Stansted sits a long way from most of the country, and many flights leave before sunrise. That is why so many travellers book a room the night before. The choice is harder than it looks, because the room price is only part of the bill. Parking, shuttle tickets and breakfast can add £30 or more.
This guide covers the best hotels near Stansted Airport, how each one gets you to the terminal, and what parking really costs. It also explains how park and stay packages work, how to plan the morning of your flight, and what to do if you land late. I checked prices in October 2026, mostly on hotel and airport pages, with some figures from partner booking sites. Rates change with the date and availability, so treat every number as a guide and confirm it before you pay.
Which hotel suits you? A quick guide
If you are choosing between the best hotels near Stansted Airport and want a fast answer, start here.
| Your priority | Hotel to look at first |
|---|---|
| Shortest walk to check-in | Radisson Blu |
| A short walk with breakfast included | Hampton by Hilton |
| Driving, one night, simple costs | Premier Inn |
| Free breakfast, shuttle and family rooms | Holiday Inn Express |
| Quiet, independent, woodland setting | De Salis |
| Full-service chain hotel with a 24-hour gym | Novotel |
The rest of the article explains the details behind each pick.
The main hotels at a glance
| Hotel | Getting to the terminal | Shuttle cost | Parking at the hotel | Breakfast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radisson Blu | Covered walkway, about 3 minutes | Not needed | £20 to £30 a night on booking sites | Extra, about £18 per adult |
| Hampton by Hilton | Short walk, about 5 minutes | Not needed | £25 a night on booking sites, limited spaces | Included |
| Holiday Inn Express | Shuttle, 5 to 10 minutes | £4 per adult each way, under-16s free | £14 a night | Included |
| Premier Inn | Shuttle, about a mile away | £4 per adult each way, children free | £8 a night, up to four nights | Check your rate |
| Novotel | Shuttle, about 6 minutes | About £3 to £4 per adult each way | Charged, so confirm the rate | Check your rate |
| De Salis | Shuttle, about 7 minutes | Charged per journey by group size | Confirm when booking | Check your rate |
The airport’s own hotel page lists “rooms from” prices of £65 at De Salis and £80 at both Holiday Inn Express and Novotel. Those starting prices move with the date, so use them only to compare. Hotels set their own fees, and the figures above come from a mix of hotel pages and partner listings, so check them when you book.
The two hotels you can walk from
These are the closest hotels to the terminal. You skip the shuttle, which matters when your alarm goes off at 3am.
Radisson Blu
The Radisson sits closest to check-in. A covered glass walkway links it to the terminal, and the walk takes about three minutes. The airport calls it the only hotel directly connected to the terminal by a covered walkway.
Some rooms look out over the airfield, and there are premium rooms with extra space. The airport says guests get access to the Pace Health Club, which has a heated pool and a gym. The hotel also has several restaurants and bars, and a listing mentions an electric car charging point.
Breakfast costs extra, about £18 per adult on booking sites. Parking is limited. Sites list it between £20 and £30 a night, and the price seems to depend on how long you stay, so confirm it. The room rate is often the highest of the six hotels. In return you pay for no shuttle tickets, and you can reach check-in in minutes.
Worth knowing: pets are not allowed, and a listing says free cots are available on request.
Hampton by Hilton
The Hampton sits a little further along, about five minutes on foot. The airport says breakfast comes with every stay, and one booking site says it starts at 4am. Reception is open all day and night, and one listing says the gym and bar are too.
Parking needs planning. The hotel has about 150 spaces, and they go to whoever arrives first. One booking site says you cannot reserve a space in advance. The listed price is £25 a night.
A guest review mentions lifts and stairs along the walk to the terminal. That is easy to manage with a rucksack and harder with a pushchair or heavy cases, so ask the hotel about the route if that affects you. Pets are not allowed. Listings show family rooms, connecting rooms and free cots.
The hotels with a shuttle
Shuttle hotels usually cost less per night. The catch is that you pay for transfers and plan around the timetable.
