The runaway success of a revolutionary "cabin" hotel, inspired by Japanese capsule hotels and luxury airline travel, that opened at London's Gatwick Airport in June has prompted the opening last week of a sister branch at Britain's busiest airport, Heathrow.
Named the YOTEL, the "stylish yet affordable" facility was conceived by Simon Woodroffe, founder of the YO! Brand and the entrepreneur commonly credited with bringing conveyor-belt sushi restaurants to the West with his popular YO! Sushi chain.
"Ten years after the launch of YO! Sushi, the YOTEL brand is also flying with the launch of the second site at Heathrow," Woodroffe said, celebrating the opening of the 32 high-end cabins, each with a free Wi-Fi Internet connection, workstation and "techno wall" entertainment system, at Heathrow's Terminal 4.
Promising to be the "ideal choice" for early morning flights and long layovers, as well as flight delays and cancellations, the cabins can be booked either hourly or for an entire night, with rates starting at £25 (¥5,600) for four hours and £56 overnight.
"YOTEL is a fresh hotel concept launched at Gatwick Airport earlier this year and we are delighted to now offer this innovative experience to our passengers at Heathrow," British Airport Authority Commercial Director Duncan Garrood said. "As the busiest U.K. airport, Heathrow is an ideal location for YOTEL's second site and we are excited to be introducing this new service," he said.