The Harlow Hotel by Accor: Location, Rooms, Parking

Planning a stay near Stansted Airport or the M11 corridor? This guide looks at The Harlow Hotel by Accor, a 3-star property in Essex, examining its location, room details, parking, and what recent guest reviews actually say. We’ve pulled together verified data from the official Accor site and multiple independent booking platforms so you can see the full picture before deciding if this midscale hotel fits your travel plans.

Last checked: 2026-08-03

Hotel name: The Harlow Hotel by Accor · Location: Southern Way, CM18 7BA Harlow, United Kingdom · Nearest motorway: M11 junction 7 (1.61 km) · Nearest airport: London Stansted Airport (11 miles / 16 min drive) · Total rooms: 119 · Parking: On-site, chargeable, 100 spaces

Where is the Harlow Hotel by Accor?

The hotel sits on Southern Way in Harlow, Essex, roughly 1.61 km from junction 7 of the M11 motorway, as noted on the Aimbridge EMEA sales page. This is a road-oriented location rather than a town-centre spot—Booking.com lists the property as about 1.5 miles from Harlow town centre and around 2.7 miles from Harlow train station, which typically means a short drive for most guests.

For airport travellers, the distance figures are consistent across sources: Accor’s own pages cite roughly 11–12 miles to London Stansted Airport, with a drive time of about 16 minutes. The hotel’s marketing leans heavily on this proximity, including a Park & Fly package aimed at airport users.

The trade-off is clear: you trade walkability for convenience. The location scores reasonably well on review platforms—Tripadvisor gives it 3.7/5 for location, and Trip.com shows 7.3/10—but those scores reflect ease of access by car, not a central Harlow experience.

Location and nearby landmarks

Beyond the motorway and airport, the hotel is positioned near Harlow Business Park and Kao Business Park, according to the Aimbridge EMEA description. Guest reviews cited there describe the setting as convenient for these commercial areas and for Stansted, but less suited for leisure stays in Harlow itself.

Directions from Stansted Airport

From Stansted, the drive is straightforward: take the M11 southbound to junction 7, then follow local roads to Southern Way. The 16-minute estimate from Accor matches the general routing for this distance, and the hotel’s own Facebook page repeats the same 16-minute claim.

Distance to London

The M11 gives you a direct but often congested route into the capital.

The bottom line: if you need quick motorway or airport access, this location works. If you want to walk to shops or restaurants, this isn’t the spot.

How many rooms does the Harlow Hotel have?

The property has 119 modern en suite guest rooms, a figure confirmed by Tripadvisor and echoed across multiple listing platforms. That makes it a mid-size hotel—large enough to handle coach groups and corporate bookings, but small enough that the reception can feel personal.

Standard room features listed on the official Accor page include a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. These are typical midscale offerings, and they match what most guests report in their reviews. However, Tripadvisor’s category scores show rooms at 3.3/5, suggesting the in-room experience doesn’t always match the advertised spec.

Room features

What do guests actually find in the rooms? Tripadvisor reviews—over 1,000 of them—frequently mention clean rooms and very comfortable or super comfortable beds. But the same reviews also describe tired or dated décor, dim lighting, and a lack of USB charging points.

Amenities in each room

In-room amenities are standard: TV, air conditioning, en suite bathroom, and Wi-Fi. HotelsCombined, which aggregates 1,828 ratings, notes that guests sometimes found small maintenance issues—missing TV remotes came up as an example. That’s not universal, but it’s a pattern worth knowing if you’re fussy about room details.

What this means: the beds and cleanliness generally deliver, but the décor and tech may feel behind newer competitors. Set your expectations to midscale basics and you’ll likely be satisfied.

What is the history of The Harlow Hotel?

The hotel operates under the Accor banner, a major global group, and is managed by Aimbridge EMEA, according to the sales page for the property. The Visit Essex listing describes it as “newly refurbished” in recent years, positioning it as an updated take on a long-standing roadside hotel. Exactly when the current Accor branding arrived isn’t pinned down with a precise date in the sources we reviewed, but the refurbishment language appears across several platforms.

The building’s history before Accor isn’t detailed in the available sources. What’s clear is that the current incarnation is a 3-star, midscale property designed for road and airport traffic, not a heritage hotel with a storied past.

Hotel founding and ownership

Accor’s own site lists the hotel with the standard brand information, and Aimbridge EMEA is named as the operating entity on their sales page. For travellers, that means you’re dealing with a professional management company rather than a small independent operator.

The implication: expect consistent corporate policies—standard check-in times, uniform booking processes, and a familiar loyalty structure if you hold an Accor membership.

What do guest reviews actually say?

Here’s where the picture gets more complex. Trip.com shows a 7.1/10 average from 128 reviews, with subscores of 7.3 for location, 7.4 for service, 7.1 for cleanliness, and 6.5 for amenities. Expedia lists a 7.0/10 from about 1,001 reviews, classified as “Good,” with staff helpfulness and basic comfort earning particular praise. HotelsCombined aggregates 1,828 ratings to a 6.9/10, with guests frequently citing good value and comfortable beds.

Tripadvisor, however, shows a lower 3.1/5 overall from roughly 1,015 reviews, with location at 3.7, rooms at 3.3, and cleanliness at 3.4. The gap between platforms is notable. Accor’s own site shows an even lower customer rating of about 1.5/5, though the sample size and timeframe for that figure aren’t explained.

One recurring issue across platforms is the restaurant. Tripadvisor’s restaurant feature page includes multiple guest reports that the evening restaurant is not open, despite advertising that suggests otherwise. This is a concrete disappointment for several reviewers, and it’s worth checking current opening hours before you plan a dinner at the hotel.

Parking is another common refrain: on-site parking is chargeable, typically around £10 per night, and some guests find that unexpected given the car-dependent location. This fee isn’t prominently flagged in all advertising, which fuels dissatisfaction.

Why this matters: the review data paints a property that delivers on basics—clean beds, helpful staff, good value—but falls short on advertised amenities like evening dining and modern room finishes. Check what’s actually included in your rate before you book.

Harlow Hotel by Accor: key facts

Location and getting there

Getting to the hotel is straightforward if you have a car. From the M11 at junction 7, it’s a short drive to Southern Way, and the hotel’s position near Harlow Business Park means signage is generally clear for those heading to the area. From Stansted, the 16-minute drive follows the M11 southbound.

If you’re relying on public transport, Harlow train station is about 2.7 miles away, which means a taxi or bus connection. The hotel’s location is not pedestrian-friendly for most destinations; you’ll likely want a car for the duration of your stay unless you’re just passing through on an airport layover.

The 24-hour front desk helps if you’re arriving on a late flight, and the free Wi-Fi means you can plan onward journeys without hunting for a café signal.

The pattern: this is a car-first hotel. If you’re flying into Stansted and driving out the next day, it’s a practical fit. If you’re exploring Harlow or Essex without wheels, you’ll find the location limiting.

“The staff make this place which is in need of some modernisation but is very clean and comfortable.”

– Tripadvisor user review (Good Value for Money), guest reviewer

“The restaurant is NOT open in the evening despite what the advertising continues to say.”

– Tripadvisor user review on restaurant feature, guest reviewer

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