Volcanic ash cloud fills up UK airport hotels
Passengers are stranded at airports across the UK as a volcanic ash cloud moves across Europe. It’s unsafe to fly in these conditions, so hundreds of planes have been grounded until the situation improves. This is the second day of disruption and the flight ban will remain in place until at least 1 pm on Saturday, making further delays and cancellations over the weekend inevitable.
So far 600,000 UK travellers have been affected. Floods of stranded passengers are looking for somewhere to stay, meaning that many on-site airport hotels are already full to bursting. Airport Hotels.com can help with this because it searches both on-site and off-site hotels to find vacant accommodation within a few minutes’ drive of the airport. It has a database of 1800 hotels near UK airports – that’s more than any other UK airport hotel website. Price comparison technology looks for the best deals on accommodation, pooling the results from 10 different booking websites, including Expedia, LateRooms, ebookers and Hotels.com. This means a bigger selection of rooms, more availability and cheaper prices on Airport Hotels.com.
You can see where the hotels are on a map, look at photographs and read Tripadvisor reviews before making your decision and booking online. If you’re affected by the flight cancellations and need to find an airport hotel with vacancies, Airport Hotels.com can help.
A search for Stansted Airport hotels will bring up 30 options within 5 miles of the terminal. There are plenty of guest houses and B&Bs that won’t blow your holiday budget. Manchester Airport hotels are mainly 3 and 4 star properties but they also feature the budget hotel chains of Premier Inn and Travelodge. There are several large Birmingham Airport hotels within a few minutes’ drive of the terminal and many of them are still showing availability for tonight. Those stranded at the UK’s main airport and looking for Heathrow Airport hotels can find 25 different accommodation options on Airport Hotels.com for an unexpected overnight stay, including serviced apartments and hotels of all standards from 1 to 5 stars.
The volcanic eruptions have caused disruption to passengers at airports across Europe. It’s the worst meteorological situation Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control organisation, has ever dealt with. A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday, sending up a cloud of ash that then drifted across Europe. It contains particles of rock, glass and sand which can jam aircraft engines. This has caused planes to crash in the past so flight bans have been put in place for safety reasons. UK airspace was closed on Thursday afternoon as the cloud enveloped the country. Only a tiny number of services have been allowed to fly since then, as gaps appeared in the cloud, and this situation will continue until Saturday afternoon at least. News teams have been vox popping stranded passengers across the UK, and some of them are clearly more upset about it than others, judging by this live clip from Sky News.
Luxury hotels at Manchester Airport
There are a number of luxury hotels near Manchester Airport. Whether it’s a swimming pool and spa you’re looking for, or a period property with antique furniture, you’ll find a place to fit the bill near Manchester Airport. Two of the high quality hotels are on-site at the airport and the others are all within a 10 minute drive. They all provide transport to the terminals.
Hilton Manchester Airport
This is a 4 star hotel. It has open plan luxury guest suites with seating and dining areas, and extra touches like bathrobes, slippers and complimentary mineral water. All the guest rooms have LCD TVs with satellite channels, movies and video games. They are fully air-conditioned and soundproofed. It also has a gym and rooms that can be hired for conferences or events. They offer a complimentary shuttle bus to the terminal buildings, which are very nearby since the hotel is within the grounds of the airport.
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport
This 4 star hotel has the luxury of being connected to Terminals 1 and 2 with an undercover moving walkway. Very convenient! They have a swimming pool, sauna and steam room, and a spa where you can treat yourself to a massage or a facial. There are 6 luxury suites with a separate bedroom and sitting area, complimentary movies, bathrobes and slippers and Nespresso coffee machines. There’s complimentary WiFi access throughout the building and airport parking packages are available. A shuttle bus runs to Terminal 3.
Etrop Grange
This is a 4 star Georgian Mansion, about 2 minutes’ drive from the airport. It is decorated in an elegant country house style, with lots of period features. Most of the bedrooms have either brass or four-poster beds and some of them have Jacuzzi bath. The hotel’s restaurant has been awarded an AA rosette. There’s WiFi internet throughout the building which is free for guests to use. They also provide complimentary transport to the airport, which is available on request 24 hours a day.
