When I have a long daytime layover between flights, I love booking a day room at an airport hotel and getting some real sleep. Even if you’re flying in first or business class, nothing can replace a real bed and a real shower (well, perhaps the Emirates A380 shower suite could replace a real shower, but you know what I mean). 😉
A day room I recently booked at the Hilton Madrid Airport
A vast majority of airport hotels seem to sell day rates. Some make it easy to do so online, while in other cases you have to call.
Regardless, it seems to be very good business. Hotels are constantly managing fluid inventory, with some guests checking out first thing in the morning, and others checking in super late at night. That’s especially true of airport hotels, given that people often stay at them when they only have a quick overnight.
Selling day rooms essentially allows airport hotels to accommodate more than one reservation per room per day. Of course hotels are strategic about how they sell them. In other words, if a hotel has 200 rooms, they would only make a subset of them available for day rooms, based on the times at which guests historically check-in and check-out. That way they can generate additional revenue without inconveniencing overnight guests.
Anyway, I have a long daytime layover at Tokyo Haneda Airport soon, and I found out the airport seems to have a pretty nice hotel connected to the international terminal. Specifically, The Haneda Royal Park Hotel is located next to the international terminal.
However, their website didn’t seem to sell any day room rates.
I then emailed the hotel for a quote (often hotels only book day rooms by email), and was informed the hotel doesn’t offer day room rates:
Unfortunately, we do not have day use service for the room.
If you want to stay our hotel, you need to make your reservation for 1 night.Our hotel’s regular check-in starts from 03:00 pm.
Therefore should you wish to early checking-in as guarantee, additional charge will be necessary.We appreciate your understanding.
Should you have any other inquiry please let us know again.
Okay, so if I want to sleep for six hours during the day, I can book two nights at the hotel to accommodate that.
This seems especially strange for a hotel at Haneda Airport, given how historically the airport has a ton of arrivals early in the morning and a ton of departures late at night, since most international flights leave around then. If there’s one airport which should have easy hotel day rooms, it should be Haneda.
If this is in fact intended to be an airport hotel, I imagine most guests are staying during strange times.
Have I just been lucky in consistently finding that hotels offer day rooms? Anyone know of any good alternatives at/near Haneda Airport?
Royal Park Hotel has refresh rooms in both the hotel and the transit hotel (after security), according to the website. You have to call in and verbally make a reservation. I called and requested a room in the hotel (in Japan). We'll see how it goes in a few days.
The day rate is available on the website under "Transit Area". You would have to check in airside after security however.
@Mike
I've stayed at the Yotel at Heathrow T4. I was arriving into T5, and departing out of T3. At the end of the day, it was too much of a hassle changing terminals. I did the math on it, and it would have been more advantageous to book a Heathrow airport hotel and take an Uber to and from. The rates at the Yotel (at least when I stayed there) weren't really any cheaper...
@Mike
I've stayed at the Yotel at Heathrow T4. I was arriving into T5, and departing out of T3. At the end of the day, it was too much of a hassle changing terminals. I did the math on it, and it would have been more advantageous to book a Heathrow airport hotel and take an Uber to and from. The rates at the Yotel (at least when I stayed there) weren't really any cheaper than the Heathrow hotels (actually might have been higher), and unless you're departing out of / arriving into T4 (maybe one or the other, but preferably both), then it's really not worth it in my opinion.
tjjen2:
I was able to use a room at the Premier Inn exactly during a similar day layover this year, but was reminded by staff that it was a one-off courtesy and that usual check-in times apply.
So, as much as you might get lucky, there is no guarantee. If you can't risk waiting for a room till noon or early afternoon, I would recommend following their advice. Otherwise, there is a chance for it working out.
@Lucky the rate goes for 12,000 to 20,000 JPY, based on the length you need the room and arrival time. I've done this many times, but you just need to show up. Theres no published day rate and you can actually negotiate with the front desk when you land.
thanks CP@YOW. much appreciated!
Wow, sounds like some very obtuse people over at the Haneda Royal Park Hotel...
I used the LHR T4 Yotel a few years ago when United was operating its EWR & IAH flights out of T4 and provided that as a benefit to BusinessFirst passengers. As a replacement for the shower portion of an arrivals lounge, it was adequate, but it's not somewhere I'd want to hang out and relax in afterwards -- way too cramped. Also, no food like the lounge would have.
has anyone (Lucky included) used the "Yotel" in Terminal 4 arrivals at Heathrow? My parents are getting in to London early morning from Philly, into Terminal 4. They have the Delta arrivals lounge in T3 and Plaza Premium arrivals lounge in T2 at their disposal, but I'm anxious to tell them to get on a train to transfer terminals. Apparently Delta will provide them with coupons for a free Yotel room if I ask. Am...
has anyone (Lucky included) used the "Yotel" in Terminal 4 arrivals at Heathrow? My parents are getting in to London early morning from Philly, into Terminal 4. They have the Delta arrivals lounge in T3 and Plaza Premium arrivals lounge in T2 at their disposal, but I'm anxious to tell them to get on a train to transfer terminals. Apparently Delta will provide them with coupons for a free Yotel room if I ask. Am I better off putting them on the train, or telling them to try Yotel?
