I’m really good at two things while traveling – eating and just making my flight. When I realized that I would have a long layover at London Gatwick airport, the first idea that popped into my head was to head out of the airport to do some sightseeing or grab something to eat at a pub – or ideally both. One of my good friends was in London at the time so the perfect plan would have been to meet up with her but she was pretty far away from the airport. I decided to check out some closer options and it seemed like I wouldn’t have enough time to really do anything leisurely without cutting it close.

The day before I left, I read about Yotel Air. It’s a hotel in the airport that rents out compact cabin rooms for long layovers or early/late flights. You can rent a room for any time period from 4 to 24 hours. I figured that would be my best bet in the time frame I had. Plus, the next best thing I’m good at is napping.

Yotel Air is located in the South Terminal arrivals area. You just take the elevator down one floor and it’s right there. It was convenient and easy to get to, especially because my flight arrived in the South Terminal and my connecting flight was in the South Terminal as well. Once I arrived, the receptionist was very warm and told me about the rooms. I’d imagine that if you had no idea about the concept behind Yotel Air and just wandered down there expecting a regular large hotel room, you would be very shocked. This is the genius part of the concept though. The idea of Yotel Air is to pack the idea of luxury into a small room so it is a relaxing and affordable place to unwind before or after a flight. All rooms have a bed, flat screen TV, a workstation with a desk and an en-suite bathroom with a monsoon shower.

I booked a room for the minimum of four hours which was the perfect amount of time for me. The check in process was very easy and the standard room was about $50.  From the time I walked in the door to Yotel Air to the time I was settled in my room, less than five minutes had passed. Yotel Air offers many different things that add to this idea of luxury, even before you get to your room. They offer complimentary hot drinks throughout your stay. They also offer a menu of sandwiches and other items that you can get delivered to you room. The room was extremely compact but honestly had everything that I needed to relax in between flights. It reminded me of a mixture of a room on a train and a room on a cruise ship. There was even fancy lighting- two different settings for the lights and even some purple mood lighting! There were multiple outlets to charge my electronics in, including some USB ports. I forgot to charge my phone on the plane, so this was perfect.

The bed was in an out cove and seemed larger than a typical twin bed. The TV was right near the bed, so of course I watched the British version of Cops while relaxing. I ended up napping for about two hours and it was a much needed restful nap. Once I woke up, I took a shower in the monsoon shower. This was one of the most raved about amenities in the reviews that I read. Everyone loved the shower there, and I don’t blame them! Then I got my stuff back together and headed back out to the airport terminal, ready to take on the rest of my day.

From the minute I stepped into Yotel Air, I knew it was a good idea to spend some time there after my long flight. I enjoy budget travel, so I don’t usually splurge while traveling. However, after a long flight, a non interrupted horizontal nap was definitely welcome. While I was relaxing and watching TV, I realized even more that it was a great idea. However, once I stepped back into the airport terminal with my complimentary hot chocolate in hand, I really realized how amazing of an idea it was. I was welcomed back into the terminal with crowds of people and crying children. I was so grateful I didn’t spend my entire layover sitting in the airport attempting to nap while keeping an eye on my belongings. I felt like I had the upper hand on all the other travelers in the airport!

Overall, Yotel Air was the perfect escape from the airport while on my layover. Whenever I have a longer layover, I usually end up looking for a quiet spot in the airport to sit and attempt to rest a little. It’s not always easy to find a spot and I always have one eye open. The idea of Yotel Air is great because you can rent a room for small time frames between flights. It’s right in the airport so it doesn’t take much time to get there. The small size of the room makes it affordable to travelers and it’s definitely a great way to spend a layover. If you ever find yourself in London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, or any other airport where Yotel Air is located, I would definitely take advantage of it!