Built in the 1970’s the hotel occupies a prime site on the entry into the airport itself. The building is perhaps typical of its era, and laid out parallel to the main runway, with the most effective soundproofing I have seen, making the aircraft inaudible from the bedrooms. Its position is so close to the runway that it runs ‘plane spotter’s weekends’ and the grounds in front of the hotel are home to aircraft fans on most fine days

With 649 bedrooms this is, in English terms, a very large hotel. In this location, with Heathrow the nexus of European and International flights, it is always busy, yet still manages to service the local market in the neighbouring boroughs, themselves shaped by the airport. Over 65 million passengers pass annually through Heathrow. Many who came in past years as refugees from persecution settled in the areas around the airport, much as immigrants in the 19th century settled around the docks in London's East End when sea travel was the main mover. This continuation of London’s unique character as a melting pot for the flotsam of Empire has strange echoes in the guests passing through the hotels’ newly refurbished lobbies, bars and lounges.

Fluttering clouds of turquoise chiffon uniforms are shepherded towards crew coaches by deep voiced blue clad gold ringed captains. They pass quiet dark eyed brown suited hostesses with gold badges, guarded in turn by sombre matrons. They pass through quietly hissing doors to vehicles under the red canopy known as 'the hotels red nose'. Arrivals pass concierge desks with gold railed trolleys laden with rich piles of wheeled luggage in russets and browns. Here others enter into a never empty world of unchanging lighting inhabited by blank eyed tourists whose time clocks spin as they wait vacantly for tiredness to tell them to sleep, for whom dinner may be breakfast and an English accent means foreigner.

Proud multicoloured turbans worn above fierce beards pass as wedding guests shepherd protectively slim sari clad mothers holding hands with polished excited children as they join the tabla pounding wedding party in the function room. Dark suited beer drinking businessmen painted pink by the bar lighting contrast against jeans and t-shirts seeking intimacy in cosy recessed alcoves where subtle interplays of light and texture compete against the prairie lines of the carpet patterns.

All the world is here, a people watchers delight.