A night at BLOC London Gatwick before our flight to Canada has helped to completely change the way I like to travel.
You see, I used to just try and save money wherever I could; even when it meant having to get up at 3am in order to get to the airport in time. But, on a couple of trips last year (the one to Slovenia and the one to Greece) we decided to stay near the hotel before our early morning flights. I enjoyed the ease of this but still wasn’t completely sold on this idea until we stayed at BLOC.
BLOC is the new kid on the “bloc(k)” when it comes to new budget friendly airport hotels and I was very impressed with the stylish rooms, the views and extra benefits like food and drink discounts at the terminals.
About BLOC Hotel
BLOC Hotel was created to give those of us who like quality, but not the fuss of traditional luxury, somewhere to sleep. Because there aren’t unnecessary extras at BLOC, the prices are low meaning they’re great for those of us who want stylish stays on a budget.
BLOC isn’t just about airport stays either. The first one in the UK was based in Birmingham city centre, where you’re just steps away from some great shopping and entertainment.
The rooms at BLOC London Gatwick
The hotel is the definition of chic and are based on Scandinavian design to maximise the space. Although the rooms are obviously small you still have everything you need for a great night’s sleep.
There’s no trouser press (who’s ever used one of them anyway?) and there’s not an abundance of wardrobes to hang your clothes up in. BLOC say “most hotel guests don’t even unpack their bags on a short stay” (I definitely don’t) which is why they’ve done away with excessive storage seen in a lot of hotels.
There are several different room types at BLOC London Gatwick. The cheapest costs just £59 a night! You can check in at 4pm and checkout at 11am which means you can enjoy a completely stress and hassle free trip to the airport.
Each room comes with a bathroom and a tablet embedded into the wall. This is what you use to control the lights (turning them on and off separately), the blinds and the air conditioning. There’s also a TV, hairdryer, super fast Wi-Fi and a comfy bed.
If you’re travelling for business and need to give a suite or shirt a quick once over, there’s even an ironing room available to all guests free of charge at BLOC London Gatwick.
Some rooms also come with a view over the runway at London Gatwick. Even if you’re not exactly a plane enthusiast, it’s hard to resist gazing out of the window and watching planes land and take off.
Location of BLOC London Gatwick
BLOC London Gatwick could not be closer to the departure gates of Gatwick’s South Terminal. The hotel reception is quite literally right next to the departure gate and it’ll only take you 5 minutes to get to the north terminal too.
If you’re getting to the airport by train then you can’t miss BLOC hotel as there is a sign straight in front of you once you enter the terminal. If you’re coming by car make sure you’ve got a copy of the directions and take a look at BLOC’s park & offers too.
Extra benefits of staying at BLOC
If the stylish rooms and the promise of stress free travel wasn’t enough, there’s a few extra benefits of staying at a BLOC hotel before your next flight.
Every guest at BLOC London Gatwick has access to a series of exclusive discounts on food, drink and gifts from the two terminals.
We made the most of this heading to Giraffe just next door to the hotel where we received free drinks (wine, beer or soft drink) with dinner, and then were given 20% off if we came back for breakfast (which we did). You can also save on Café Nero, Sunglass Hut and many more places.
Overall review of BLOC London Gatwick
Having stayed at both YOTEL and BLOC hotels I’d have to say I preferred BLOC hotel.
Both have their own perks and both will ensure you have a good night’s sleep before your trip. But, to me, BLOC is great for travellers going off on holiday and YOTEL more suited to business travellers on a layover in need of a room for a couple of hours (as you can rent the room for just a few hours at a time).
Both are undeniably stylish but the dark Scandi palette of Bloc wins me over more than the cool colours of YOTEL.
BLOC somehow managed to seem more like a treat (and affordable one at that. It’s truly a great way to get your holiday off to a flying start!
*My stay at BLOC was complimentary but I truly loved the room and it made for a very, very stress free start to our Canada trip!
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