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Recently, hotels near Heathrow Airport have come under fire for allegedly taking advantage of travelers by significantly raising room prices amid a surge in demand. This situation arose as many passengers found themselves stranded after numerous flight cancellations on Friday.
Guests staying at the Sofitel hotel, located close to the airport, have voiced concerns over being charged as much as £700 for a standard room — a dramatic increase from the rates earlier that day. Meanwhile, online listings for Holiday Inn and Travelodge also indicated steep price hikes, causing many travelers to struggle in finding nearby accommodation.
In particular, a room at the Holiday Inn London Heathrow Bath Road, near Terminals 2 and 3, skyrocketed to £379 by the afternoon. This price was more than four times the rate of £87 for the same room if booked for the following week.
Over at Travelodge London Feltham, about a 20-minute drive from Terminal 4, the cost of a standard room jumped to £99.99 compared to a more affordable £37.99 if booked a week later.
Sarah Jones, a retiree planning to head to Singapore with her husband for a special anniversary trip on the Orient Express, shared the stress she faced with the rising costs at Sofitel London Heathrow. Initially, she managed to secure an extra night for £199 in the morning. However, later in the day, another couple mentioned being quoted £700 — more than double the £209 they had previously paid for a room with breakfast.
Jones expressed her frustration, stating, “We’re stuck here and have no choice but to spend more, like £66 just for breakfast for two. Prices keep climbing!” She added, “It’s downright extortion, in my opinion, especially when hotels are fully booked, leaving you with no options.”
John Norris, a 35-year-old teacher set to fly to New York for an acting course, said he might end up crashing on a friend’s couch as affording another night at the airport hotels was out of the question. “It’s frustrating when prices are hiked like that,” he said.
The Arora Group, which owns the Sofitel hotel, acknowledged the high demand from reservations and cancellations, predicting the hotel would likely be fully booked by evening. While they didn’t comment on specific prices, they noted, “Luxury hotels like Sofitel London Heathrow often charge premium rates for higher room categories.”
Whitbread, the parent company for four Premier Inn hotels near Heathrow, stated that those locations were not accepting new bookings due to power outages. They’re focusing on housing local residents who had to evacuate and airline crews, as per agreements with airlines. However, other Premier Inn hotels within a 15-mile radius had rooms available starting at £72.
Travelodge confirmed the prices listed by the Financial Times, while Holiday Inn did not offer an immediate response to comments on this issue.
