We stayed at Hampton by Hilton Stansted and unfortunately hit it on a chaotic night — we arrived at the same time as a full flight of passengers whose plane had been cancelled. The result: absolute pandemonium. We waited around 40 minutes just to check in, and the restaurant was completely overrun — packed, noisy, and not a relaxing environment at all, with kids crying and people everywhere.
The breakfast, while free, was underwhelming and felt more like a box-ticking exercise than a proper meal.
That said, the location is ideal for the airport — you really can’t beat the convenience if you’ve got an early flight. I imagine it would be a decent, functional stay under normal circumstances, but based on our experience, it was hard to relax.