If you’re catching an early morning flight out of London Gatwick and need a place to sleep for a few hours without having to be too far from the departure gates, then the funky Yotel Hotel might be the place for you. Flying in from Amsterdam late in the evening, we landed at London Gatwick around 11pm. The next morning we needed to catch an early morning flight back to Vancouver. We could either stay at a nearby airport hotel and take a shuttle in the morning, ask my relatives to pick us up and drop us off or have a restless sleep in an airport chair. If you’re like me and can’t sleep on airplanes, the extra zzz’s are crucial before departing on a long haul flight. Enter the Yotel Hotel.
Inspired by Japanese capsule hotels, the Yotels are beautifully designed cabins with a futuristic feel. Although they are more compact than regular hotel rooms, they offer smart design and flexible space without making us feel suffocated. We booked the Yotel Hotel out of convenience, not really knowing what to expect and my husband and I were both impressed.
Location
Located in the basement of Gatwick airport the Yotel at first glance seems like a mysterious underground secret society. The soft purple uplights make the hallways glow as we walk up to the front counter to check in.
Rooms
There are 3 types of cabins: standard bunk style single cabin, premium double and premium twin. All can be booked by the hour. We booked the premium double room (110 square feet) that comes with wifi, a rain shower, a plush bed that pulls out with a remote to maximize space and a mini work station with multiple power points. Shades were drawn and we had a restful sleep without hearing a peep from the thousands of travellers a few floors up.
Pros & Cons
The only downside is that the rooms can be pricey for only staying there for a few hours. We paid £74.80 GBP ($121 CAD). The upside is the extra sleep and only having to press the elevator button to go to the departure gate.
The Yotel Airport Hotels are located at London Gatwick Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Amsterdam Schipol Airport. In June 2011 the Yotel chain opened its first city centre hotel in New York City’s Time Square. Would I try the airport hotel again if needed? Absolutely.
Photos courtesy of www.yotel.com.
