Blog 17: Airport Hotels

Gone are the days of weary airport hauls and long overnight sitting times when all you could find is a bench to rest your feet while waiting for your flight. Gone are those days when you'd resist a business trip because you'd have to stay at a shabby accommodation near the hotel to save time and company expenses. Now are the days of sophisticated, swanky travel where business travellers are opting to hold meetings at transit hotels and some leisure travellers and aviation geeks even booking connecting flights in such a manner that they not only enjoy in-flight amenities but also get to stay at some of the best airport hotels.

Please remain seated until you've read about my picks of the best airport hotels and I wish you a pleasant 3 minutes.

1- Designed to be a home-away-from-home, CitizenM Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport makes you forget that you're an airport. All rooms come with XL king-size beds, wall-to-wall windows and LED TVs with the latest movies. There’s even a custom MoodPad that controls the lighting, windows blinds and temperature. Jump on a complimentary iMac or pick up drinks and snacks at the 24-hour canteenM, while self check-in and check-out make coming and going a breeze. The homely lobby (read: living room) provides guests with high speed internet, books, craft cocktails and board games to keep them entertained between flights.

The lobby at the hotel

2- After flying into Port Moresby Jacksons International Airport, there’s only one place you’ll want to land- the Airways Hotel. The hotel is nestled in its own botanical gardens, offering world-class accommodation set in an oasis of understated luxury in one of the Pacific’s most striking and inspiring settings. With 5 in-house eatery options and an in-house tailor service, the hotel truly lives up to its slogan of 'a place apart'. Guests staying at the Presidential Suite even get an abandoned airplane attached to their room's balcony!

The Presidential Suite

3- Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi is located at walking distance from all terminals at the Changi International Airport. Despite all it's luxury and glamour, plane spotters have been making a beeline for this Singaporean property for years as it's regarded as the hotel with the best airport views with the rooms on the top three floors (known as Premier Runway View Rooms) looking out onto the runways. The nature-inspired rooms give guests access to the 30-meter pool, the Cantonese fine dining restaurant and the world-renowned spa onsight.

The iconic water fountain at the airport

4- Just an elevator ride away from security checkpoints at Orlando International Airport, the Hyatt Regency provides a good night's sleep in their soundproof rooms with wall to ceiling views of the runway or the airport's main atrium. There is an outdoor heated pool on the 6th floor that makes it very easy to spot large planes coming in and going out. Any aviation geek would be thrilled! The hotel staff can provide you with binoculars if you need them.

Fun fact: The Orlando International Airport is built on a former Air Force base. The B-52 Stratofortress Memorial Park behind the hotel pays tribute to that and is a must visit spot!

Runway views from the hotel's restaurant

5- The only Green Globe certified hotel in Bahrain is the Movenpick Hotel Bahrain situated adjacent to the Bahrain International Airport with sweeping views of the lagoon and a 10 minute drive away from the city centre of Manama. The hotel offers 97 newly renovated rooms and 10 suites with state-of-art facilities and amenities. To add to its superiority, it is the winner of the Best Airport Hotel Middle East for 2017, 2018 and 2019!

The exterior of the hotel

6- The fanciest on this list perhaps, and the best one for plane spotting is the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, New York. At the center of the hotel is the iconic TWA Flight Center, where restaurants, bars and retail outlets have taken flight. Two hotel wings, designed to reflect and defer to the landmark TWA Flight Center, sit behind the historic building and contain 512 guest rooms with views of JFK’s runways and the TWA Flight Center. Here you can also sip a cocktail and take a dip at the rooftop heated pool with panoramic views of the runways. If this isn't enough, they also have a runway ice rink and a 1958 Lockheed Constellation airplane turned cocktail lounge on-sight.

The pool with the best runway views

There is no way you can tell me a night at one of these hotels won't fit into your itinerary- you have to land at an airport after all when you visit any of these spots. Why not take it slow and start your holiday as soon as you disembark the plane!

Buckle your seatbelts for the next adventure that awaits you. Hop on that plane and transit someplace new.

See you next time,

Anubhuti