Need a Little Nap in the Terminal? Get a Room!

By MICKEY MEECE

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/business/06POD.html?src=twt&twt=nytimesglobal

NEVER have so many travelers needed a collective nap as they did in April when the ill winds blew across Europe from a spewing Icelandic volcano.

A few fortunate ones were able to book accommodations in nearby airport hotels and in terminal pod hotels like Yotel, whose locations at Gatwick and Heathrow airports in London and Schiphol in Amsterdam are often full, said Jo Berrington, its marketing director.

The rest of the hapless travelers who decided to wait out the ash for days made do on terminal floors, cots and uncomfortable chairs. The sight of so many people desperate for shut-eye brought into sharp relief the fact that airports, for the most part, are not intended for long stays.

“Sleeping at an airport is never an easy thing to do,” said Michael Breus, author of “Beauty Sleep.” The task is born of necessity, typically due to delays or cancellations, which in turn makes travelers anxious or angry, he said, adding, “It’s never good.”

Resourceful travelers will go wherever they can — a quiet corner, a chapel, a pay-by-the-day airport lounge, a spa massage recliner, a rented workstation desk — to lay down their weary heads.

Those willing to pay a premium for privacy, quiet and comfort have more options on concourses beyond the security gate. For Yotel customers, who have ranged in age from 16 to 90, Ms. Berrington said, “it’s all about location and value and quality.”

Rates in London range from £25 ($38) for a four-hour minimum stay to £80 ($123) for 24 hours. Amenities include en suite bathrooms with rain showers, beds with organic mattresses, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi and workstation, food and drink service. A standard cabin is about seven feet by nine feet.

The goal is affordable luxury, Ms. Berrington said. “We don’t want to make people feel it’s exclusive,” she said. “It’s for everyone.”

Yotel is expanding its London space to add more cabins and a minilounge for guests to socialize. The company is looking for available space in United States airports, Ms. Berrington said. Meanwhile, it is building a 669-cabin hotel at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan, which is expected to open next year.

The idea of providing high-end short-stay accommodations for airline travelers is catching on in the United States. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Minute Suites opened in November, offering five private rooms, with a daybed sofa, workstation, DirecTV and sound-suppression system. The rate is $30 for the first hour and $7.50 for each additional 15-minute period.

Guests are offered hot towels to refresh themselves, but must leave Minute Suites to use the nearby restroom on Concourse B. For economic reasons, said Daniel Solomon, a founder and managing partner, Minute Suites decided not to provide showers. Once showers are involved, he said, the business is considered a hotel and the guest is taxed as such.

Research suggested customers would rather nap, work, watch television or browse the Internet, he said.

Jason Philbrick of Minneapolis stopped by recently for a nap and paid for an hour and a half. He said the price was reasonable, the service professional and the suites more than adequate.

“They had white noise, which I found worked somewhat successfully,” he said, though he did feel vibrations from the planes. The suite “is not spartan; on the other hand, it’s not sumptuous,” Mr. Philbrick said. “I think they went down the middle there and probably hit a good balance.”

Minute Suites plans to add a second location in the Atlanta airport and is talking with other airports as well, Mr. Solomon said.

Later this year, in a postsecurity space at the San Francisco International Airport, Unique Retreat plans to open with 15 to 20 private sleeping units. The rate for the rooms is expected to be similar to Minute Suites, according to Greg Lovett, founder and chairman.

Amenities will include soundproofing, HDTV, free Internet, workstation, personal temperature controls, “intelligent lighting” and full-size luxury bedding. Bathrooms and showers will eventually be available, though not in the rooms, Mr. Lovett said.

Unique Retreat is talking with 11 other airports, he said, that are looking to add short-term stay locations. “It really is the hot topic in the industry. There’s an absolute need for this type of service, and it benefits everyone.”

According to a 2009 report from the Brookings Institution, there has been a 20-year trend of increasing flight delays. The average length of United States flight delays rose to 56.5 minutes in June 2009, from 40.9 minutes in 1990, the report found. Those more than two hours late more than doubled in that period to 10.1 percent of all delays.

“The sad reality,” said Mr. Lovett, “is it’s getting worse.” Having a convenient retreat affords travelers a necessary escape route, he said, “to maintain some sanity.”

Here are a few of the latest short-stay options for travelers:

CABINS Designer capsule-type hotels inside security like Yotel at Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London and Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Hourly or overnight stays can be booked, with a four-hour minimum. En suite bathroom. www.yotel.com.

MICRO ROOMS Rent-by-the hour micro rooms like Minute Suites inside security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The rate is $30 for the first hour and $7.50 for each additional 15-minute period. No bathroom. www.minutesuites.com.

PLANNED Unique Retreat, which is expected to open 15 to 20 private rooms later this year inside security at the San Francisco International Airport. The rate will be similar to Minute Suites. Bathrooms will be available in the second phase of construction. www.uniqueretreatllc.com.