Review of the “Yotel” in Heathrow Airport, London
Recently I was in London and had a relatively early flight, so I chose to stay in the London Heathrow Yotel.
If you visit the Yotel web site, and view the cabins, you get a pretty good idea of what they are like. They are quite small, uber modern, quiet and, in my opinion, worth the expense.
I am a stressful traveller. I don't like the feeling of maybe-oversleeping or maybe-being-bumped. I like to get to the gate early and wait an hour or two. My family doesn't like this about me, but I'm just like my Mom, and probably countless other people in the world.
So, I had a flight out of London at 8:40a. Since it was an international flight, they recommend getting there 3 hours before departure, which is 5:40. The first train to the airport would be about 5:15a and I was worried a) I might oversleep b) the platform may be crowded and I might not get on the first train (though others leave every 10 or 15 minutes) or c) if I took a cab and there was a huge unforeseen traffic jam, etc. As you can see, I am a stressful traveler.
So the Yotel is perfect. I have plenty of time to arrive the night before, check in and relax. In the morning I would just need to get up, shower and be at the gate a short time later. Only oversleeping is in play then, and I set a few alarms and give myself plenty of time.
You rent a Yotel cabin by the hour, with a minimum stay of 4 hours. I stayed for 9 hours for about $100. Pricey but not out-of-line for London hotels. The rooms are tight but the purpose is easily met: a place to sleep and clean up. I'll use it again in a heartbeat, every time, no worries. They have wifi and a TV and you can get snacks and dinner in a few airport cafes/restaurants and gift shops.
Back home I don't worry about such things because I know the area. On the road? A Yotel is perfect for me.
Here's a few of my own pictures. The purple light isn't some weird trick - that's the color. It was a Star Trek Enterprise-like hallway and room. But for the lack of sonar pinging, it might have been a submarine. But, all was well, I slept well (though the first attempt at flying out was aborted due to the Iceland Volcano issue in April 2010).
It was tight getting pictures, but if you go to the web site you can see a 360 panoramic view of the cabins. I thought what I saw online represented well what I found when I arrived.
There was a waterfall shower to the left and if you splashed a lot, you'd get the toilet, as the curtain screened off the whole bathroom, not just the shower. If you squeezed in two people (the web site says the Standard Cabin, which go, sleeps a "cozy two"), you might need to step outside while the other uses the toilet.
Insert your favorite Star Trek quote here.
A table that could be used as a desk or a suitcase stand. I put my laptop on the bed and stood to use it (the bed was about chest high, you climb up into it)
A view from the head of the bed to the entrance door. The whole place is very much like a small sleeper compartment on a train.
