Airport hotels can save an anxious early morning journey to catch a flight, or alternately may provide a great place to set up meetings when you don’t need to be in the centre of the city. A range of new and upcoming properties have spacious, well-designed rooms and handy facilities, ideal for time-challenged business travellers.
Several are located within terminals, while others are just a few minutes’ drive from the airport and come with perks like a pool, gym and a host of first-rate restaurants and bars. If you’re after a stress-free pre-flight passage, it’s worth keeping your eye out for these new airport hotels.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ibis Saigon Airport
This 282-room economy hotel includes 65 suites and one- and two-bedroom apartments for long-stay guests, just five minutes by car from Ho Chi Minh City’s international airport. Rooms are soundproofed and come with blackout curtains, plus colourful, travel-themed décor. An all-day dining restaurant has a buffet and an à la carte menu, while a rooftop bar offers snacks and alcohol
until 1am.
Opening date: March 2017
Rate: US$61 per night for a Standard room
accorhotels.com
Kuala Lumpur
Aerotel Kuala Lumpur
This hotel from Plaza Premium Group is situated landside in Terminal klia2 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and has 78 rooms. Categories range from “solo” to “family” and include a glossy, tiled bathroom, a desk, a 43-inch TV, plus
coffee- and tea-making facilities. The terminal’s only bar is just next door, serving drinks and snacks.
Opening date: August 2018
Rate: US$69 for three hours in a Solo Plus room
myaerotel.com
Luang Prabang
Avani+ Luang Prabang
A 15-minute drive from Luang Prabang International Airport, this is the first Avani+ to open, heralding a new, younger brand from Minor Hotels Group with a focus on architecture and design. Design is open-plan, featuring French accents, with a balcony or terrace in each of the 53 rooms.
Furnished with rich wood fittings and locally inspired textiles, rooms come with a king bed, rain showers, a flatscreen TV and a coffee machine. Three bars and restaurants are on site, serving French and Laotian cuisine, pool snacks and cocktails.
Opening date: March 2018
Rate: US$319 per night for an Avani Deluxe room
minorhotels.com
Sapporo
Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose
A ten-minute drive from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport, the hotel has 154 rooms (including a number of Japanese-style family rooms) featuring flatscreen TVs, an armchair, a desk, a refrigerator and a coffee and tea maker. Located within easy reach of Chitose Railway, which links to both the city centre and Niseko ski resort, there is also an on-site restaurant, a 24-hour gym, guest laundry and a foreign currency exchange service.
Opening date: May 2018
Rate: US$80 per night for a Superior room
bestwestern.com
Sydney
Sydney Meriton Suites Sydney Airport
Sydney’s first airport hotel to offer three-bedroom suites, the hotel is a ten-minute drive to the international terminal and has 179 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Suites are spacious and feature sofas upholstered in sleek grey and navy, a balcony, Metis bathroom amenities, an HDTV in both living room and main bedroom, a kitchen and laundry plus a grocery delivery service. Facilities include a 24-hour gym, indoor heated lap pool, a spa and sauna.
Opening date: April 2018
Rate: US$160 per night for a one-bedroom Luxury King suite
meritonsuites.com.au
Mantra Hotel at Sydney Airport
Housed in a new-build overlooking Sydney airport’s runways, the 136-room hotel is within walking distance of the airport’s domestic terminal and a ten-minute drive from the international terminal. Rooms are flooded with natural light, featuring functional fixtures and aviation-themed artwork, a king bed, LCD TVs, rain showers, a desk, coffee- and tea-making facilities, with express checkout on offer alongside on-site parking. A casual café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus 24-hour room service.
Opening date: July 2017
Rate: US$172 per night for a Superior room
mantra.com.au
Beijing
Cordis Beijing Capital Airport
This hotel from Langham Hospitality Group is currently under renovation but most of its 272 rooms and suites are still available to book, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with city views, pared-back design and a soothing cream palette. Rooms come with a king or twin beds, a desk, 37-inch TV, a Bluetooth MP3 player and a pillow menu, plus access to the gym and 24-hour room service. Crucially, it’s located just 500 metres from the airport, but the hotel also provides a free 24-hour shuttle bus service to and from Terminal 3.
Opening date: November 2017; renovation expected to end early 2019
Rate: US$152 per night for a Superior room
cordishotels.com
Guangzhou
Aerotel Guangzhou
This 24-hour hotel announced its soft opening last month, located airside in Terminal 2 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, offering 57 rooms across three categories.
