Is The Moxy Heathrow Airport As Cool As You Might Think?

We recently stayed at a Moxy Hotel in Seattle for the first time and found it a youthful, vibrant hotel albeit a little boisterous. For our upcoming trip to Croatia we decided to give the brand another whirl and booked the Moxy Heathrow airport for the night before our flight. We included meet and greet parking for just £124.89 but what did we think of the hotel?

Come Stay And Play At The Chic Moxy Seattle Downtown Hotel

Welcome to the Moxy Heathrow Airport

Location

The hotel is on Bath Road in Hounslow, a short drive from the airport. It’s not the most salubrious area for evening entertainment and although there are a few pubs around, these are limited.

It’s also a very busy road so you may wish to ask for a room on the back of the hotel if you prefer total silence at night. That said, our room was on the front and I didn’t hear a peep from the traffic so the sound proofing is impressive. Interestingly, although this hotel is directly in the flight path, I also never heard a plane.

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Arrival

First impressions are excellent with a large open plan dining, drinking and working area. There are dedicated zones for different activities and the design is cool and funky. For business travellers, there is a co-working space with Apple Macs and complementary printers. There’s a communal dining area, which feels a little like a canteen with self-serve cutlery, drink stations and tray deposit areas. Amusing signs dot the bar and recessed cubby holes with oversized comfy seating greet you as you enter.

There are areas to lounge with a cocktail, shared dining tables to encourage interaction with fellow guests and a play area with pool, ping pong and other games. Undoubtedly the entrance is impressive but it feels slightly like walking into a upmarket boutique hostel.

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Check in

Check in is at the bar and our experience is a shambles. There is confusion around parking costs and we do not receive our complimentary cocktail (unlike on our previous stay in Seattle). Our friends check in later the same day and do receive complimentary cocktails! The service seems a little hit and miss with a number of struggling trainees and not enough experienced staff to serve guests.

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Rooms

The rooms are functional and comfortable but rather bijou in size. They lack basics such as a wardrobe, a telephone, storage space and extra pillows. Admittedly this is part of the branding but I think the minimalism may be just a little too minimalist for my liking.

There’s lighting under the bed which a movement sensor triggers. It was incredibly frustrating trying to find the light switch to turn it off. Eventually we figured out that this wasn’t possible. Every time we jumped in or out of bed the light would come on automatically which would be a great feature if it could be manually enabled or disabled. I can imagine this being fabulous if you are with children but for us it was just annoying.

On the plus side, the towels are a good size and excellent quality rather than some of the cheap thin towels you might get in budget brand hotels.

As a word of warning, we were in room 1006, directly above the bar and the music was easily audible from our room. Although it was turned off around midnight, we had an early morning flight to catch so I could have done without the sleep interruption.

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Other facilities

Gym

There is a bright funky gym off reception which is fitted with contrasting black and pink gym equipment. Although it is compact, it has impressive facilities with a punchbag, some mats and weights and a number of cardio machines. You need your key card to gain access.

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Restaurant

The hotel does not have a dedicated restaurant but does serve some basic fare at reasonable prices. Alcoholic drinks are also reasonably priced however if you want water, there is a filter tap in the eating area where you can fill your own bottles. Alternatively, you can pop next door to Tesco Extra to stock up. Bottles of mineral water on site cost £3.50!!!!

A continental breakfast is included and is quite impressive. There’s a selection of fruits, pastries and breads to choose from along with juices and coffee. You can even fill a coffee takeaway cup if you wish!

If you want something more upmarket, there is a Scandinavian restaurant next door or there are a few pubs close by that serve food, although the quality looks questionable.
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Verdict

I’m still undecided when it comes to this hotel chain. I love the design aspects in the lobby and the brand concept which is unique, fresh and innovative. However I miss the things I normally take for granted in a hotel – extra pillows, storage space, and a restaurant.
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Have your say…

Maybe you have stayed at a Moxy hotel. If so I would love to know what you thought. Feel free to have your say by writing in the comments below. Or just go ahead and book your own stay at the Moxy Heathrow Airport.