Holiday Inn Express
Free breakfast comes with every stay, and the airport highlights it as a perk. The shuttle stops outside the hotel and takes five to ten minutes, depending on traffic. It costs £4 per adult each way, and under-16s travel free. IHG lists the service as available 24 hours, but other sites show shorter hours. Check the timetable before a very late arrival or an early start.
Hotel parking costs £14 a night. The hotel stands opposite the airport’s Mid Stay car park, close to a BP garage and a McDonald’s. It also has a restaurant and bar, family rooms and free wifi. IHG lists 13 accessible parking bays and a hearing loop, and one partner site mentions an accessible shuttle with a ramp. A listing says pets are allowed for an extra charge.
Premier Inn
The hotel sits about a mile from the airport. The shuttle leaves every 30 minutes for bay 19 at the airport and costs £4 per adult, with children free. Premier Inn says plainly that none of its Stansted shuttles are free. Its site also says the hotel has 168 chargeable parking spaces, run by YourParkingSpace, at £8 a night for a maximum of four nights.
That four-night cap matters. If you are away for a week, you will need a package that parks your car somewhere else. Premier Inn’s page says you can add airport parking through its partner after you book the room.
Novotel
The shuttle takes around six minutes and leaves from bay 20 in the coach park. The airport lists it as operating from about 4am to 1am. Listings put the fare at £3 to £4 per adult each way, so ask the hotel which is current. Parking is available for an extra charge, but I could not confirm the amount.
Reception is open around the clock, and the hotel has a restaurant and a 24-hour fitness room. It used to be a Hilton, so older reviews may use that name.
De Salis
This is a privately owned hotel on the M11 side of the airport, about two miles away. It sits among woodland and has a small golf course. The shuttle takes about seven minutes. The airport describes about 50 rooms, including family rooms for three or four people and themed rooms with jacuzzis. The restaurant serves American and Italian food, and the bar stays open until midnight.
The shuttle works differently from the others. De Salis charges per journey based on how many people travel. One recent partner listing quoted about £18 for one or two people, while older listings show lower prices. Ask whether the fee covers one way or a return.
Shuttle hours are also reported differently. Some sites say 24 hours, and one lists limited hours at weekends. Call the hotel before a late arrival.
Further out
The Days Inn and Ramada sit at motorway services near junction 8 of the M11. They make most sense if you are driving. Ask about transfers before you book, because arrangements differ.
What the night really costs
A cheap room rate can mislead you. Here is what each hotel adds on top, for two adults staying one night, leaving the car at the hotel and using the shuttle both ways.
| Hotel | Extras beyond the room rate | Breakfast |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Inn | £24 (parking £8, shuttle £16) | Check your rate |
| Holiday Inn Express | £30 (parking £14, shuttle £16) | Included |
| Hampton by Hilton | £25 (parking) | Included |
| Radisson Blu | £20 to £30 (parking) | About £36 for two |
| Novotel | £12 to £16 shuttle, plus parking | Check your rate |
| De Salis | Shuttle by group size, parking varies | Check your rate |
Once you add breakfast, the gap between the walk-in hotels and the shuttle hotels shrinks. A cheaper room can lose its advantage after two shuttle journeys and a cooked breakfast. Solo travellers pay less for shuttles. Families with children under 16 often pay for the adults only. Add up the whole night before you choose.
Park and stay: how hotel and parking packages work
Many hotels sell the room and parking together. The idea is simple. You sleep at the hotel the night before, then leave your car for the whole trip. The details differ a lot, so read them closely.
Where your car stays
Your car can stay in one of three places.
At the hotel. This is easiest for short trips. Hotels often cap the length, as Premier Inn does at four nights.
In an official airport car park. Many packages use Stansted’s Mid Stay or Long Stay car parks. You keep your keys and take a free shuttle bus to the terminal. Partner sites give the transfer as about 5 to 7 minutes from Mid Stay and 10 to 15 minutes from Long Stay. These are the usual choice for Stansted Airport hotels with long-stay parking.
Meet and greet. A driver takes your car, and you hand over your keys. The airport’s own booking pages label this clearly, so look for it if you want to keep them. At De Salis, partner listings say hotel staff take your car to a secure car park for you.
