we were awoken by a member of staff banging on our door. My little girl was screaming as she was scared. The member of staff did not apologise for what they said was 'an error'. None of us were able to get to sleep after this and so we would have been better off staying at home. Needless to say, with a grumpy 2 year old, our journey was not quite as stress free as we had hoped. We are disgusted by the hotels handling of this situation!

Terrible Customer Service! We complained and were assured the matter would be investigated and dealt with. We asked for a refund since our stay was pointless but we did not hear anything, apart from receiving a generic and slightly comical email asking if we enjoyed our stay, until my husband chased up the case with the hotel. We are still waiting for a response and have to assume that the hotel doesn't much care for our situation.

I wouldn't recommend this hotel to people staying with young children, or to those hoping to get some rest prior to an early flight!

We very much enjoyed our stay and have no real issues to raise. The staff were exceptional and friendly. We tried two restaurants on site and both were very good. The two staff in the Executive Suite were especially good.

Friendly staff excellent food perhaps a little bit pricey but all good anyway stayed one night can't fault it

Great place and atmosphere, we had some canapes with some friends the food was delicious and very nicely presented.

Hotel close to the Easy Jet terminal (there is an automatic shuttle between the south and north terminal). Lift impractical but quiet and clean room. Several restaurants in the complex

Amazing location for flights from Gatwick North Terminal. Had an amazing meal in the Brasserie and excellent cocktails in the bar.

As always, efficient and friendly check-in, and room was well-equipped and spotlessly clean. This hotel is perfect for an overnight stay before an early flight. We sometimes have an evening meal there, but we skipped that on this occasion - however we did enjoy a drink at the bar, which is comfortable and also efficient.

Ok for a stop over, basically what it is designed for and a little pricey, but then it's an airport hotel on the fringes of London.

Room was clean, staff I encountered were pleasant enough ideal for flying from Gatwick North great for parking too

They went above and beyond with the level of service.
It's not cheap however, parking is easy and there is a tunnel straight from the hotel to the terminal.
The hotel is at the north terminal.
However if you're flying from south terminal its fine as the tunnel exits right next to the shuttle service between terminals (less than 5 minutes on the free train shuttle)

We had a very good experience with you. Thank you so much for the room upgrade. See you all again soon.

Wonderful service .. felt special as we were starting our honeymoon. Right on the runway which we loved. Food was delicious.

Very nice upmarket hotel in a great location. A nice place to have a drink with the center of the hotel the focal point

Even though I didn't check in until after midnight there were no problems. The bed was comfortable. My only complaint was that the air conditioning was too cold.

A good quality airport hotel. The reception staff are always helpful and courteous. The rooms are always nicely presented, well equipped and the bed is very comfortable. The food and drink is of good quality. The proximity to the North Terminal is handy as is access to the the inter terminal shuttle. The gym whilst not big is usable and enough for most layovers.

Second poor stay in last few months, its getting worse not better

Lovely place to stay and superb food in their restaurant.

Thanks to a super early flight out of Gatwick, I chose to avoid any early morning stress and check in the previous night to the Sofitel Gatwick. The hotel, while nothing extremely fancy, was excellent and met my requirements perfectly.

A most comfortable bed, restaurants downstairs that provided an excellent meal, a bar open late showing the football, and proximity to the airport - all coalescing together to provide me with a most comfortable and relaxed stay, and I was able to make my flight refreshed, at ease and ready for my holiday!

On a side note - the Hermes products in the bathroom were excellent!

Probably the worst "posh" hotel I have ever stayed in. Waist of money. Should've stayed at the Premier Inn

Nice, clean hotel, with friendly staff. Lobby is very spacious, with lots of seating. There are bars, and coffee/tea is available too. There are quite a few conference rooms, which again are well equipped, and have aircon.

Oriental restaurant was very non oriental. Really expected much more

We arrived later than expected and the staff at Reception were extremely professional, helpful and friendly. Check in was fast and efficient.

