Many of us have used an airport hotel to make a connection more bearable. But the issue I usually have is that by and large airport hotels are noisy, they offer bad food and rarely are worth the cost. All they really provide is convenience.
I have yet to see an airport hotel offering a great dining experience with a mission to create good food or that excels in service. The result is that most frequent travelers try to avoid airport hotels and only ever book them when they get in late and have to leave early.
The other problem with many airport hotels is noise. Obviously what makes an airport hotel convenient is it’s proximity to the airport and that often means hearing planes all throughout your stay. Additionally, fellow guests come and go at all hours of the day and night so they’re always noisy and busy.
As well getting to airport hotels is often way harder than it should be. Many airports have minimum taxi fees from the airport so there’s no point in paying a lot for a cab to just go down the road. And if the airport doesn’t have a minimum charge usually the taxi driver isn’t too pleased to have waited a long time for a fare to only have it be a quick trip.
And if pick up the shuttle which they all usually provide you can easily wait 20-30 minutes. So my advice is usually to skip the airport hotel and stay in the city. Unless the hotel is far out or there’s terrible traffic (Asia I’m looking at you) you can often get downtown in a similar amount of time and stay at a nicer hotel.
So the real question is are airport hotels worth the cost?
Well if the hotel is connected to the terminal, then I say yes it can be worth it. There are a few airports that do this well; Chicago O’Hare and the Hilton, Hong Kong and the Regal Airport Hotel, the Amsterdam Sheraton Hotel, Frankfurt’s Hilton and the Novotel at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to name a few. As well, Tokyo and Seoul both have airside hotels so that you do not even need to go through customs and immigration.
My thinking is if the hotel connects to the terminal, it is worth it. But if you need a shuttle, think twice.
I was recently working close to the airport in Hong Kong and stayed for 5 days at the Regal Hotel Hong Kong Airport. It was ok, but I never felt like I was in Hong Kong. In hindsight I should have just jumped on the train and been back and forth to the city each day and had a great choice of hotels and restaurants.
So my final thoughts; I only recommend an airport hotel if the flight arrives very late and you leave early or if you can walk to it through the terminal. Otherwise there are usually much better alternatives.
Daniel Green, the Model Cook is a Celebrity Chef known for his healthy approach to food and living well. With TV, books, magazines and live appearances, Daniel spends his time helping fans to cook better, feel better and live better. He’s also an avid traveler and a self-confessed Foodie.
To contact Daniel or learn more visit www.themodelcook.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.
