Airport Hotels: A Convenient and Stress-free Hospitality Experience

“Staying at an airport hotel can be convenient, cheaper and stress-free… Airport hotels are taking off,” says Efi Loupakou, the head of the communication department of Comfort Stay Airport Studios.

According to Loupakou, considering the recent growth market of airport hotels, their importance is clear nowadays.

“They prove to be a convenient and an efficient solution for travelers and can actually turn out to be among the most enjoyable hotel stays as they also offer numerous benefits,” she said.

Efi Loupakou, Comfort Stay Airport Studios.

But what distinguishes an airport hotel from a regular city hotel? Loupakou has the answers and gives us the pros and cons of airport hotels.

– Convenience. Leisure travelers sometimes are arriving on a late flight late, or departing very early, or have only a few hours between connecting flights, so they want a few hours to rest and refresh in a nearby hotel before flying.
– Businessmen often fly in for meetings. Time is precious, so if they can meet as close to the airport as possible, they can be more productive and eliminate the need to rush.
– Pilots, airline staff, cabin crew and mechanics need to rest and layover.
– Travelers don’t have to worry about weather conditions (snow, heavy rain, walking in the cold).
– Cancelled, missed or inconvenient flights. There are airlines with poor punctuality or performance and often need to “put up” their inconvenienced passengers for the night.
– Proximity. There’s no getting stuck in traffic and having to spend money on a taxi (extra cost) to get to the airport.

“The last thing a traveler wants to worry about when heading out to an early departure is traffic while getting to the airport, plus spending a lot of money,” Loupakou says.

In addition, other things to consider when booking a room at an airport hotel, are:

– Airport hotels typically have all the amenities a traveler needs – from comfortable rooms to convenient food access, wifi, and toiletry items (should one forget to pack essential items).
– Airport hotels (especially the big ones) often have great facilities. Quality 24-hour gyms, nice pools, spas, laundry rooms, dry cleaning service, and executive lounges or conference rooms.
– Travelers can easily and quickly retrieve left/ forgotten items.
– Aviation themed decor. Travelers that are into aviation will be happy to know that quite a few airport hotels in some cities have aviation artwork and deco.
– Mainly all airport hotels offer a free shuttle bus service that sometimes runs throughout the night which is very convenient.

“However, there are a few negative facts in staying at an airport hotel,” Loupakou says.

– The noise levels: Depending on how close the hotel is to the runway, noise could be an issue at an airport hotel. You can always contact the hotel ahead of time to check to see if they have special windows or special heavy curtains to drown out the noise.

– Lack of views: Unless an airport hotel goes out of his way to give you amazing views of the runaways or perhaps some natural scenery, a lot of times there just isn’t much to look at from the window of an airport hotel.

– The distance to the city: Some large international airports are located very far away from major cities. This can make exploring the city very expensive and time consuming (if you stay more that two days at the hotel).

A big or a small boutique hotel? Which is more preferable?

“This depends on the need… Sometimes travelers prefer smaller hotel of the area, like Comfort Stay studios,” Loupakou says and explains:

– Price versus quality. You can often find small airport hotels with some great prices compared to expensive, bigger ones. Sometimes the price difference can be very dramatic. Moreover, they offer the same services, eg breakfast or shuttle service which is crucial.
– Another reason is the coziness or the type of character they want for their short stay. For a traveler looking to immerse themselves in local culture even for a while, this is a good choice.
– Customer-driven. Small hotels know that one of the secrets of excellence is being customer-driven and understanding and fulfilling clients’ needs and expectations and provide more personalized service.
– More friendly environment. Employees are accustomed to dealing with people who speak different languages and devote more time with them, when possible. Sometimes friendships can be created with visitors from all over the world!
– Smaller hotels create experiences. At Comfort Stay’s green yard (named “Tuscany!”), travelers play the guitar, share recipes, talk about local wine or local tradition or the Greek islands with the staff.
– Parking is more manageable.

“As you can tell, staying at an airport hotel offers a lot of advantages that travelers have to consider before planning their trip,” Loupakou adds.

Close to the Athens International Airport, on a 4 acres estate, Comfort Stay is an elegant accommodation complex consisting of 9 tastefully decorated and furnished studios within a typical Mediterranean vegetation environment where guests can relax and enjoy the blue sky and bright sunshine of the Attica sun. Comfort Stay is family friendly and also includes a yard for children to play.

“Comfort Stay invites travelers you to explore the delights of Greece in the warm colors and the local beauty of Artemis, the goddess of lush vegetation. Or, perhaps, travelers may want an in-between shortstop on their journey elsewhere. Either way, we will be happy to host them and do our best to make their stay a comfortable and enjoyable experience,” Loupakou says.