“It is very frustrating for everyone and there are many disappointed travelers. Our staff is well able to handle the situation because as you know, operating in an airport there are always going to be weather issues or mechanical delays. Our staff members are compassionate in helping people to cope with the unexpected,” Berrington advised.
Since last week, YOTEL (www.yotel.com) has been fully booked at all three of its operations. The hotel’s staff members have become crisis management consultants, with stranded travelers requiring assistance in reserving alternative transport, obtaining essential personal items and communicating with family members back at home.
For those lucky enough to have known about YOTEL, it is certainly the most reasonable place to wait out the inconvenience caused by the European airspace closures. YOTEL doesn’t offer rooms but has “cabins” instead. A standard cabin at YOTEL Gatwick is 50 GBP for 24 hours. At YOTEL Heathrow, it’s 69 GBP for 24 hours and in Amsterdam, it’s 85 euros for 24 hours. YOTEL offers premium, standard and twin cabins. Time in a cabin is booked for a minimum of four hours. At Heathrow, four hours in a standard cabin would be 29 GBP and at Gatwick it would cost 25 GBP. Most cabins may be occupied by a maximum of two adults and accessible cabins are available for those with limited mobility. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and smoking is not allowed within YOTEL’s premises.
YOTEL is targeting business and long-haul travelers. The company launched its first hotel at Gatwick in 2007, followed by Heathrow and Schiphol, with New York to be the next YOTEL location. YOTEL Schiphol is within the airport’s security area, but the Gatwick and Heathrow locations are in the public areas of the airports, meaning that it’s necessary to go through UK immigration to reach them.
At first glance, a YOTEL cabin can be a shock, but you’ll adapt quickly if you think of all the money you’re saving on a traditional hotel room. Plus, you’re getting a chance to take a shower and lie down before that next economy class flight. YOTEL capsules are inspired by first-class airline cabins. Each cabin is tiny but comes fully equipped with bed, mini desk, free WiFi and wired Internet access, wall mounted video entertainment, electric sockets, bathroom and mood lighting. There is limited food service available, mostly beverages, sandwiches and snacks. The cabins don’t have windows, so if you’re claustrophobic, YOTEL isn’t a good choice.
Arab News stayed at YOTEL on two separate occasions in 2010 — the first time with a 24 hour booking, the second time with a four hour booking. We found the YOTEL staff to be helpful, informative and generally interested to be of service. For the first visit we reserved a twin accessible cabin, which provided 10 square meters of space. While the cabin was large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and the bathroom had handicapped fittings, it was an unpleasant experience. The flat panel TV was out of order and could not be repaired during the 24-hours of the YOTEL stay. A short curtain was the only privacy offered for the bathroom, which created an uncomfortable situation since it was a twin cabin. The second bed in the room was an upper bunk bed that could only be reached up a steep metal ladder. Navigating the ladder required thick-soled shoes that had to be kept in the upper bed in order to get down again. YOTEL claims it is currently working on a redesign of the twin cabins.
A standard cabin — just seven square meters — was booked for the second visit to YOTEL. This was a better experience, although it would not be suitable for anyone with a mobility issue. The bed was comfortable and the cabin was clean, quiet and well organized. The television is located on the wall at the bottom of the bed, so it’s best watched lying down. The snacks ordered were delivered promptly and they were of good quality. With two people sharing the cabin, the lack of privacy for the bathroom was once again a conundrum. It was tough to hold a mobile signal, so most telephone calls were made outside the cabin. Would we book at YOTEL again? Yes. It was amazing not to have to struggle through London’s weather and traffic to catch an early morning flight. The opportunity to shower and have a rest before boarding a second seven-hour flight is irresistible. The Internet connection meant that urgent e-mail was dealt with, so there was no panic to reach a connection upon landing after a 20-hour journey. It wasn’t perfect, but it was great to know that there was a private space waiting where it was possible to recharge all batteries — chemical and biological.
Loads of other people agree that YOTEL is a concept worth supporting. YOTEL will be hugely expanding its Heathrow operations. The company is building a new hotel located in a basement area of Heathrow Terminal 3 at a cost of 24 million GBP. Due to be completed in 2012, YOTEL has a 35-year lease from the British Airports Authority for the 199 cabins. A YOTEL representative said the hotel expects the return on equity for the new property to be 33.7 percent over a 10-year period. It seems that many travelers are more than willing to forgo a city view in exchange for YOTEL’s offering of convenience, value and service.
