Our Recommended Hotels Near Gatwick Airport for Convenience
Disclosure: Some of the links on our website are affiliate links, meaning at no extra cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase
Nothing quite beats staying in an airport hotel the night before a flight.
It almost feels like you’ve added an extra day onto your holiday.
The excitement starts building, the bags are packed, and the usual travel stress disappears. No worrying about train delays, broken-down cars, or crawling along the M25 at 5am.
You’re already there.
Just wake up, grab a coffee, and stroll to check-in.
Here are the two Gatwick airport hotels we keep coming back to.
Sofitel London Gatwick: North Terminal
The Sofitel London Gatwick is connected directly to the North Terminal via a covered walkway.
And when we say connected… we mean literally two minutes from reception to security.
It’s easily the most convenient hotel at Gatwick.
The Sofitel is a 4-star hotel and feels like a bit of luxury before the holiday even starts. If you’re celebrating something special (or just fancy treating yourself), we highly recommend booking one of the runway view rooms.
Watching planes take off from the bed is weirdly addictive.
Probably only fellow aviation geeks will understand that one.
The hotel also has four restaurants and two bars, so you can properly start holiday mode the night before. Whether that means a decent meal or just a couple of airport-eve drinks.
Distance to terminals
• North Terminal: 2 minutes (covered walkway)
• South Terminal: 4–5 minutes (via monorail)
👉 Read our Sofitel Review with Millésime Access
Premier Inn: Gatwick North Terminal
Right across the road from the Sofitel is the Premier Inn Gatwick North Terminal.
If you’re looking for cheap, simple, and convenient, this one is hard to beat, apart from the beer in the bar. Stale and a bit flat.
There’s no covered walkway like the Sofitel, but you literally just cross the road at the zebra crossing and you’re at the terminal in a couple of minutes.
That’s about as easy as airport hotels get.
Premier Inn is our go-to when we just want somewhere comfortable to sleep before a flight without paying luxury prices. Saying that, there’s not much difference in price between the Sofitel standard room.
Clean rooms, comfy beds, and zero faff getting to departures.
Distance to terminals
• North Terminal: 2 minutes walk
• South Terminal: 4–5 minutes (via monorail)
👉 Read our Premier Inn North Terminal Review
What If I’m Travelling from the South Terminal?
Don’t worry about it.
You don’t need to stay in the terminal you’re flying from.
Both the Sofitel and Premier Inn are so close to the North Terminal monorail that you can get to the South Terminal in about five minutes.
Honestly, it’s easier than some airport hotels that technically sit in the right terminal but have massive walkways.
Just jump on the monorail and let it do the work.
What About The Rest?
There are plenty of hotels around Gatwick, but we’re creatures of habit.
These two simply offer the best mix of convenience and value.
• Premier Inn → best budget option
• Sofitel → best luxury / convenience option
Even if we’re flying from the South Terminal, we’ll usually stay in the North. That long Hilton walkway trek isn’t really any quicker anyway.
Would we stay outside the airport area?
Probably not.
It kind of ruins the vibe and kills the convenience a bit. We usually use Twilight Check-In the evening before, which would mean dealing with shuttle buses and a lot more faff.
All for the sake of saving a few quid.
Both hotels sit right next to the North Terminal and work perfectly no matter which terminal you’re flying from.
We do have Bloc Hotel Gatwick on our radar, but whenever we compare prices, the Sofitel usually ends up being the better deal for what you get.
You can save a few quid staying further away from the airport… but rolling out of bed and strolling to departures wins every time.
Is it worth staying at Gatwick the night before a flight?
If you have an early flight — 100% yes.
Staying at the airport means:
- No early morning travel stress
- No worrying about traffic or train delays
- You can arrive relaxed and ready to start your holiday
Plus, it kind of feels like your holiday has already started.
Final Thoughts
If you’re flying early or just want to start the holiday without stress, staying at Gatwick the night before is one of the best travel decisions you can make.
No alarms at stupid o’clock.
No racing to the airport.
No travel anxiety.
Just wake up… and go.
Exactly how holidays should start.
More Travel. More Gatwick
- Walking Around Gatwick Airport: Pubs, Big Tesco & Hotels
- Fee-Free Spending Abroad
- Luxury Fragrances Cheaper Than Duty-Free
If this post saved you or helped you book smarter, that’s a massive win for us.
If you fancy supporting what we do, you can grab us a beer below. It genuinely keeps the site running (and funds the holiday hunting).
No pressure. Just good vibes.
¡Adiós amigos!
Send it to the travel Akela
