- Introduction: A Quick Jaunt On Saudia, Jet, And Tunisair
- Review: Korean Air First Class Lounge New York JFK Airport
- Review: Saudia First Class 777-300ER New York To Riyadh
- Review: Saudia First Class Lounge Riyadh Airport
- Review: Saudia First Class 777-300ER Riyadh To Dubai
- Review: Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights
- Review: Marhaba Lounge Dubai Airport
- Review: SkyTeam Lounge Dubai Airport
- Review: Jet Airways Business Class 737 Dubai To Mumbai
- Review: The GVK Lounge Mumbai Airport
- Review: Jet Airways First Class 777-300ER Mumbai To London
- Review: Yotel London Heathrow Terminal 4
- Review: SkyTeam Lounge London Heathrow Airport
- Review: Tunisair Business Class A320 London To Tunis
- Review: Sheraton Tunis
- Review: Tunis Airport Lounge
- Review: Tunisair Business Class A330 Tunis To Montreal
My flight from Mumbai to London landed shortly before 8AM, while my connecting flight to Tunis was around 6PM. Both flights were arriving and departing from Terminal 4, and given how tired I knew I’d be, I figured I’d try to rest somewhere for a bit.
There are three hotel options connected to or near Terminal 4 — there’s the Hilton London Heathrow, the new Premier Inn, and the Yotel. For a long time I’ve been wanting to try out the Yotel concept, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.
For those of you not familiar with Yotel, it’s a chain of “hotels” (if you can call them that) with functional but small sleeping pods. They have a few airport locations, as well as a couple of city locations, like in New York.
I booked a standard cabin for an eight hour block, which cost 69.50GBP (~90USD). I’d say that’s a fairly good value, especially when you consider that the Yotel is directly in the terminal, unlike the other options.
Upon exiting the immigration hall I turned left and followed the signage towards the Yotel.
London Heathrow Terminal 4 arrivals area
At the far end of the arrivals hall I took the escalator up a level.
Escalator to Yotel London Heathrow Terminal 4
The Yotel is located near the prayer room and Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge.
Yotel London Heathrow signage
At the top of the escalator I turned left, and saw the futuristic Yotel entrance at the end of the hallway.
Yotel London Heathrow entrance
Inside the entrance was some quirky art and a couple of monitors. I guess I could have checked in there, but the reception desk was just a few feet further down the hall.
Yotel London Heathrow check-in
It was referred to as “Mission Control,” and once there I was greeted by Georgios.
Yotel London Heathrow check-in
He had me checked in within a few minutes, and informed me that I had been upgraded to a premium cabin. I’m guessing I’m the first person to have ever made this request, but I asked if I could be “downgraded” to the room I had booked, but unfortunately they had no standard cabins available. Oh well. 😉
Since I didn’t get to stay in one, below is a picture from Yotel’s website of what a standard cabin looks like.
Yotel London Heathrow Standard Cabin
Below is the sign that was at the reception desk with information about some of the services offered.
Yotel London Heathrow amenities
Once I was checked in, I was asked to go down the hall for a quick security check. There a friendly lady did a quick explosives test on my bags, and within a minute cleared me to proceed to my cabin.
Yotel London Heathrow Terminal 4
The Yotel hallway was so cool, and felt sort of like a ship. My cabin, #11, was the first one on the left.
Yotel hallway London Heathrow
Yotel room exterior London Heathrow
Below is a picture of the layout of the Yotel facility.
Yotel Heathrow floorplan
I can’t even describe how much I love this concept. There’s something about it that’s just so cozy. My premium cabin had a bed that was folded to basically be a couch.
Yotel Premium Cabin London Heathrow
There was a window looking into the hallway that was open when I arrived, but there were blinds that could be lowered for privacy.
Yotel Premium Cabin London Heathrow
At the touch of a button the couch could be turned into a proper bed.
Yotel Premium Cabin bed London Heathrow
Underneath the bed was a storage compartment that was big enough for a large suitcase.
Yotel Premium Cabin storage London Heathrow
On the bedside table was a phone, dining menu, and TV remote control.
Yotel Premium Cabin London Heathrow
Across from the bed was a TV, as well as some outlets, earplugs, and a chair that could be removed from the wall to sit on. It wasn’t especially comfortable, so you’re much better off just sitting in bed.
Yotel Premium Cabin TV & chair London Heathrow
Yotel Premium Cabin London Heathrow
Yotel Premium Cabin outlets & earplugs London Heathrow
Then there was a glass partition separating the bedroom from the bathroom. The bathroom had a sink, toilet, and shower.