Stanneylands Hotel
This is another 4 star country house hotel, about 10 minutes from the airport. It is set in wooded grounds and the restaurant has been awarded 2 AA rosettes. There is also a café bar which is the setting for performances on the grand piano. Deluxe suites and executive rooms have plasma screen TVs and high tech sound systems. There’s free WiFi access throughout the building. They offer long term parking packages which include a night’s accommodation and complimentary taxis to the airport.
Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel
This modern 4 star hotel is about a mile and a half from the airport. There are extensive leisure and fitness facilities including a swimming pool and whirlpool, a gym and complimentary exercise classes. You can also book some beauty therapies in the spa. Guests staying in executive rooms and suites have access to the Executive Lounge in the hotel and are provided with complimentary food and soft drinks. There’s wireless internet in the rooms, although there is a charge for this. The Marriott has airport parking deals on offer and provides a shuttle bus service to the terminals.
Manchester Airport hotels with parking
There are many hotels near Manchester Airport with long term parking deals on offer. They usually give you a price that includes a room for the night and a certain number of days’ parking. Lots of them also offer transport to the terminals, so this can work out to be a convenient and cost-effective alternative to using the official 0n-site car parks at Manchester Airport. There’s even one hotel that offers free holiday parking – that’s the Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Wilmslow). To help you choose the right accommodation, here is a complete guide to hotels with parking at Manchester Airport.
Rylands Farm Guest House
This is an old farm with plenty of parking on-site. It’s free whilst you’re staying there. After you jet off on holiday, it costs £25 for 1 week’s parking, £40 for 2 weeks and an additional £12 for any further weeks. The owners will transport you to and from the airport free of charge, between 7 am (or 8 am on weekends and holidays) and 8.30 pm. The 3 star commended guest house is about 10 minutes’ drive from the airport.
Travelodge Manchester Airport
The car park at this hotel is managed by an external company, Britannia Parking. There’s a £5 charge for one day and you can leave the car for up to 4 days, which costs £40. Four days is the maximum stay, so if you’re off on a long trip this will be no use to you. There’s a shuttle bus to and from the airport, but be aware that there is an extra cost for this. The 3 star hotel is 10 minutes away from the airport.
Stanneylands Hotel
This country house hotel has free parking for its resident guests. Long term parking can be booked as a package deal with a night’s accommodation. They also throw in a complimentary taxi to and from the airport. The journey takes about 10 minutes. This is a 4 star hotel with free WiFi access throughout the building.
Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel
The Marriott has a car park on-site which costs £6 for a day. If you need long-term airport parking you can book that as a package deal with a night’s accommodation. The hotel is about a mile and a half from the airport and they provide a shuttle service to the terminals, for a charge.
Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Wilmslow)
Parking at this 3 star Premier Inn is completely free of charge. You can leave your car here when you depart for the airport, although the hotel won’t take any responsibility for looking after it whilst you’re away. There is no shuttle bus to the airport, which is about 3 miles away.
Holiday Inn Manchester Airport
The car park at this 3 star hotel is free for guests to use overnight. They offer holiday parking packages that include a price for long term parking and a room for the night. There’s a shuttle bus to the airport, which takes 20 minutes to get there because it has to make other stops. If you go direct in a taxi it only takes 5 minutes.
Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport
It costs £10 per day for guests to park at the Crowne Plaza. Alternatively, you can book a holiday parking package with a night’s accommodation. The car may be kept at the on-site car park or transferred to an off-site car park in conjunction with Holiday Car Care, depending on how busy they are. There’s a free shuttle bus to the airport from this 4 star hotel, which is within the grounds of Manchester Airport.
Bewley’s Hotel Manchester Airport
Parking costs £6 for one day at Bewley’s Hotel. They offer packages with a room for the night and either 8 or 15 days’ parking. The cars are usually kept in the on-site car park for 8 days, but may be moved to an off-site facility, depending on availability. There’s a free shuttle bus to all the airport terminals, or you can walk to them, which takes 5 or 10 minutes. This is a 3 hotel on-site at Manchester Airport. They’ve got free WiFi throughout the building.
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport
The Radisson charges for parking. They offer deals including a night’s accommodation and 4, 8, 15 or 22 days’ parking. The 4 star hotel has free WiFi throughout the building and is connected to Terminals 1 and 2 via a covered moving walkway. There’s a shuttle bus to Terminal 3.
