Yotel – Heathrow’s Black Light District
We had to kiss and make up with Delta. Since transatlantic ships don’t head east to west at this time of year, we had no choice. I guess we could have stayed in Europe until October, but we were jonesin’ for some Seattle.
We needed to break up our two day marathon back home with a stop in London. Rather than dropping pounds in the spendy city, we decided to try something new – a pod (I guess that’s what we’ll call it) at the Yotel in London’s Heathrow Airport.
Entering Yotel, you feel like you have just stepped into a hip (and very quiet) NYC club (but by way of some really exclusive back door). The second you pass through the inconspicuous entrance, you may completely forget that you are in the middle of one of the world’s busiest airports. In fact, if this place weren’t in Heathrow Terminal 4, the small, dimly lit, window-lined corridors might make the whole experience feel a little naughty.
If you go for the tiniest option, a small set of stairs leads you up or down into your 75 square foot cabin (that’s what they call it). The cabins have a sci-fi / Tomorrowland-y feel. The awful ultraviolet lighting and sleeping “dug out” make you feel like you’re preparing to go into cryostasis – like you’re going to sleep and planning to wake up on another planet.
Here’s the deal. This is a tight space; if you stand in the middle of the cabin, you can almost touch every wall without moving. Put two people in the room and you better be prepared to negotiate. For example, if you have the collapsible work table open, both people can’t be standing up at the same time. Well, I guess someone could stand in the shower space.
Yotel does offer slightly – and I mean slightly – larger pods, but where is the fun in that? We can now say that we survived a transition day AND did it in about 75 square feet. We hear your polite golf clap. Thank you.
While an overnight stay is not cheap (this is the UK people), once you account for amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi and decent espresso, the price starts to seem more reasonable. Slap a “price tag” on the ability to wake-up and amble to your gate in mere minutes, and staying at Yotel begins to seem like a no-brainer.
Before the godforsaken LHR – DTW leg of our journey, we got up, showered, sipped a couple lattes, walked upstairs to drop off our checked luggage and went back to the pod for a bit of work before grabbing our carry-ons and heading for security. Almost stress free. When does that happen at an airport?
We say yes to Yotel.
Oooh, fancy. Can you rent these by the hour??
Yes, you rent them by the hour. Told you it sounds a little naughty.
There’s no way I could sleep in one of those and not feel like a carnival of various space creatures would visit me in my sleep.
Is that so bad
I stayed in a “Tune” hotel in Bali, and that was small enough for me.
Haven’t heard of Tune – will check it out.
Are you two back in Seattle yet?! We miss you. We stayed at the Yotel in New York and it was glorious. The cabins definitely had more room and the couch would electronically slide down into your bed. We’ll have to try the Heathrow Yotel next time!
You had the larger unit. This one was small small. Give it a try.
Yes! We’re back and suffering from jet lag (why doesn’t it ever get easier?).
Sounds like an interesting experience – and much better than sleeping in an airport chair all night…
The convenience factor is huge. Not having to deal with commuting to/from the airport was such a nice treat. Delta’s check in was – no joke – just up a set of stairs from the hotel.
Sounds cramped, but it’s a great idea if you’re connecting and have an over night layover. I might be willing to try one of these if the right situation came up.
It’s definitely worth giving it a try. Again, we had the tiny pod. The larger version actually looks fairly comfortable.
It’s funny you should post that today, I was just about to book a room for a nap before a very early flight from Gatwick! I’m glad you enjoyed your stay and I won’t hesitate to book mine, then.
I don’t think that they have a Yotel at Gatwick.
I think my claustrophobia might kick in. I think it’s the fact that there are no windows which bothers me the most. OTOH, I like the sound of being able to walk to your gate from there.
Yep… it might kick in. The only windows look out to the walkway. But check in is so close. That’s worth a lot.
I would totally try one of these. But why oh why would they include that bizarre ultraviolet light? Do they WANT you to feel like you’re going into space?
We felt like we were in a strip club. Not that we know what the lighting in a strip club is like, but we’ve seen CSI
I would try this once for the experience but even though I’m small I really hate tiny spaces.
You should give it a try; I think you’d dig it.
Thanks for the detailed post. I’m booked into the Heathrow Yotel for a transition day this fall. Always good to know what to expect.
Thanks for stopping by, Pat.
Those looks both handy and futuristic. I’m getting Fifth Element vibes. Did Bruce Willis visit you in a tight orange rubber vest at any point?
Hah, Laurence, that’s exactly what I thought when I read “cryostasis”. Very sci-fi. I’d totally try it. Too bad I won’t need a stopover in London as I live there. Great article, I had no idea it even was there.
This actually sounds pretty cool! Whenever I finally make it to Japan, I’ve resolved to stay in a capsule hotel there.
The convenience factor for the Yotel sounds pretty awesome, too. Air travel always stresses me out even if I’m running ridiculously early, so having the check-in counter just up the stairs would make me much more relaxed.
It is much more relaxed, for sure. Next time you are back on your home turf in the UK pop by Terminal 4 and see just how close it is.
(And report back and let us know if you, too, think it looks like a strip club with that lighting!)
I’ve never heard of this. How cool!! Sounds better than our current hostel situation.
Uh0oh – What’s going on with the hostel?
I really like that cool interior design, I wish I could have the chance to get there once… It look pretty cool, although I couldn’t picture myself if I could get used to that UV-light…
It looks like a futuristic train cabin – I’d give it a try just for the fun of doing something different.
I had no clue these existed. Love it!
I haven’t heard of a Yotel before now…someone has definitely been holding out on me! While I do like my stretching-out space, I would also love not having to worry about making it to the airport!
Seems like it might be a bit claustrophobia-inducing… but probably worth it for a bit of shut-eye!!
I’ve heard so much about these Yotels! I just stayed in an airport — after my flight was cancelled. Will be happy not to do that for a long time!
sounds like some of the business hotels in tokyo!
Having stayed in a Japanese pod hotel, this looks much more pleasant. If you ever need to stay near Heathrow or Gatwick, Premier Inns are far nicer, but the short taxi ride there wil cost more than a night’s stay.