Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA 350-room airport and conference hotel beside London Heathrow Airport, known for its distinctive brutalist atrium design.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow was a four-star airport hotel in Hayes, within the London Borough of Hillingdon and close to Heathrow Airport. Opened in 1971 as the Skyline Hotel, it was conceived as a large conference-oriented property for the expanding Heathrow business market. Its location, substantial room inventory and purpose-built meeting facilities made it part of a wider effort by hotels around Heathrow to attract international companies, trade groups and business travelers. The building was associated with the postwar expansion of airport hospitality and was notable for its brutalist architectural character and internal atrium. The hotel was designed by the Ronald Fielding Partnership, with interiors attributed to Canadian designer Allan W. Edwards; other descriptions identify the architectural practice as Curtis and Davies. Its 350-room configuration and central indoor space gave it a distinctive identity compared with more conventional roadside airport hotels. In its early years, rooms were advertised at relatively modest prices for the period: six pounds for a single room and nine pounds for a double room when it opened. The original development was undertaken by Capital & Counties, which also developed the Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge. Both properties were operated by Canadian-based Skyline Hotels. In 1971, the Skyline became part of the London Heathrow Conference Service, a collective marketing initiative involving major hotels in the area. The program sought to establish Heathrow as a major European meeting destination, and the hotel subsequently hosted business conferences and specialist events, including a 1977 conference on the air transport of hazardous cargoes. Sheraton Hotels acquired the management contract for the Skyline Hotel and the Park Tower from Skyline Hotels in May 1977 for a combined four million pounds. The Heathrow property was then renamed the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, bringing it into the Sheraton operating network while ownership and management arrangements continued to change over time. Its facilities were used for corporate meetings, trade discussions and community gatherings, including a 1980 meeting of the Turkish Cypriot business community focused on trade and investment between Turkey and the United Kingdom. The hotel also developed a leisure and entertainment profile. During the 1970s, its venues included Diamond Lil's Wild West Cabaret, which operated as frequently as six nights per week, and a resident group called The Banjo Boys. Later food and beverage operations included Sports Bar & Grill, the Sky Bar and Madhu's Heathrow, a Punjabi restaurant connected with the established Madhu restaurant in Southall. The property previously operated The Garden, a Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the swimming pool. Ownership changed in 1988, when Swedish property development consortium Reinhold Int acquired the hotel for nearly forty million pounds. In the mid-1990s, the hotel completed certification under the United Kingdom's Investors in People program, reflecting its employer training and staff-development practices. It was also used as a venue during the 1997 Congress in London, held from 4 to 11 July, and for a period carried the longer name Sheraton Skyline Hotel and Conference Centre. The property experienced occasional operational incidents. In May 2002, fire services evacuated hundreds of people after reports that guests could smell ammonia. The incident was reported as an evacuation associated with a suspected ammonia presence rather than a confirmed major fire disaster. Qatar Airways purchased the hotel in 2015. The airline announced plans to rename it Oryx Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow, which would have made it the first hotel associated with Qatar Airways' Oryx brand. The proposed renaming was not implemented, and the property continued to trade under the Sheraton Skyline name. The hotel ultimately closed on 22 May 2026, ending the operating history of t…
History
The Skyline Hotel opened near Heathrow Airport in Hayes on 1 October 1971. It was developed by Capital & Counties, which also developed the Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, and was operated by Canadian-based Skyline Hotels. The building was conceived in the period when Heathrow was becoming a major international aviation and business hub. Its 350-room capacity, conference facilities and airport location allowed it to serve both overnight passengers and corporate groups. Architecturally, the hotel was associated with brutalism and was recognized for its large internal atrium. The design has been attributed to the Ronald Fielding Partnership, while interiors were credited to Canadian designer Allan W. Edwards; descriptions also associate the construction with Curtis and Davies. Its opening prices were six pounds for a single room and nine pounds for a double room. From its first year, the hotel participated in the London Heathrow Conference Service, a cooperative initiative involving major hotels in the area. The service promoted Heathrow as a European business-meeting center and helped establish the Skyline as a conference venue. The hotel's early programming combined business events with entertainment. It hosted international conferences, including a March 1977 meeting on the air transportation of hazardous cargoes. Its 1970s entertainment program included Diamond Lil's Wild West Cabaret and performances by the house band The Banjo Boys. On 14 May 1977, Sheraton Hotels obtained the management contract for the Skyline and Park Tower hotels in a combined four-million-pound arrangement with Skyline Hotels. The Heathrow property was renamed Sheraton Skyline Hotel and became part of the wider Sheraton operating system. The property continued to be used for business and community events. In 1980, members of the Turkish Cypriot business community met at the hotel to discuss commercial and investment relations between Turkey and the United Kingdom. In 1981, John Rotter was appointed controller of the Sheraton Management Corporation and controller of the Sheraton Skyline Hotel. In 1988, Swedish property development consortium Reinhold Int bought the hotel for nearly forty million pounds. During the 1990s, the hotel emphasized its role as an employer and conference venue. At the end of 1996, it completed certification under the Investors in People program, a United Kingdom framework recognizing workplace training, development and incentive practices. The hotel was one of the venues used during the first four days of the Congress in London in July 1997. It was also known for a time as the Sheraton Skyline Hotel and Conference Centre. The hotel's facilities included guest rooms, meeting areas, restaurants, bars and a swimming pool. Food and beverage concepts changed over the years. The Garden was a Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the pool, while later operations included Sports Bar & Grill, Sky Bar and Madhu's Heathrow. The latter served Punjabi food based on the recipes and identity of the original Madhu restaurant in Southall, West London. In May 2002, fire services evacuated hundreds of people after reports that guests could smell ammonia. The episode was an operational safety incident rather than a documented corporate scandal. Qatar Airways purchased the hotel in 2015 and announced that it would be renamed Oryx Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow, linking the property to the airline's Oryx hospitality brand. That name change was never implemented, and the hotel retained the Sheraton Skyline identity. The hotel closed on 22 May 2026.