An amazing hotel and staff very friendly and helpful. The only downside was the price of food very expensive and the fridge in the room was not cool as you would expect.

From the greeting at reception to departure, the whole experience was great. Staff were friendly, yet professional, the room was a good size, clean and comfortable. Great view over the runway through big picture window. Great place to overnight before flying off. Short walk across covered bridge to terminal.

Convenient, comfortable but the property is no longer up to the standard that we expect of the Sofitel brand. The property is well overdue for a make-over.

Desk staff were particularly helpful. Room, as usual good.

The food at the Sofitel was lovely and the service in the French restuarant was amazing. The staff were lovely and also the complimentary soup to start our meal was delicious. The room itself was clean and it made it easier for us to catch a flight early without travelling too far.

The good: Powerful, quiet air-conditioning. Comfortable bed. Impressive entrance foyer.

The bad: I m not sure what Sofitel s definition of luxury is, but my room here was roadside motel grade at best. Dirty, run-down and generally either in-need of a full renovation or a complete rebuild.

The hotel is lovely with amazing views over the airport but the real star is Alexandra from the club lounge. Super professional and hilarious. What a great way to spend time before a flight.

Our time at your hotel, was one that fullfield one of our life time dreams! Check in was a personal experience where all special requests had been noted and we're pleasantly seen too.
The room, was fantastic! With the addition of a incredible view and it was a pleasure to use the clubroom.
Parking was a breeze.
A well managed reservation, looked after by the general manager.

Room too warm - took hours for the air-conditioning to level out the temp to enable us to sleep - room too small and surely it's time the baths were removed for a walk-in shower - the bathroom was akin to a Days Inn

From how Accor Hotels presents the Sofitel brand, I was expecting to experience a luxurious hotel with great service during my first stay at a Sofitel. However, the Sofitel Gatwick can only be described as functional, but is far from being the luxurious hotel it should be.
The room was nice and spacious, but the design wasn't special in any way and I would describe it as old-fashioned.
The worst part was my experience during breakfast. The buffet was average at most and didn't offer anything I wouldn't get at a far cheaper hotel, too. Also, I was never asked if I wanted to have coffe and my attempts to get the attention of the wait staff were in vain, since I was completely ignored by them. I should add, that the restaurant was fairly empty with only 10-12 guests being present at that time.

Nice cafe bistro area for a relaxed but acceptable location for a business meeting.

Excellent, easy, pleasant check in, room was very good. Access to all areas was good, all in all a good choice of hotel to stay.

It was a night stay pre-flight, the room was nice, it was a lovely surprise to have a congratulations tray of chocolates (we had just got married), the food was ok, the parking process was a bit of a pain but ok.

The room was nice clean and tidy, meal in bar area was great with good service, the let down was the check in the guy was rude, abrupt and not listening to me, when i was saying the card your asking me to sign and put my details on is not More

I was very comfortable with a few hours sleep and delicious coffee.

I always use the Sofitel at Gatwick regularly and it always offers a consistent excellent comfort and service for a reasonable price

your staff - all the team are so helpful and considerate - excellent.
The main atrium is DEAD, UNWELCOMING AND CHARACTERLESS. It is potentially wonderful space and deserves a planting scheme! The breakfast room is tired and ready for renovation.

Situated at Gatwick Airport North Terminal, you need to take the airport monorail back to the South terminal to have quick access to London by the Gatwick Express train. The rooms are small and comfortable, but some courtyard room doesn't have a view. Ask for even numbered room if you want a bigger window with a view of the airport.

Very helpful and friendly staff. Rooms quiet and comfortable

Staff and accommodation excellent, down side was no gluten free option in lounge.

Not bad if you've got an early flight. Food is really pricey, and really really average.

Great location, excellent rooms, very good service and some nice places to eat.