Yotel Premium Cabin bathroom London Heathrow
Yotel Premium Cabin sink London Heathrow
Yotel Premium Cabin shower London Heathrow
The toiletries were pretty basic, as there was just a single dispenser that doubled as body wash and shampoo.
Yotel Premium Cabin toiletries London Heathrow
The room controls were all right next to the bed. There were several lighting controls.
Yotel Premium Cabin controls London Heathrow
Then there were two buttons you could use to transform the couch into a bed. You just pushed the “ZZZ” button to turn it into a bed, and the “sun” button to turn it into a couch.
Yotel Premium Cabin controls London Heathrow
Then there was also a thermostat.
Yotel Premium Cabin controls London Heathrow
The room also had some cool mood lighting.
Yotel Premium Cabin mood lighting London Heathrow
While I didn’t order anything off the menu, here’s what the Yotel food & drink menu looks like:
Yotel food menu London Heathrow
Yotel drink menu London Heathrow
Coffee & tea are always free at mission control. As I said earlier, Georgios was a super nice guy, and offered me several bottles of water. I went there in the afternoon and grabbed an americano as well.
Yotel complimentary bottled water & coffee London Heathrow
The Yotel had a separate Wi-Fi network from the rest of the airport, and Wi-Fi was fast and free.
Yotel Wi-Fi London Heathrow
I managed to get a solid three hour nap at the Yotel, then worked from bed for a few hours, and then showered, before heading back to the terminal.
I had seen some people complain about noise at the Yotel. I didn’t have any issues at all, though I’m also not a light sleeper. There were occasional noises as I was trying to fall asleep, though they didn’t bother me one bit.
Yotel Heathrow bottom line
What an awesome concept. It’s weird how sometimes certain things make us disproportionately happy, and for me, this was one of them. I found the Yotel to be so cozy, and such a nice break from the rest of the terminal. Would I want to stay here if I had a 24 hour layover? No way. However, with a long daytime layover, or a quick overnight layover (let’s say landing at 10PM and leaving at 6AM), I could see this being a great option.
I’d stay at a Yotel again in a heartbeat, and next time hopefully I’ll get a standard cabin, which almost looks like a first class suite you’d get on a plane.
If you’ve stayed at a Yotel, what was your experience like?
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the review. I will be traveling with my husband and 2 children, age 5 & 11 next month. MY youngest gets GI Migraines, and of course sleep is a trigger. We have an 8 hour night flight, coming from US. With the time difference, and the excitement of flying, I'm guessing he will not get much sleep on the plane. We have a 7 hr...
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the review. I will be traveling with my husband and 2 children, age 5 & 11 next month. MY youngest gets GI Migraines, and of course sleep is a trigger. We have an 8 hour night flight, coming from US. With the time difference, and the excitement of flying, I'm guessing he will not get much sleep on the plane. We have a 7 hr layover, so I'm hoping this is an option for at least myself and the little one. Do you happen to know how long it would take to get from the plane to the Yotel at 10am? We are not UK citizens. Will we have to go through immigration getting there and going back to T5 to catch our flight to Belfast? TIA
I'm considering staying at their LGW location on Sunday, but they seem to have standard daily rate with 11 o'clock check out there. You can have late check out for GBP 2 per extra hour, but there doesn't seem to be 8 hour blocks there.
That looks really cool. The layout looks like it was inspired by classic Pullman bedrooms on trains.
I feel like I'm getting screwed when I spend $200+ a night to stay at a terminal hotel for like 7 or 8 hours... this is a much better value.
I stayed at the Yotel at Gatwick five years ago. Had an early morning flight and did not want to bother my friends to drive me there so early. I had a standard room--reserved for six hours but arrived two hours early. They did not charge me for the additional two hours. I remember it as comfortable and quiet. Stopped at Marks & Spencer inside the airport for some food to bring back to my...
I stayed at the Yotel at Gatwick five years ago. Had an early morning flight and did not want to bother my friends to drive me there so early. I had a standard room--reserved for six hours but arrived two hours early. They did not charge me for the additional two hours. I remember it as comfortable and quiet. Stopped at Marks & Spencer inside the airport for some food to bring back to my room. There was no curtain between the sleeping area and the bathroom. No way would I be comfortable sharing the room with someone else, no matter how well we were acquainted.
Stayed in the same yotel many many many times - never received a free upgrade despite clear available rooms... Wonder if you received one due to being a blogger.
