At Washington Dulles, the primary international airport for the nation’s capital, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority issued a call for proposals last month for “a quiet and comfortable place within the airport to sleep, relax, or work while waiting to board a flight” that could be almost 1,300 square feet and available 24 hours per day, year-round. “The atmosphere should be similar to what a traveler would experience in a small hotel room or similar private area,” the airport said in its pitch to potential operators.
A design paradigm taken directly from the sarcophagus
Of course, the idea of tight quarters for a quickie nap or short overnight snooze is hardly a new one, with Japan being the pioneer in the concept of sleep capsules aimed at densely packed urban areas, clubbing locales, and railway stations. In many Asian versions, the sleep pod is the hotel stripped to its basic essential—a mattress and little else—with a design paradigm taken directly from the sarcophagus.
Most of the current designs being pitched to U.S. airports are dramatically larger. “We have a very Americanized model of what there is available overseas,” Glass said. “We as Americans love our space.” The company is planning to double the number of locations by the end of next year but won’t reveal its likely next venues.
The interior of some pods boast a daybed sofa, pillows, and blankets. Minute Suites includes a sound masking system and a unique audio program to help you drift away. Some are even big enough to include a workstation and chair.
Chambers says U.S. airports are rapidly shifting their focus from increasing “dwell time,” or the interval travelers choose to spend in an airport shopping or drinking, to “enhancing” that time. The right mix of amenities, including a clean, quiet, secluded place to rest, is likely to make travelers choose one airport over another when they connect.
“I think that’s why we’re seeing a lot of major airports finding space for all these units,” he said.
The general business model is one of high automation, with a vending-machine approach. Human employees are on duty to clean the cabins once they’re vacated, and at Washington Dulles, officials want the attendant to provide security, too. It was unclear whether such pods would be restricted to one person at a time, though YotelAir models can accommodate families. These pods aren’t just horizontal rubber rooms: They have televisions that morph into workstations, Wi-Fi, mobile phone chargers, and plugs. Minute Suites sells almost 150 items to go with your nap, such as toothbrushes—but many do not. The idea isn’t to replicate a hotel, especially as low overhead is critical to success.
“I don’t claim to be a hotel, I don’t want to be a hotel,” said Rosenfeld, who is working to sign NapCity’s first lease. “We’re here to help the public.” The company will charge $45 for one hour, the minimum stay, and then $20 for every subsequent 30-minute period in its cabin.
“It’s a high-margin business. … The difference is we do need staff,” he said, calling the airport sleep cabin a “micro-luxury, a price that anyone basically can afford.”