Premier Inns promise a good night’s sleep, but what they really mean is a quiet night and there is a substantial difference. It was certainly quiet and we were in no rush to get up anyway. As we’d paid for the full breakfast, we tried our best to take full advantage.
Although there were scrambled eggs on a help yourself basis, the staff were quite happy to take orders for poached, fried, omelettes etc.
There were plenty of toast options (DiY) including some artisan breads, large pikelets (or crumpets depending on where you grew up) and some fresh Danish pastries. Although the coffee was from a machine, it was the first machine I have ever seen that offered a 'white Americano' and it proved to be just about the best machine coffee I have ever had. Had we not wanted a full breakfast or continental breakfast, there was a Costa kiosk in the lobby.
Would we stay again? Too right we would.
All we had to do then was finalise the packing ready for the flight and fill up the rental car before returning it. Part one was easy. Finding a fuel station proved less easy, as the one I headed for, next to the SixT car hire depot, was closed! We headed on towards Staines on the A30, past my old stomping ground of Ashford, but to no avail. A ‘U-turn at Wraysbury and we headed back and up towards Colnbrook (birthplace of McLaren cars) and into the airport's North perimeter road – still no luck. Back out again, past the Hertz depot and back along the A4 again towards Colnbrook and finally, we found one. Just £25 worth of diesel for the 3 days and at a guess, a fuel consumption of almost 50mpg.
Back once again into the airport area and we dropped off the car. A Hertz shuttle to terminal 2 and the usual wait for the lifts. Another revamped terminal but the designers specified lifts that are both too small and too few, as they have to service 5 floors and most people need trolleys for their luggage.
A easy friendly check in (Air NZ of course), with my case weighing the same as the trip out and Paula’s weighing more (plus our loaded sports bag) and then the long walk to lounge B2 (Singapore Airlines) for a last local cider (Magners) and a very nice chicken curry.
We left on time and after a trouble free flight, (though a bit of turbulence), a slightly early arrival at LA. So far so good. Bear in mind we have now been through LA 3 times on our current passports (4 times for me) and what is supposed to happen is that if you have travelled through before, on that passport, you should get a speedy exit. However, the last two times, Paula has been ‘rejected’, meaning we have to join what can be a very long queue, to get processed by immigration.
Fortunately, the queue wasn’t too long this time so we asked the very friendly officer why Paula is getting ‘rejected’ each time. Apparently, there is a Pauline Green who is on their ‘wanted’ list, also with a birthday in August... The system therefore rejects Paula so that the birthday and details can be checked… Very frustrating, so we hope the wanted woman is soon caught or we may have to write to the US to try and get it resolved in their system.
Once through, a doddle to collect the luggage and get out, where the Marriott shuttle picked us up after just a few minutes.
Sadly for us, the renovations to the lobby and Starbucks are yet to be completed but at least our room on the 7th floor is a refurbished one, this time, facing the pool, though we can see aircraft landing on the smaller runway (north).
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