How long and how much
Most sample packages on partner sites include eight days of parking, and longer stays are available. Prices for a room plus about a week’s parking ranged from roughly £75 to well over £200, depending on the hotel and the dates. The airport says pre-booked parking can cost much less than turning up on the day, so book early.
The fine print
Read the day-of-stay instructions. Some packages ask you to park at an airport car park first and reach the hotel by shuttle and a short walk. That is fine, but it differs from driving to the hotel door.
Terms come from whoever sells the package, which is often a partner site rather than the hotel itself. The airport says its hotel bookings include free cancellation, subject to terms. Check the conditions on the exact rate you choose, because cheaper prepaid rates often cannot be refunded. Parking is normally sold separately from the room, with a few exceptions in package deals.
Is the shuttle free?
Short answer: not at the hotels. If you search for hotels near Stansted Airport with a free shuttle, you will find that every hotel in this guide charges for its own bus or van. Several let children travel free.
The free ones are the buses at the official Mid Stay and Long Stay car parks, where the fare is part of the parking price. It helps to know the four kinds of transfer.
- Hotel shuttles. A paid service run by the hotel, with its own timetable.
- Car park shuttles. Free buses between an official car park and the terminal.
- Public buses. Premier Inn says the 509 and 510 services typically cost around £4 per adult.
- Taxis and pre-booked cars. Priced per car, which can beat shuttle fares for a group of four.
Ask the hotel for the current fare and the last bus of the night. Both change more often than the room rate.
Choosing by type of trip
Early flight
The walk-in hotels are the safest. The Radisson is closest, and the Hampton serves breakfast early. If you pick a shuttle hotel, find the first bus time. Several listings show first departures from around 4am. That suits a 6am flight, but it may not suit a much earlier one.
Late arrival
Reception is open all day and night at the Radisson, Hampton, Novotel and De Salis, and Holiday Inn Express lists a 24-hour front desk. Last shuttles tend to leave around midnight to 1am, so a very late landing may be easier from a hotel you can walk to.
Family hotels near Stansted Airport
Children travel free on the shuttles at Holiday Inn Express and Premier Inn. Family rooms appear at the Radisson, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton and De Salis, and the Radisson has a pool. A family of four with two young children can pay for just two adult shuttle fares, which keeps the total down.
Budget stays
If you want cheap hotels near Stansted Airport with parking, start with Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express and De Salis. Compare the total, as the table above shows, and check whether a package beats booking the room and car park separately.
Couples
De Salis suits couples who want woodland and a quieter atmosphere. The Radisson suits couples who want a pool and the shortest morning.
Business travellers
The Hampton and Radisson both have 24-hour reception, and the Hampton also has a 24-hour gym. The Novotel offers a 24-hour fitness room. That helps if your meeting starts at nine and your flight lands at midnight.
Accessibility and pets
Holiday Inn Express lists 13 accessible parking bays and an accessible shuttle with a ramp. The Radisson and Hampton both list accessible parking. Ask each hotel about room layouts, lifts and the walk from the terminal before you book. Pet rules differ, so confirm them directly.
Planning the morning of your flight
Stansted advises passengers to follow their airline’s guidance on when to arrive. The airport also asks early flyers not to turn up long before check-in opens, as it can crowd the terminal. A local news report says travellers cannot put bedding down in the terminal. Many airlines open bag drop about two hours before departure. One partner site says Ryanair’s closes 40 minutes before, so check your own airline’s times.
Work backwards from your flight. Count the time to check in, clear security, walk to the gate and handle any delay. Then add your hotel’s walk or shuttle time, plus a buffer in case a bus runs late. A shuttle every 30 minutes can cost you half an hour if you just miss one.
If you are flying with hand luggage only, security is your main wait. If you have a hold bag, add time for the bag drop queue. Many travellers pay for Security FastTrack, which the airport sells in advance, if they cannot spare the time.
If you land late
Stansted is far from many homes, and a late landing can leave you with a long drive. A hotel after you land can make sense. The Radisson and Hampton are closest to the arrivals hall. For shuttle hotels, check the last bus before you book, because a delayed flight can push you past it.
