The best airport hotels in the United States are the Grand Hyatt SFO, Grand Hyatt DFW, Westin Denver and Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport. Other notables include the Westin Detroit, Intercontinental Minneapolis, Hilton O’Hare and Hilton Boston Logan.
There are no great airport hotels in New York – TWA Hotel is stunning, but in many ways a disaster. Hyatt Regency Resorts World isn’t really an airport hotel and doesn’t even have a shuttle. There’s nothing great at LAX, either. I usually go into Santa Monica or Marina del Rey.
Some basic principles.
- Always choose the hotel attached to (or in) the airport, if there is one. Time spent waiting on a shuttle and effort schlepping your bags detracts from the value of the convenient night’s sleep.
- If no on-airport property, go for the newest hotel. Airport properties just see more wear and tear than a typical city hotel.
- A good airport hotel should have 24-hour food and coffee available, because people come in at all hours and are on myriad different time zones.
The Grand Hyatt DFW is one of the best airport hotels because it is in the D terminal itself. You can take an elevator straight from your room floor to the check-in level, bypassing the lobby completely. There’s also an escalator (and elevator) from the hotel lobby. It has great views of the airfield. Rooms are modern and clean, service is friendly. And they do a great job honoring World of Hyatt elite benefits.
Coming back from Paris we flew Charles de Gaulle to Dallas non-stop. My son is nine months old and I didn’t want to push through the final leg of the journey. I’d be on separate tickets, picking up American Airlines for Dallas to Austin.
There was an option with just under 90 minutes to connect which is more than fine with Global Entry if everything was on time but I didn’t want to risk that. Otherwise I’d be looking at much longer connecting times, and anything reasonable was exceptionally pricy during South By. So we just decided to hit the hotel, knowing that a long connection with a still-baby after a ten and a half hour flight could be a bit much. Just playing the odds here, though he was great the whole flight to Dallas.
Since we were coming off of an international arrival, we landed in the D (international) terminal which is where the Grand Hyatt is located.
I had confirmed a suite ahead of time. I emailed ahead and the hotel placed both a rollaway bed and a crib in the room, and at least a dozen water bottles.
Check-in was quick, and we were offered more complimentary waters. There are also cookies in lobby which my wife and daughter tell me are delicious.
The room is great, though the bathroom a little dark.
It had fantastic airfield views.
We did our best to stay up as long as possible, but my son was out at 5 p.m. (he usually sleeps until 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. at home) and my daughter was ready for bed around 6:15 p.m. Everyone was up at 4 a.m., which was fine – by then it was Saturday morning and we’d still have a day to re-adjust to the time.
Globalist treatment at this hotel is very good, and in addition to the option of breakfast in the restaurant they honor a choice to have room service breakfast as well. It was excellent.
Our flight back home to Austin was originally showing as departing from the D terminal, but was changed to A. Still, since we were schlepping bags we went straight from our hotel floor down to terminal check-in and brought our bags over to the American Airlines priority counter in D so we wouldn’t need to drag them over to a different terminal.
We cleared TSA PreCheck in D, then went over to the Capital One lounge before taking the Skytrain over to our concourse. Our flight left on time and was less than 40 minutes in the air. Everything in and out of Austin was full for peak events, so we weren’t even able to get Main Cabin Extra to have a full row to ourselves, but on the short flight that was fine.
American doesn’t just have a problem of not enough premium cabin seats to sell, having removed premium seats from planes under US Airways management, but also not enough extra legroom seats. In fact, booking a flight this week seven weeks out there was only one Main Cabin Extra aisle seat available (a non-reclining exit row). Closer-in even a single non-middle can be tough. Soon enough we were, though, we were home.
@gary
Some international notables are hilton rome FCO, Sheraton CDG and surprisingly, Clarion hotel Arlanda in stockholm and in my opinion, the best is sheraton brussels airport
We stayed at the same Hyatt and same excellent treatment.
Have you any experience with hotels at or next to LHR?
What, no love for the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott? I kid. It’s so ‘meh’–not to mention, they couldn’t even manage to connect it to any of the terminals. You literally have to take a shuttle bus to get to it, lest you cross several lanes of traffic and barriers.
Totally with you on the Grand Hyatt at SFO. That place is my jam, son!
Fairmont Vancouver Airport
100% agree. I was actually shocked how good the hotel was, and had no idea my wife and I were going to enjoy watching planes from our room so much.
Paul, to your question regarding LHR, I haven’t stayed yet, but I have Sofitel booked there, which just like this Hyatt is attached to Terminal 5 of Heathrow. Supposed to be a great hotel — and cheaper than the Hyatt DFW
Marriott Montreal is wonderful also
+1
Also they have a courtesy shuttle to the other terminals, at least they did last year when my wife and I arrived earlier than my mother in law. We arrived first and asked the best way to get to the other terminal to help with mother in law luggage. They volunteered to drive us over and back. Very good service. Was upgraded to a suite, got the free globalist room service breakfast and all flew out of D in the morning.
Side note, Holiday Inn Santiago airport premises is convenient as well and more than adequate if flying out the next morning.
As to the Brussels Airport Sheraton, if you’re tired and just want a simple dinner before going to sleep before an early flight, there’s a grocery store landslide in the airport with good grab and go food.
Shout out for the Tampa airport Marriott. I got in around 7 PM and was able to eat dinner at the PF Changs in the terminal. My friend got in at midnight and was able to go straight to the room after a long day of travel.
Sadly this is hotel just moved up one category for World of Hyatt award bookings
Hyatt Regency LAX is just a short walk from the terminals and you get your steps.