Anyone had any luck booking a day room at Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport? I tried booking and was told I need 2 nights. Any suggestions as I arrive at 6am and depart 8pm in July?
Thanks.
So my question is how hotels handle things if you book two nights if you are checking in to the hotel at 3am and out at 9pm.
We've had a couple of times where our rooms were either given away or not credited because we had a super late arrival. Once was when we arrived at the Park Hyatt Dubai around 5am. They had cancelled our reservation even though we had alerted them to...
So my question is how hotels handle things if you book two nights if you are checking in to the hotel at 3am and out at 9pm.
We've had a couple of times where our rooms were either given away or not credited because we had a super late arrival. Once was when we arrived at the Park Hyatt Dubai around 5am. They had cancelled our reservation even though we had alerted them to our arrival time. We had to work really hard to get something to work out with them.
More recently, we had a longer stay booked at the Hyatt Regency Denver by the convention center. We had a late arrival and our flight was delayed further. We called in advance to let them know when to expect us and arrived at 3am. They still had our room available and ready for us but they didn't end up crediting us the night so we had to work with the hotel to get that worked out.
It seems that if you aren't checked in by a certain time, you are at risk of losing your reservation even if you have alerted the hotel in advance...
Instead of selling day room, Haneda Royal Park Hotel has what they call refresh room
http://www.rph-the.co.jp/haneda/en/#link_ref
It has a shower but not a bed. And it's pretty expensive so I ended up booking a night when I arrived early in the morning and had a 4-5 hours nap before heading to the city.
There is a day rate at some hotels there, just check around. I remember they had 1-6 pm ( I think) date rate somewhere, might be even Excel where we stayed last year. we ended up paying for two nights though, to use the room from 6 am to 9 pm, it was Haneda Excel and a nice place, right at the domestic terminal. There are also those small rest rooms right inside terminal, do not remember what they are, but they do have day rate also, just few hours though...
Perhaps some of their reluctance to book a day room is due to fear of potential misunderstanding. With Japan's many short-stay Love Hotels (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel), maybe this hotel is concerned that they're not really sure what you're trying to book.
First Cabin operates a kind of capsule hotel at terminal 1.
http://www.first-cabin.jp.e.jr.hp.transer.com/cabin/
You can pay by the hour, and they have "First Class" capsules available, which are like mini regular hotel rooms, with bed, side table etc. just no private toilet. If you're looking for a few hours of shut-eye, I highly recommend First Cabin.
I've had no issues working it out with this hotel on arrival at HND. I've done it a dozen times.
@ MEOW @ Justin -- Interesting, thank you, I'll give that a try. Out of curiosity, what kind of a rate did you work out in the past for day rooms at the hotel?
I think there's a several component to consider. For example, maintaining the staffing to clean and prep the rooms, what happens when flights are delayed or cancelled? That's a difficult call when you have people coming to and fro and airport hours vary widely. If your flight is cancelled coming into an airport (say original arrival is 7:00 am) , but you don't actually arrive until 7:00 pm or the next day. Who takes the...
I think there's a several component to consider. For example, maintaining the staffing to clean and prep the rooms, what happens when flights are delayed or cancelled? That's a difficult call when you have people coming to and fro and airport hours vary widely. If your flight is cancelled coming into an airport (say original arrival is 7:00 am) , but you don't actually arrive until 7:00 pm or the next day. Who takes the hit for that? You or the hotel? What if the hotel doesn't have a room available when you arrive because the timing is now off?
I understand our needs and wants, but I wouldn't necessarily envy the person who needs to manage a housekeeping staff 24/7 and having to account for each scenario on how to apply and enforce some guidelines or rules. Trying to plan for that demand may not been financially worth it in the long run. Also, what works in one city, won't necessarily work in another.
I do feel that most hotels are more obliged to work with an individual "in person" regarding this matter vs. online or through email. Sometimes you just gotta go by the seat of your pants.
Hilton makes it super easy because you can do it online, so they get my day room business. I wish others did, but since they don't then they don't get my money.
Don't get me wrong, sleep is nice. But there are luggage storage facilities at Haneda. Being so close to the city, I'd rather just spend time in Tokyo.
I don't check for day rates frequently, but I did book one at the Hyatt Capital Gate for a 11a-3a layover for quite cheap. The metro is super easy from Haneda. It took me only ~30 minutes to get to the Andaz in the city. While not super close, it is easily accessible and maybe an option.
The Haneda Excel is adjoining the ticketing area of Domestic Terminal 2 - a short shuttle ride from the International Terminal. I've stayed there overnight and it was fine, but I don't know if they have day rates.
I stayed at Hotel JAL City which was one train stop from Haneda airport (and also had a free airport shuttle). Decent hotel, but nothing overly fancy. Not sure if they accommodate day rooms though.
That's not right. You can get a day room there, you just show up and work in out with them. I've done it many times. They just don't book then in advanced. I actually got a day room during a 6 hour layover last week.