Easy access for the airport good food clean rooms friendly staff

Check in was very quick, staff pleasent and the location is great if you are flying from North terminal, 5 minutes walk from the departures. My room was a decent size, clean, comfortable and had everything that I needed for the night. I requested a dental kit which was brought up very quickly. Wifi was a little unreliable and disconnected a few times, but was of a decent enough speed.

Just as an aside, I'm not sure if there is one in the hotel, but a vending machine that sells travel items (chargers, adaptors, aspirin, plasters, deodorant, mini bottles to decant toiletries etc.) would be a handy touch, the terminal is very close but shops shut at 10pm so not good if you come in late and have forgotten anything.

as always it was excellent wish we could have got the presige suite. staying again in Aaugust

When we first arrived, allocated our room, we went up and it was a two single bed room. My husband and I always sleep together. I rang front desk and asked for a king, they apologized. sent a gentleman up to move us to a queen, very quick very polite. also explained the hotel did not have king beds. The hotel is very handy. We travel to the U.K. every year to visit my father who lives in South West Wales.

Hotel well maintained and clean, soundproofing of the rooms very good. We enjoyed our stay

The gym here is very small and not well equipped. Breakfast has a reduced selection and isn t of the same quality that it used to be. The rooms are also dated and need refurbishing - particularly given the amount of money being charged per nihht. The air conditioning is dry and noisy. The choice of evening food in the restaurant/bar has improved slightly but the quality is still a bit lacking.

It was great except that my room had no outside window and I was too hot.

It meant a lot to be able to park so close to North Terminal and that my car was not moved during the week. A concierge was on hand to help us with luggage up to reception. Our meal was spoilt by having to wait for from 6.30pm to 7.20pm for the food. When it came my wife's fish and chips was overcooked and the chicken in my caesar salad was as tough as old boots. We appreciated the fact that the maitre d'hotel gave us complimentary coffee and waived the service charge, but I'm sure you could do much better.

After experiencing a lengthy delay on the Eurostar train and then a hectic train ride to the airport, my husband and I were looking forward to checking into the hotel and heading to our room to decompress and relax before the next leg of our journey. Upon our arrival we were very disappointed to find a lengthy que for check in. There were only two attendants st the desk and another was involved in solving another guests concerns. After nearly twenty five minutes in line we were able to check in, with Mary an apology for the delay. Frankly, staff could have been scheduled accordingly as I am sure there was an idea of the number of guests anticipated, particularly since I am told that this is the start of summer holiday season. After the lengthy train ride it might have been nice to have the ability to enjoy a cup of coffee or simply a glass of water, which we may have requested if someone had be seated at the guest services desk. After we finally checked in we then struggled unassisted to the elevator with our bags only to discover one of the lifts was out of service and we proceeded to join another que for the remaining elevator. Frankly, by the time we arrived at our room, we were hungry, tired and simply underwhelmed with our experience. The room was adequate and the bed comfortable enough but honestly nowhere near the manner in which the hotel bills itself!
We then decided to go to the restaurant for a bite to eat only to encounter another delay in obtaining a table. Waitstaff were courteous and clearly working very hard to ensure guests were served but again we were underwhelmed when our meals arrived as my fish and chips were far from stellar, with the fish being dried out and the handful of chips cooked from frozen. My husbands fettuccine was also rather flavourless. For $40 pounds we would have been better off heading into the terminal and grabbing our meal there.
Finally, we required copies of our boarding passes for our flights so the next morning, upon check out, we enquires about using a printer and were directed to the business centre. We logged on and attempted to print our passes only to discover no paper in the printer and no one to ask for assistance. As we were in a hurry, I did finally locate paper, by opening a cupboard behind the business centre reception desk.
We visit family in London at least once per year and usually fly in and out of Gatwick. Your hotel's location is ideal for our needs, however, it is very likely that we will try another of the hotels in the vicinity as we simply did not have our expectations met during our stay. Simply put, it was mediocre at best, and sho wants to spend hard earned money on something which leaves they feeling uninspired, as we can honestly rate our experience a 5 out of 10, with that being the result of a clean room and the efforts of your wait staff in the restaurant!