@Paul Davis: LHR. Last fall I had a stopver for one night and stayed at the Crown Plaza Terminal 4. It is connected to the terminal by a short walkway. Rooms are smaller than US (that’s London) but very clean, efficient, and friendly. I will use again.
https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/hounslow/lonsr/hoteldetail
Once upon a time (maybe 2010 or so), I would have cited the Sofitel Heathrow attached to T5 as the best directly attached airport hotel. But they have really let the place go with no major renovation for far too long. It’ll still do in a pinch, though.
The Westin DTW hits all these targets to. Inside the McNamara terminal with its own TSA checkpoint.
Appreciate the updated review on Grand Hyatt DFW Gary.
I would have loved to have seen pics of the room service breakfast.
My last visit the breakfast there was poor but it’s been a few years
and of course chefs do change.Historically the breakfast was always excellent.
I also noticed the fridge next to the TV? That things looks beat up and dented
You would think they would have something more premium in the room?
The ORD Hilton is definitely showing its age and use, not in the same tier as some of the others.
Ohhh. I didn’t realize you had a newborn son. Perhaps I missed the announcement?! Or is this a new reveal? i ask as a long time reader. Congrats in any case
Shout out to the Munich Airport Hilton
I agree with most of this, however, LAX has some really good walkable hotels within just a few blocks along Century Blvd. and usually, the weather is very nice there. You’ll see many flight crews members walking on the sidewalk out the NE side of the terminal. The Hyatt is only 1 easy block, the Hyatt place is 2 or 3 blocks.
@CongratsMan – Thanks! I’ve mentioned it in a few posts, but didn’t do a post *about it* highlighting it as such. For instance in this post it’s just a sentence (and, really, the major reason I was thinking about the topic) https://viewfromthewing.com/11-game-changing-rules-for-stress-free-flights-with-kids-other-passengers-will-thank-you-even-in-first-class/ and I’ve mentioned trips he’s been on to Hawaii, New York, Phoenix, St. Kitts and elsewhere before this Paris trip. He’s queued for his longest flight yet to Sydney next month!
@seatac315 – it is not a good hotel! but you walk there.
We stayed there twice, but it was over 3 years ago. We had problems with snooty service both times. The location is of course fantastic, but back then it seemed that staff thought they didn’t have to smile or go out of their way to help because people would book anyway out of convenience.
Gary – it looked like there’s a coffee maker in your room. Did you have to ask for that, or are they putting them in the rooms now? One time they told us they didn’t have in-room coffee because there wasn’t “space” for the machine. The other time they told us they would send one up but it never came. They do have good coffee in the lobby, but sometimes you need a cup of coffee to go get a cup of coffee.
I would propose including the DFW Hyatt Regency to your list. The location is not in-terminal, but if you’re flying American you can walk (mostly covered) to the C terminal to check-in. Service is much more sincere than the Grand Hyatt, you save at least 9K points/night, and Globalist benefits are just as good. We’ve gotten a suite every time we’ve stayed there, and in-room coffee is the default.
Only minus I’d give to Hilton O’Hare (tho not the hotel’s fault) is that Terminal 5 is disconnected and need to take the people mover from the terminal to the hotel if you arrive international or use Delta/Southwest. Also agree the TWA in JFK is overpriced and more of a novelty to get one experience in and look for something else the next time.
Other notable ones I’ve stayed at were the Excel Tokyu and Villa Fontaine in Tokyo Haneda, though Tokyo is so well connected I’d consider anything in the vicinity of the monorail or the KQ line. I’ll also be trying out the Marriott at IAH next month.
Another one I’d add is the Crowne Plaza at Changi airport. The amenities are really nice and it is directly connected to the terminals and Jewel. Amazing hotel
Interesting. Let me quote you “Globalist treatment at this hotel is very good”. Sounds like there are properties starting to not provide Globalist benefits at Hyatt. Is this a trend?
I did not ask for the coffee maker.
I do not much like that Hyatt Regency though you CAN walk through a parking lot to get there from the terminal, I have done it several times.
Great topic. The LHR Sofitel is my all-time favorite but I also loved the Grand Hyatt DFW, both ways (flying from PHL to Seoul and then back, I overnighted there). There’s a nice pool on a top floor. Service was superb, and lots of lounges right near the hotel. Also agree with the comment about the Fairmount Vancouver, and haven’t been back to TWA Hotel at JFK but did stay there a couple of times (it could be so good…) and also the creepy Hyatt that bills itself as a JFK hotel but didn’t have a shuttle (25 dollar cab ride) as another poster pointed out. Anyway, FWIW, here’s a story I wrote about the renaissance of airport-based hotels (and note there’s also a Clarion, I think, at LHR terminal three that has an amazing bar that overlooks the airfield). https://www.wendyperrin.com/why-extend-a-long-haul-trip-for-a-stay-at-an-in-airport-hotel/
CSB
Also, a PS I stayed at the Sofitel Athens Airport on the last trip and am headed there again later this month and really considered it (nice restaurant on roof, easy to take the train to Syntagma Square) but the rooms are kind of grim. Still, we were dumped off a cruise ship at 8 a.m. and didn’t fly out until very early the next day, and it was a good option.
I truly wish MIA had a decent choice. The on-premises hotel is poor, especially for the price. Only 24 hour food option is the Subway across the lobby. There’s no signage directing you to the hotel. On my first stay I got directions from a maintenance worker standing guard at an inoperable elevator. I may have to give in next trip and take a shuttle off property. At least I could burn points for the stay.
Airport hotels that are ACTUALLY in airports are fantastic if that’s where you need to be (especially for an early flight). But here’s the problem: you usually pay a fantastic additional price for this convenience. That’s why I only use them when I absolutely, positively need to be at the airport, or in the rare case when the price differential isn’t bad. In the real world, instead of the blog world, price matters.