My wife and I stayed in the LHR Yotel on a trip from the U.S. to South Africa. We were in a standard room and found it to be satisfactory and a decent price. We slept well for a few hours before it was time to catch our flight to Johannesburg.
On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd stay in the new Boston Yotel downtown (aside from the fact that I live there)....
My wife and I stayed in the LHR Yotel on a trip from the U.S. to South Africa. We were in a standard room and found it to be satisfactory and a decent price. We slept well for a few hours before it was time to catch our flight to Johannesburg.
On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd stay in the new Boston Yotel downtown (aside from the fact that I live there). It was reported in the Boston Globe to cost $179/night, which is low for Boston. But AirBnB would be a better value by far.
We stayed at Yotel LHR a few years ago. We had an 8 hour layover. We rented the room for 6 hours and got a solid 4-5 hour of sleep. It is ideal for that type of a stop because of it's location in the terminal. For a longer stop, I agree with Lucky, no way.
I've visited the Heathrow Yotel. The purple atmosphere was a little alarming (LOL!). However, for a few hours of sleep, I think it would a fantastic way to catch a few winks. The rooms are small. Great job with the photos; exactly what I saw. Some rooms are bigger than others. They did tell me they have one in New York too... Sort of reminds me of those hotels in Japan which a just cubicles...
I've visited the Heathrow Yotel. The purple atmosphere was a little alarming (LOL!). However, for a few hours of sleep, I think it would a fantastic way to catch a few winks. The rooms are small. Great job with the photos; exactly what I saw. Some rooms are bigger than others. They did tell me they have one in New York too... Sort of reminds me of those hotels in Japan which a just cubicles that you lie in.... LOL!
I'm going to Singapore in the fall, and we're getting in really early in the morning. I think they have something like this there, where you can crash for 6 hours and then go check into your real hotel... anyone stay in one of those? They seem to be in the Terminals too.
What the hell are Singapore noodles in the "hot meals ready in 5 mins " section? I always lament the use of the country name and affix it to a type of noodles.
The type of noodles more associated as Singapore style are a kind of stir-fried noodles and they are often not vegetarian
I flew into LHR one night arriving around 10pm. Didn't make sense to pay for 1 night of hotel in london when all I was going to do was sleep for a few hours. So yotel was a good way to budget that in. It's very tiny but it does have it's own teeny tiny bathroom. This was a standard room. There is no way to comfortably fit 2 people so spend the extra for...
I flew into LHR one night arriving around 10pm. Didn't make sense to pay for 1 night of hotel in london when all I was going to do was sleep for a few hours. So yotel was a good way to budget that in. It's very tiny but it does have it's own teeny tiny bathroom. This was a standard room. There is no way to comfortably fit 2 people so spend the extra for a bigger room. And finding it took a bit of time especially since I flew into a different terminal and LHR is a big maze. I was lucky, my room was quiet so I'm guessing there weren't very many people around. I also carry noise cancelling headphones knowing noise might be an issue. By comparison, I stayed at a transit hotel in changi who had a bigger room than yotel. But the transit hotel in changi had shared bathrooms so that's not so pleasant even though it was impeccably clean.
We had a 5 hour stay (9am-2 pm) in the same LHR Yotel. Great concept but constant noise from automatic doors opening and closing, employees talking and everyone walking on pre-fab metal floors that rattled.
I would not stay there again.
Is the bathroom private or would you not be comfortable sharing with a non-intimate friend or family member?
@ JJJ -- It's not really private. There's somewhat of a curtain, but it doesn't cover the entire space. Personally I'd find it a bit awkward if traveling with a friend.
I have stayed in the YOTEL NYC. I really liked it. I was in their standard cabin, which in comparison to the cabin you had, would be described as spacious. It was plenty big for a solo traveler. It even had some fairly luxurious amenities like a heated towel rack. There was a floor to ceiling window in the bathroom that let in plenty of light for the whole room. The bar had good reasonably...
I have stayed in the YOTEL NYC. I really liked it. I was in their standard cabin, which in comparison to the cabin you had, would be described as spacious. It was plenty big for a solo traveler. It even had some fairly luxurious amenities like a heated towel rack. There was a floor to ceiling window in the bathroom that let in plenty of light for the whole room. The bar had good reasonably priced cocktails. I would stay again and be interested in trying other YOTELs.
Since you enjoyed the yotel concept, you should try one of the capsule hotels in Tokyo the next time you're traveling over there! It'll be a totally unique experience.
