Relax hotel-style at the airport
Dozing in a stiff plastic chair at the airport may be fine for some folks, but the clear trend is for not only more on-site hotels but also for rooms to catch a nap or take a shower or simply sprawl out and relax in a retreat from the normal hustle and bustle of a busy transportation hub.
“We sell our cabins literally by the hour. You book only what you need,” Jo Berrington, marketing manager for Yotel, told msnbc.com.
The no-frills hotel chain is now in London’s Heathrow airport, London’s Gatwick airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. Yotel offers rooms that are a mere 75 square feet, with just enough room for a bed, desk and shower.
Travelers can check in and out of the tiny rooms at any time.
A four-hour stay costs about $45; an overnight stay costs about $90.
The U.K.-based Yotel expects to have five more in-airport hotels in the works within the next year. At least one is planned for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Airport hotels have been around about as long as airports.
They once had a bad image but things are starting to change.
One reason is that airports are continuing to evolve into centers of commerce and business activity, says Scott Berman, the US leader of hospitality and leisure at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “There has been a rapid expansion of hotel development in and around the busiest airports,” he told msnbc.com.
Regular hotels at airports are becoming increasingly popular, say recent news reports.
The Hilton and Sheraton chain have been aggressively building new airport facilities.
The only possible drawback to visitors is they may never see the city of their destination.
“You will have business travelers fly in, do business and never venture into the city,” said Hoyt Harper, Sheraton’s global brand leader.”
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025