You know that feeling when you step out of the plane after a long flight, usually an overnight one where you hardly slept a wink, the only thing you can think of is a hot shower and a comfortable bed. The creator of Yotel must have had the same thoughts when he started his hotel concept. It`s an interesting concept, where else can you book a room for a couple of hours, early in the morning or in the middle of the day?
Maybe it was because of the long corridor or maybe it was the setup of the room, but stepping into my room felt like walking into a cabin on a boat.
I`m not going to lie, the standard room is small, but you have everything you need: a comfy bed, a desk, a bathroom with a monsoon shower. (If you need a hairdryer, you can just ask for one at the reception.)
Note:
- You have to book for min of 4 hours, after that you can book hourly
- Free wifi (I did run into some problems, but they were very apologetic and helpful to get it sorted)
- You can order snacks and drinks at the reception
- Bring earplugs, because people arrive at different hours of the day and this way you can sleep right through it
For me it was the perfect solution arriving early in the morning after a long flight to catch up on some much needed sleep and freshen up again before traveling onwards. There`s definitely an advantage because you can book it for a couple of hours, because with a standard hotel you have check-in and check-out times, that might not work with your flight hours. Also the location after a trip is convenient. I stayed at both Yotel hotels in London, the one at London Heathrow and the one at Gatwick, both hotels are located at the terminals, so you`re never far away from arrival or departure.
I received a complimentary stay at Yotel London Heathrow. My second stay at Yotel at Gatwick Airport I paid for myself. All opinions in this post are my own. Photos courtesy of Yotel.
Have you ever stayed at the Yotel? What was your verdict?
Karin says
This is awesome, I can definitely think of a few times we could have done with something like this while traveling. I recently flew 22 hours to Australia, and didn’t sleep at all, I would have paid a lot of money for a solution like this!
Isabelle says
Hi Karin, I only found out from fellow travelers. I remember flying to NZ, booking a room in Singapore for a couple of hours of sleep & a shower and feeling refreshed to travel that last leg of the trip. It really makes a difference. So I was glad when I heard about Yotel in London. There`s one in Amsterdam and NY too!
Meghan's Guilty Pleasures Travel Blog says
Fab concept! Love that you compared the close quarters to a cabin in a boat.
Quality…not quantity. It’s bite-sized luxury. Can’t wait to see it for myself.
Isabelle says
Thanks! Love how you describe it as bite-sized luxury 🙂
Jeremy Branham says
I love the idea of this. However, is there any privacy at all? From the photos, it doesn’t look like it. For just a few hours sleep, it seems like a great solution. Any idea on how much it costs for 4 hours?
Isabelle says
Hi Jeremy, yes, there is privacy. My standard cabin had a small window, where I could close a curtain and had total privacy. I paid 26 £ for 4 hours at the Gatwick Airport Yotel.
Meghan's Guilty Pleasures Travel Blog says
Check out their site: http://www.yotel.com/
Yotel seems to have a more traditional hotel style set up in New York and then mini cabins in Heathrow, Gatwick, and a few other airports. I think they’re pretty competitively priced, especially for how convenient they are.
Kelly says
Wow, a yotel? Never heard of it! Sounds interesting! I can think of hotels that rent by the hour… but they’re not these kinds of hotels… they’re “those” kinds of hotels… if you catch my drift.
Isabelle says
I knew someone was going to mention those 🙂 Nope, this is a decent hotel that you can book per hour.
Bill W says
What a crazy concept! Reminds a bit of some of the kooky ideas coming out of Japan (like sleeping chambers) – but this actually seems brilliant. Much more comfortable, elegant.
Isabelle says
It`s a great concept when traveling long distance, really helped me feeling refreshed after traveling.
NYKER says
love it !
Isabelle says
Glad you like it, it`s a good concept.