I just stayed last night in the Premier Inn across from T4 - it's pretty much brand new and right next door to the much pricier Hilton. It's frankly a 5 minute walk from the terminal in a covered walkway, and the extra space, facilities, full bathroom etc. you get are absolutely worth it on a like for like cost basis (I paid GBP £69.00) for overnight stay prior to my 11.50am flight. If price...
I just stayed last night in the Premier Inn across from T4 - it's pretty much brand new and right next door to the much pricier Hilton. It's frankly a 5 minute walk from the terminal in a covered walkway, and the extra space, facilities, full bathroom etc. you get are absolutely worth it on a like for like cost basis (I paid GBP £69.00) for overnight stay prior to my 11.50am flight. If price is on par, I would absolutely choose the Premier Inn over Yotel. Being so new it was pristine inside with a full double bed and seperate day bed, full bathroom, TV, complimentary Coffee & Tea in room, ironing board etc. plus they have a restaurant on site.
Stayed there several times. Some minor noise but usually so tired go right to sleep. Standard cabins are small and fitting a large suitcase inside is tough. Always have a little go bag with change of clothes and let Heathrow keep transit luggage. Max time I stayed there was 10 hours. Worth it. Don't have to deal with Heathrow buses to get u to off site hotel and easy transit back to Terminal 5. Hilton...
Stayed there several times. Some minor noise but usually so tired go right to sleep. Standard cabins are small and fitting a large suitcase inside is tough. Always have a little go bag with change of clothes and let Heathrow keep transit luggage. Max time I stayed there was 10 hours. Worth it. Don't have to deal with Heathrow buses to get u to off site hotel and easy transit back to Terminal 5. Hilton inside terminal too overpriced and unless you are elite member early check in is not guaranteed.
The chair against the wall looks like it could be used with the desk that folds out from underneath the outlets if you wanted a space to work that wasn't on the bed? This reminds me of a similar tiny/cozy hotel concept in Hong Kong that I stayed at once before. Your headboard is the shower! https://minihotel.hk/en/rooms
It is worth pointing out that the standard cabin is significantly smaller -- and actually I think these pictures kind of make this cabin look bigger than it is, too, just by having so many different angles of a constrained space. (That's not a critique of Lucky's pictures, just something to keep in mind for anyone else considering this place.)
The standard cabin I was in had a bed a few feet off the...
It is worth pointing out that the standard cabin is significantly smaller -- and actually I think these pictures kind of make this cabin look bigger than it is, too, just by having so many different angles of a constrained space. (That's not a critique of Lucky's pictures, just something to keep in mind for anyone else considering this place.)
The standard cabin I was in had a bed a few feet off the ground, and I assume the next room over had a bed in the space underneath mine, so they are like bunk beds except they are connected to different rooms. But the bed space is quite claustrophobic as it's only a few feet high, and then there is only a small amount of floor space before you get into the bathroom.
It's fine for a nap for a few hours, but that's really it -- if you just wanted a private space to use a computer or something, it's really not very well-suited to that.
Looking at the art at check-in reminds me of japanese capsule hotel....
I stayed In the same room type and felt much the same about the experience. I've heard the standard cabins suffer from noise issues so maybe the upgrade was a blessing. I've stayed In the Hilton a few times and they have some great suites in the new wing, however it takes between 10-15 mins at a good pace to get to the reception from those rooms, which makes yotel much easier and quicker by...
I stayed In the same room type and felt much the same about the experience. I've heard the standard cabins suffer from noise issues so maybe the upgrade was a blessing. I've stayed In the Hilton a few times and they have some great suites in the new wing, however it takes between 10-15 mins at a good pace to get to the reception from those rooms, which makes yotel much easier and quicker by comparison. However the lack of a window to the outside can make you feel a bit couped up. But for eight hours or less it's a solid option.
I stayed here back in January on a layover at LHR and was horribly bothered by the noise. I could hear doors opening and closing every few minutes and the housekeeping staff and some guests chatting in the hallway, even though I'm not a light sleeper. If you can get past the noise, though, the room is clean and entirely worth having a private place to lay your head on a long layover.
@Lucky, have you ever tried citizenM hotels? The concept is somewhat similar, although the rooms are much "bigger". But everything is still very compact and optimized and cozy. They have amazing self service food in the lobbies and beautiful common areas like lounges to work or eat. They have a few airport locations (Amsterdam and CDG I believe) and a few locations in London and Paris. I really like them especially for a quick 1-2 nights trip