Sleep Tight

Two airports in the U.S. and about half a dozen overseas now offer rooms for rent in the airport terminal. Minute Suites provides these rooms, complete with a desk, Internet access and a daybed. Since the company introduced the suites at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and at the Philadelphia International Airport, 18,000 travelers have visited and 24 percent of those have been repeat customers, Dan Solomon, chief executive of Minute Suites, told The New York Times. These rooms appeal to travelers who may be discouraged with the overcrowding of the once peaceful premium-class airport lounges. While renters must provide their own food and drink, as well as use the terminal’s public restrooms, having a door to close during a nap is a draw for many exhausted travelers. “It really does boil down to people having privacy in an otherwise stressful environment,” Solomon said. “They shut the door, the airport disappears, and they have their privacy.” This terminal trend is growing: other international companies offering rooms are London-based Yotel, Moscow’s Sleepboxes, Munich’s Napcabs and sleep boxes called Sam’s Snooze in India.