- 2026
Hotel closes
[1]The hotel closed on 22 May 2026.
- 2015
Purchased by Qatar Airways
[1]Qatar Airways bought the hotel and proposed an Oryx Sheraton Skyline rebranding that was ultimately not implemented.
- 2002
Ammonia-related evacuation
[1]Hundreds of occupants were evacuated after reports of an ammonia smell prompted a response from fire services.
- 1997
Venue for Congress in London
[1]The hotel served as one of the venues during the opening four days of the Congress in London held from 4 to 11 July.
- 1996
Investors in People certification
[1]The hotel completed certification under the United Kingdom's Investors in People program.
- 1988
Acquired by Reinhold Int
[1]Swedish property development consortium Reinhold Int purchased the hotel.
- 1980
Turkish Cypriot business meeting
[1]The hotel hosted a meeting focused on trade and investment between the Turkish Cypriot business community and the United Kingdom.
- 1977
Sheraton management begins
[1]Sheraton Hotels acquired the management contract and the property adopted the Sheraton Skyline name.
- 1971
Skyline Hotel opens near Heathrow
[1]The 350-room Skyline Hotel opened on 1 October in Hayes, near Heathrow Airport, with a brutalist design and a conference-oriented business model.
- 1971
Joins London Heathrow Conference Service
[1]The hotel joined a cooperative group of Heathrow-area hotels promoting the district as a major European business-meeting destination.
Products and positioning
An airport-adjacent business, conference and leisure hotel serving Heathrow travelers, corporate events and international meetings.
Hotel accommodation · 1971
Guest rooms
The hotel operated approximately 350 guest rooms serving Heathrow passengers, airline-related travelers, business visitors and conference delegates. Its room inventory was central to the property's role as a large airport hotel.
Business hospitality · 1971
Conference and meeting facilities
Meeting and conference facilities were a core part of the hotel's original proposition. The property participated in Heathrow-area conference marketing and hosted international business conferences, specialist transport meetings and community business events.
Restaurant
Madhu's Heathrow
Madhu's Heathrow offered Punjabi cuisine linked to the recipes and heritage of the original Madhu Indian Restaurant in Southall, West London. It was presented as the first branch of the established restaurant business.
Food and beverage
Sports Bar & Grill
Sports Bar & Grill was one of the hotel's later casual dining and drinks venues, complementing its accommodation and conference operations.
Bar
Sky Bar
The Sky Bar served cocktails and functioned as one of the hotel's beverage and social spaces.
Restaurant
The Garden
The Garden was a former Mediterranean restaurant positioned to overlook the hotel's swimming pool.
Marketing campaigns
- 1971London Heathrow Conference Service
United Kingdom · International business travel
The hotel joined a cooperative initiative with major Heathrow-area hotels to market the airport district as a European center for business meetings and conferences.
Outcome. The initiative reinforced the hotel's conference-led positioning and its role in hosting international business events.
Brand decisions
2026
Close the hotelOtherBackground
After more than five decades as a Heathrow-area hotel, the property ended its operating history.
Action taken
The hotel closed on 22 May 2026.
Aftermath
The Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow ceased trading.
2015
Qatar Airways acquisition and proposed Oryx rebrandM&ABackground
Qatar Airways purchased the hotel and sought to connect it with its Oryx hospitality identity.
Action taken
A new name, Oryx Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow, was announced, but the proposed renaming was never implemented.
Aftermath
The property continued to operate under the Sheraton Skyline name until its closure.
1977
Adopt the Sheraton operating identityStrategyBackground
Sheraton Hotels obtained the management contract for the Skyline and Park Tower hotels from Skyline Hotels.
Action taken
The Heathrow property was renamed Sheraton Skyline Hotel and operated within the Sheraton hotel network.
Aftermath
The Sheraton name became the hotel's long-term trading identity.
Combined management-contract transaction. £4 million (14 May 1977)
Recent events
- 2026
Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow closes[1]
Other
The hotel closed on 22 May 2026, ending operations under the Sheraton Skyline name.
- 2015
Qatar Airways purchases Sheraton Skyline Hotel[1]
M&A
Qatar Airways acquired the hotel and announced a proposed Oryx Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow name. The planned rebranding was not carried out.
- 2002
Guests evacuated after reports of ammonia smell[1]
Other
Fire services evacuated hundreds of people from the hotel after guests reportedly detected an ammonia smell.
- 1988
Reinhold Int acquires the hotel[1]
M&A
Swedish property development consortium Reinhold Int purchased the Sheraton Skyline Hotel for nearly forty million pounds.
- 1977
Sheraton Hotels takes over management of Skyline Hotel[1]
M&A · Leadership change
Sheraton Hotels acquired the management contract for the Skyline Hotel and the Park Tower Hotel from Skyline Hotels in a combined transaction valued at four million pounds. The Heathrow property was subsequently renamed Sheraton Skyline Hotel.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/sheraton-skyline-hotel-london-heathrow · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled