The first hotel to be located inside a UK airport building is to open at Gatwick’s South Terminal.
The YOTEL features 46 Premium and Standard ‘cabins’ – both with enough room for two, en suite bath rooms, in cabin entertainment and room service.
Economy cabins, which come with all the same amenities except en-suite bathrooms, are to be added.
The concept, developed by Yo! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe, is designed to cater for passengers with early morning flights and long scheduled transfers, as well as unexpected flight delays and cancellations.
An overnight stay costs £55 in Standard accommodation, or from £25 for four hours, while a Premium cabin costs from £40 for four hours, and from £80 overnight. Bookings can be made from July 1 online at www.yotel.com.
Cabins features free WiFi and wired internet access and ‘techno wall’ entertainment systems.
Another 32-cabin YOTEL is planned for Heathrow Terminal 4 in the coming months and others are planning at other major international cities and airports.
Woodroffe, who is being supported by Kuwait-based IFA Hotels & Resorts in the venture, said: “In the 21st Century luxury will be available to everybody at the right cost and this is a taste of that future.
“Travelling can be a painful experience so we are looking to making it as pleasurable as possible for YOTEL customers. We expect this radical approach to be extremely popular with a range of consumers and are looking to expand YOTEL globally.”
IFA chairman and managing director Talal Jassim Al-Bahar said: “YOTEL is different from other investments we have in the hotel sector and we truly believe it represents the future. It is a brand that is going to grow exponentially in the next few years.”
by Phil Davies