The Stansted Express leaves the airport until about 00:30 on its timetable, according to its own site, and the station sits directly beneath the terminal. After that, you will need a taxi, a pre-booked car or a hotel with a late shuttle.
Check-out times also matter after a night flight. Holiday Inn Express lists 11am, and Novotel and De Salis list noon. Ask about late check-out if you plan to sleep in.
A Birmingham to Stansted Airport overnight stay
Stansted is about 126 miles from Birmingham. NET’s route page gives about two hours and twenty minutes by road. The direct CrossCountry trains take around three hours, and advance fares can be low. The first trains leave Birmingham New Street in the early morning, so they will not get you to a morning departure.
That is why a Birmingham to Stansted Airport overnight stay makes sense. Travel the evening before, check in, and walk or shuttle to the terminal in the morning. If you drive, a hotel package gives you somewhere safe to leave the car. If you do not, the Radisson and Hampton need no transfer at all.
For the trip home, think about the reverse. A late landing plus a two-hour drive makes a long day. Booking a room for the night you land can be a sensible choice.
Getting to your hotel
By road, the airport is close to junction 8 of the M11. Holiday Inn Express and the airport’s hotel pages give directions from there, and De Salis sits on the M11 side.
By train, the Stansted Express serves London Liverpool Street. Its own site gives a journey of about 48 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes during the day. The station sits directly beneath the terminal, so you reach the platforms from arrivals. The walk-in hotels are close by. Shuttle hotels need a bus or taxi from the terminal.
How to save money
Book early, because prepaid rates and pre-booked parking usually cost less than walk-up prices. Compare a package with separate bookings for the same dates. Check shuttle fares for everyone in your group, since fares add up per adult. Count breakfast as part of the price, and ask about cancellation before you pay a lower, non-refundable rate.
Common booking mistakes
Many travellers assume parking is included, then pay £14 to £30 a night at check-in. Others book a shuttle hotel without checking the first bus. Some choose a package that parks their car in a car park they cannot reach the night before. A few forget the four-night parking cap at Premier Inn. Read the terms once, slowly, and most of these mistakes disappear.
How NET can help
National Executive Transfers does not offer hotel rooms or airport parking. We provide pre-booked chauffeur transfers, which can fill the gaps between your home, your hotel and the terminal.
A transfer can suit you if you are travelling from Birmingham or another city and want to reach the hotel without driving for over two hours. It can also help if you carry a lot of luggage, or if you would rather not leave a car at the airport. We can collect you from home and take you to your hotel the night before, or collect you from a hotel near Stansted and take you to the terminal. After a late landing, a driver can meet you in arrivals and take you straight to a hotel or home.
NET’s Stansted Airport chauffeur service page lists starting fares from Birmingham of about £398 one way in an E-Class and about £515 in a V-Class, which seats up to seven. You see the price before you travel, and child seats are fitted at no extra charge.
A chauffeur is not the cheapest route for everyone. A solo traveller can find an advance train ticket much cheaper, and a hotel with parking works well if you are happy to drive. Longer trips are covered under our city to city transfers.
If you want a fixed price for your own journey, request a quote on our Stansted page or call 01564 778080.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Radisson Blu, with a covered walkway of about three minutes. The Hampton by Hilton is about five minutes away.
Not among the hotels I checked. Premier Inn says so directly, and Holiday Inn Express, Novotel and De Salis charge. Children often travel free.
Usually not. Hotels sell it separately, and package deals bundle it for a set number of days.
Yes, but not always at the hotel. Premier Inn caps parking at four nights, so a week-long trip needs a package using an official airport car park.
At official Mid Stay and Long Stay car parks, yes. With meet and greet, no. Check the label on your package.
A local news report says travellers cannot put bedding down in the terminal. The airport also asks early flyers not to arrive before check-in time.
Often, yes, especially if you live more than an hour away. Compare the full cost against an early drive and parking at the airport.
Yes, direct CrossCountry trains take around three hours. The first leave early in the morning, so check the timetable if you fly early.
