Airport hotels have always been necessary but unloved stopover
spots for the depleted traveler, places to shower, rehydrate and let the
body recuperate from the merciless rigors of flying.
Yet checking into the Hilton Frankfurt Airport, which opened in
December turned out to be much more. It's an example of the emerging
generation of airport hotels that are intended to function as
destinations, real places where one might reasonably stay longer than a
single night.
Some of the best and most spectacular airport hotels are in Asia: the
Regal in Hong Kong; the Crowne Plaza in Singapore. Now the rest of the
world is catching up, and the newest airport hotels in Europe, the
United States, Latin America, and elsewhere are responding to the
generalized craving for experience. And there's more going on than that:
the increasing sophistication of these hotels parallels a reemergence
of civilization—daring architecture; edible food—in airports themselves.
The improved hotels are one component of a backlash against that
shiny one-world placelessness that airports have long cultivated.
Moreover, they are being retooled for a new breed of business traveler.
"The nature of work is changing," says Erin Hoover, head of design for
the Sheraton and Westin brands, "and it's very collaborative."
Now airport hotels—like the newly opened Hilton in London, Novotel in
Auckland, New Zealand, and Element in Miami—are catching up, bringing
technology, design, and style to the international stopover.
Hilton Frankfurt Airport
The Hilton Frankfurt Airport is a stylish, hyper-connected oasis. The
hotel, along with the lower-priced Hilton Garden Inn, occupies the
eastern end of the Squaire (a name meant to evoke town square and air),
an ultra-elongated mixed-use complex that rests on angled columns atop a
high-speed rail station, is adjacent to the airport's commuter train
station, and is squeezed between two major autobahns. When Squaire
managing director Christoph Nebl characterizes it as "the best-connected
spot in Europe," he's not exaggerating.
Sheraton Malpensa Hotel (Milan)
A series of glass modules lined up like the teeth of a comb, this
property makes for a fitting addition to a world capital of design.
Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway
Two minutes from the terminal via SkyTrain, the building is LEED
certified and has a lobby floor made of terrazzo embedded with glass.
Aloft San Francisco International Airport
A newly rehabbed Clarion Inn building—dropped ceilings have been
removed to give the rooms at this hotel an airy feel, and an expanded
lobby big enough for a bustling bar scene has been added.
Hilton Heathrow Terminal 5, U.K.
From its glamorous all-white main lobby staircase and unusually
glitzy light fixtures to perfectly manicured exterior grounds and a
celebrity chef--helmed restaurant (Mr. Todiwala's Kitchen), this
property has all the makings of a hotel hot spot.
Element Miami
The Miami International Airport satellite of this Westin brand
features the cutting-edge Pilot program, where electricity can be
generated by guests using the hotel's stationary bikes. The fully
equipped kitchens, nutritious menus, and bathrooms with mood-improving
lighting attest to Element's health-conscious hospitality approach.
ALT Hotel Pearson, Toronto
Original art, Egyptian cotton linens, an Italian-made Calla chair,
and Fruits & Passion bath products lend sophisticated global flair
to the 153-room ALT, part of Canadian hotel group Groupe Germain.
Custom Hotel, Los Angeles
Relaunched and refreshed by Joie de Vivre in September 2011, this
bombastic crash pad minutes from LAX appeals to your sense of whimsy
with themed gimmicks, like the Pan Am--inspired staff uniforms and
Hangar Lounge, the property's main lobby.
Steigenberger Airport Hotel Berlin
When Berlin's long-awaited Brandenburg Airport opens in March 2013,
so too will this grand 322-room property with an outdoor reflecting
pool, nine meeting spaces, a lobby bistro, and a fitness center with a
gym, sauna, and steam bath.
Lotte City Hotel Gimpo Airport, South Korea
Understated and refined, this hotel provides a welcome break from its
chaotic surroundings—a massive theme-park-mall complex within the
airport. It opened in late 2011, with touch screen controls in the 197
rooms.
Source: CNN