This is a lovely hotel, with large, open and airy rooms. As you come in through the main doors, and up the escalators, at first, your breath is taken away by the sheer magnificence of the hotel lobby. Most of the rooms have a direct view straight onto the runway. Furthermore, the sky bridge, with a direct link to LGW departures is quick and easy. The reason why this loses a star is purely because of the price of the rooms, food and drinks.

Check in busy but expect that on a Friday afternoon. Was upgraded to a luxury room but still feel they are quite a small room for a Sofitel. Air-conditioning wasn't working properly so room very hot. Tried to call Reception for ages but no answer. Went down to Guest Relations Desk and complained. Whilst having drink in bar, they arranged for someone from Maintenance to go up and fix it. Once done, returned to room and found it much more amenable. King size bed was comfortable. Was staying for 2 nights so had meal in Oriental Restaurant on-site but glad we'd booked as they kept turning people away because of no tables available. Food was excellent. Had drinks in bar afterwards and staff very friendly. Because of our plans, only had light breakfast on the Saturday and a bit more on the Sunday. The spread of different foods was impressive and there was plenty of food to suit anyone's palette.

I did not intend to stay at LGW over night but due to flight delays I had to find a hotel for one night. Walked out of Terminal and straight into Sofitel. The manager on duty ( I cannot remember his name) and the reception staff were friendly, efficient and professional. The room was perfect and I slept well. Check out was quick.
The only negative was the price of drinks in the bar. Very expensive.

Comfortable rooms, and very close to the airport if you have an early flight.

hotel great room great my only comment lack of exit signs in cart park when walking

Fantastic upgrade and great runway view (8th floor). Food was exceptional and the staff were really friendly.

Neither I or my family will ever darken your hotel foyer again and neither will I arrange any meetings in your hotel. Your telephone booking system had me going around and around and I had to wait an hour only to be told to call back. No offer to call me. I made a mistake which I tried to rectify immediately and before any confirmation email was received but you were not interested. I then booked the following night with yourselves knowing full well I would not be there. In the end I payed you but stayed at the Hilton. Appalling!

Stay here every few months with work, the reception staff are all nice and professional rooms are nice and comfortable.
The Urban Cafe isn't the best place to eat, every time I go there the staff seem to spend most of their time walking around looking busy and avoid taking orders. I understand that most people staying in the hotel are either going on or coming back from holiday and don't mind waiting. But some are working and do care about waiting 15 mins before the staff ask what they'd like to order.

Hotel room very comfortable . Extremely handy for airport and short stay parking.

Fantastic hotel to stop over before flight. Fantastic rooms which were very clean. Great bar / restaurant area on the ground floor.

Barely a 3 star hotel experience. I won't be staying here again. Actually will discourage me from flying through Heathrow.

THE GOOD

The only good part is the location and the staff are exceptional, front desk and restaurant and room services were really good.

The bed was reasonably comfortable but nothing exceptional.

THE BAD

The restaurant food was absolutely terrible. My burger at dinner wasn't any better than something I would order at Burger King. When I requested a side salad they gave me some leaves with no dressing. Breakfast in the morning was barely edible, low quality. The restaurants in the airport terminal were actually much better than the Sofitel so this is definitely a problem.

The room was dark and poorly decorated with sticky carpets and a dinky TV in the corner. They had one lonely photo hanging on the wall but otherwise bare walls.

chaotic check in - noisy rooms, uncomfortable beds ...

Very nice cunatomer service, easy for access to Gatwick airport.

A very nice hotel, very convenient. A little expensive but worth it for its proximity to the airport.

very plesent staff, comfy room with brilliant vew of runway.
most enjoyable stay.