Race is on for Heathrow hotel

The operator for the only hotel at Heathrow's forthcoming Terminal 5 will be chosen over the next two weeks. The battle for the management contract is understood to be down to three companies, with Thistle, Whitbread and French hotel giant Accor all said to be vying for the exclusive property.

The four-star de luxe hotel, which is owned by BAA Lynton, the commercial property division of the British Airports Authority, will have up to 600 bedrooms and will be directly linked to the terminal building. Competition to win the management contract has been strong, as the new terminal will enable Heathrow, which is already the world's busiest airport, to handle an extra 30 million passengers a year. Terminal 5 and the hotel are both scheduled to open in 2008. CBRE Hotels, which is finding an operator for the hotel, was unable to comment on the deal.