We recently had a mini sales get-together in the UK and chose a spot that would be handy for the Euro-travelling colleagues to reach. Stansted Airport wasn't the most glamourous choice, so I expected the hotel to be very average. But I was nicely surprised. I stay in Radisson SAS hotels a lot and get quickly bored, but this was refreshingly different. Nice bar, pretty ok restaurants, good fresh and bright rooms and well organized conferencing facilities. Would recommend.

I stayed at the Radsion on the 22nd Feb this year for 2 nights to meet up and spend some time with my friend who lives in Ireland.

On previous occassions when we only have a few days together we like to stay local to the airport to save travelling to and from times and have stayed at other various cheaper airport hotels in the area. After a terrible year of personal problems and ill health (was even burgled whilst away the two days!) my friend wanted to treat me and give me something nice. He was particularly excited by the, to QUOTE the Hotels own word 'Spectacular Runway Views' and paid a considerable in my mind, premium to get those. We at first was going to opt for a Junior Suite but upon phoning the hotel he was informed there were no runway views in any of the Junior Suites and we would have to upgrade to a full suite for that view. In the finish he ended up paying just short of £400 for a two night stay, no breakfast included. For that money we could have had a week somewhere abroad!

On arrival the hotel did look very nice and clean. The Lady that checked us in could have been a little more friendly and maybe of smiled instead of the scowl but at the time i put it down to probably being a very long busy day for her, but then reading other reviews this actually appears to be the norm of the staff's attitude.

The Suite was lovelly and spacious and well furnished but upon opening the curtains to see this so called spectacular runway view.... we were met with a view of the car park! It wasnt until the following morning when i opened the curtain of the lounge area of our suite that straining my neck and standing in the uttermost corner of the room tand looked out of the small corner window that i could see a wire fence and the very edge of the runway that doesnt seem to actually get used by anything else then trucks from what i could tell. If it is used by planes, to wait to see one land would have resulted in severe neck pain and legs would have ached from standing that long because unless as i said straining and standing right in the corner of the room there was no runway view let alone 'spectacular' clearly visable from our room.

We ordered room service the first night and though slightly expensive if the food was good then i would happily pay more for it but as it was by the time it arrived it was tepid. I like my food hot. I ordered the Chicken Ceaser Salad and it was my fault for not paying better attention but was totally shocked to find fish bits stuck in it. Bit of a picky eater and cant stand fish so ended up leaving most of it.

The mini bar has a sensor in it that if anything is even slightly moved in there then it is automatically charged to your room. We didnt notice this until we were about to leave and went to get a bottle of wine we had bought with us out of there. We had moved a few things to put it in in the first place and not wanting to move anything else after reading that we left the wine in there (maybe we should have charged hotel for the bottle :0) . My friend had took a beer from the mini bar and after a couple of sips looked at the date on the can and found it to be 4 months out of date.

On the plus side i did think the buffett breakfast was excellent. I know some people have said it was a bit on cold side but with buffett that cant really be helped and you will find same problem anywhere where they do buffett hot food unless its just been cooked. it 's very difficult to keep food warm without stewing and overcooking it if the hotplates are too hot. which then would likely cause more complaints. The selection of food at breakfast was probably the best for choice and variety i've seen.

Other then the above if the hotel could get the other food to the same standard as the breakfasts to justify cost, Staff a little more friendlier and no more false advertising spectacular runway views (not for the suite we had anyway!) the hotel has all the basics of being a very good hotel. I believe its fairly new which i guess like most newish hotels theres a period of trial and error and hopefully the Radison will learn from the errors and improve the areas that dont do the hotel justicce.

All in all i probably would stay here again but wouldnt pay for a view that never had and would go out of the hotel to eat in the evening

We had one overnight here due to flight times. It is a 4* hotel and add in the convenience of the location, expect to pay a bit more.
It is just a couple of minutes walk from the terminal through a covered walk way.
Check-in was easy, rooms clean and well stocked with everything you need but like any hotel, keep away from the mini bar.
If you have kids, do not take them to the NY steak house in the hotel.
Let the kids order off the kids menu on the room service menu. It is much cheaper and they have the TV.
The NY steak house has fantastic food but the cheapest main is about £18. Ref: the kids suggestion.
Keep them in the room and the adults enjoy a nice meal downstairs. The food may seem expensive but it is well worth it.
The hotel is well run and clean. The staff were all very polite and sevice was excellent.
Good variety for breakfast from continental to cooked with everything in between.
It is a relaxing place to stop over before or after a long flight.
The bar has a little side show if you order a bottle of wine. In the centre of the bar is a glass tower full of wine. Order a bottle and watch the wine angel fly up to get it. It's not much but it's different.

Modern, quiet, swish and Immaculately clean. Staff were very helpful.
The Room was large and had a good TV and own expresso coffee machine for £119 / night. Good value for London and a little bit more than the average airport hotel.

There are 4 restaurants. Prices are quite high - £15 / for dinner and £20 for a bottle of wine -but room service was cheaper and by London standards good value ( and I stay in Lodnon Hotels every week so I know what they can charge!)

On the whole a very good, well run hotel. I'd stay there again.