Cheap Airport Accomodation
If you’ve visited Japan or are Japanese the ‘Yotel’ capsule style hotels may not seem that unusual, but they are a new concept for the UK (already open at Gatwick and Heathrow terminal 4), Netherlands (soon opening in Amsterdam) and potentially New York. They could prove an excellent solution if you have a very early morning flight and live some distance from these airports. The rooms can also be rented for a minimum of four hours and thereafter by the hour which could also provide a haven if you have a number of hours to kill at the airport.
Yotel is the brainchild of Simon Woodroffe (of YO Sushi fame) with rooms not quite as small as their Japanese ‘cousins’. There are two differently sized rooms, both with breathable mattresses, en-suites, flat screen tv’s with 60 tv channels, 80 radio channels and 24 hour room service (ordered via the tv). The standard rooms (or cabins in Yo-speak) have a ‘large single’ bed that it said to accommodate 2 people – possibly adequately if you are both unhealthy size zero. The premium cabins have a couch that converts to a double bed at the touch of a button with under-bed storage for suitcases and about 2ft space around the bed when it is extended.
The rooms were designed by Priestman Goode when was responsible for Virgin Upper class seat-beds and have grey leather headboards and oak veneer around the tv’s and mood lighting which should help compensate for the lack of fresh air and natural light. The adequate room service arrives in disposable take-away style boxes with wooden cutlery.
Obviously the idea is that the hotels are extremely convenient, and because they are compact they won’t break the bank. Currently a four hour stay in a standard cabin costs £25 and a premium cabin costs £40 with an hourly charge thereafter. An overnight stay in a standard cabin is £56 and £82 for a premium cabin. One major drawback could be that you won’t get the free 15 day car parking available with an overnight stay at a hotel like the Gatwick Hilton, but that would cost something like £175 for a double room. More than an overnight stay may be quite claustrophobic - especially if you are over 6ft tall - perhaps that’s one reason for capsule hotels not taking off before outside of Asia? Of course there are potential clients who could find the four hour minimum stays UK’s answer to love hotels, but I don’t think that is the Yo group’s target market!
This entry has been viewed 133 times.
READER COMMENTS:
No comments yet.
