Stayed in the Best Western Moat House hotel on the night before a recent flight from London Gatwick airport, to Pisa, Italy (easyJet). The hotel is close to the airport – around five minutes by shuttle bus (bus operating on a 15-minute cycle, including stopped time, between 0500-2359; every 30-minutes 0001-0500 .. adult fare £3 each way). The bus was good for me as I arrived at the airport by train (Gatwick Express), not by car.
The room was clean and well fitted. Price was less than I’d have paid to stay on the same night at the local Premier Inn (my normal first choice of airport hotel) – and the price I paid included breakfast and a free – valid for 24hrs – 60 ‘non-consecutive’ minutes WiFi voucher ? (replaceable if exhausted during the visit? Didn’t ask as not required) – something I’d have had to pay extra for at Premier Inn. (Having said that, I did book the hotel through ‘Holiday Extras’, so may not necessarily have got as good an inclusive deal if booking direct? Always worth checking!)
Tea/Coffee making facility in the room; a good bathroom (over-bath shower) with real (i.e. solid) soap bar and shampoo – Only ‘down’ point? The shower head in room 409 dropped the water like a hosepipe lacking in pressure – it was impossible to get a ‘spray’ … hopefully not a common problem to other rooms, and one that’ll be fixed. The room also had a hairdryer (not a problem for me but something my wife looks for when we’re travelling together). Furnishings were a wee bit dated but all perfectly functional and in good order. Hanging space, and drawers for clothes that needed taking out of the suitcase. Decor was clean and fresh. Some rooms had the ‘adjoining’ facility which might suit family travel.
Had an acceptable bar meal and beer, at a perfectly reasonable price. The restaurant had a different selection of meals, also at reasonable (restaurant) prices, and wines by the glass/bottle.
The breakfast buffet had the expected selection of fresh and dried fruits, cereal, yoghurt and the normal hot items including toast, fried and scrambled egg, grilled tomato and mushroom, bacon, sausage, hash-browns, baked beans – and croissants. A very good offering – especially when included in the booked price for my visit – which set me up nicely for the day’s travel and work.
Will certainly use this hotel again if it continues to have the same price/facility advantages as achieved on this visit (but will check the shower on arrival in case a room change is needed!).