Opening date: October 2018
Rate: Not bookable at time of print
myaerotel.com
Hong Kong
Transit Resting Lounge by Aerotel
Located in Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport, the lounge from Plaza Premium Group features 27 “relaxing cabins”, showers, a massage area and a snack station which serves hot beverages, soft drinks and light dishes around the clock. A 15-minute neck and shoulder massage costs HK$200 (US$25).
Opening date: March 2018
Rate: HK$250 (US$32) for a one-hour Shower and Rest package
myaerotel.com
Shanghai
Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Shanghai Hongqiao CBD
This dual-branded hotel is ideally located for convention visitors, just a ten-minute drive from the National Exhibition and Convention Center, while Hongqiao International Airport is the same distance away in the opposite direction. Hyatt Place’s 252 rooms are designed for function, and include a 49-inch HDTV, a desk and sofa, plus access to a 24/7 gym and pool (soon to come). Hyatt House’s 126 suites and studios are suited to longer-stay guests, equipped with a kitchen and a living area with TV, sofa and pull-out bed. Both hotels have a breakfast restaurant, bar and grocery store on site.
Opening date: November 2017
Rate: US$128 per night for a King room at Hyatt Place; US$145 per night for a King Studio at Hyatt House
hyatt.com
Cordis Shanghai, Hongqiao
A five-minute drive to Hongqiao International Airport, the hotel is also within walking distance of Hongqiao Railway Station, which offers bullet trains to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The hotel has 396 rooms furnished with plush beds, minimalist décor and marble-clad bathrooms, plus blackout curtains and USB Bluetooth speakers. On the 11th floor, a Club lounge offers Club room and suite guests with personalised check-in and checkout, free garment pressing and snacks and drinks throughout the day. There is also a 24-hour gym, a 25-metre pool, steam room and sauna, alongside four dining outlets serving Chinese and international cuisine, including a poolside bar with sweeping views across the city.
Opening date: May 2017
Rate: US$220 per night for a Superior room
cordishotels.com
Hotel Indigo Shanghai Hongqiao
With 228 art-deco rooms, this hotel from IHG’s quirky Indigo brand is also a ten-minute drive from both the convention centre and Hongqiao International Airport. Bold green walls make a statement in rooms alongside vintage travel accessories, while high-tech comforts include an HDTV, coffee and tea maker and spa-like bathrooms. There is an indoor and outdoor gym, as well as a good-sized yoga room, plus a tasteful café and open kitchen serving buffet and à la carte breakfast and lunch with live cooking stations. At the hotel’s rooftop bar, guests can order gourmet light bites and cocktails.
Opening date: July 2018
Rate: US$183 per night for a Superior room
ihg.com
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Airport
Located in Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport’s Terminal 3, the hotel has 355 soundproofed rooms decked out in stylish cream and coffee furnishings, featuring a desk, 55-inch TV, rain shower, a minibar and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Four dining outlets are on offer, including an upmarket Chinese restaurant, a casual Market Café serving street food-style dishes, and a cosy pub that shows sports matches on a widescreen TV.
Opening date: May 2018
Rate: US$125 per night for a King room
hyatt.com
Coming up
HONG KONG
Four Points by Sheraton and Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung
Two stops on Hong Kong’s MTR from Chek Lap Kok airport, the two hotel brands from Marriott will offer 1,000 rooms at the Four Points by Sheraton and 220 rooms at the Sheraton.
Opening date: Early 2020
marriott.com
MANILA
Hotel Okura Manila
A five-minute drive from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Resorts World Manila, the hotel will feature 170 rooms, plus a range of dining options including a traditional Japanese restaurant, all-day dining, a bar, plus a gym and pool.
Opening date: Early 2019
okura-nikko.com
MELBOURNE
Novotel and Ibis Styles Melbourne Airport
Construction on this dual-branded property has started near Melbourne airport’s Terminal 4, and will offer 464 rooms across the three-star Ibis Styles and four-star Novotel, including a wellness centre, meeting rooms, a pool, gym, bar and café – built within a former aerofoil – and shared dining outlets.
Opening date: 2020
accorhotels.com
AUCKLAND
Pullman Auckland Airport
This 250-room hotel will be situated next to Auckland Airport’s international terminal, and will coincide with the expansion of a new domestic wing at the terminal.
Opening date: Late 2019
pullmanhotels.com
SINGAPORE
Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore
Located just ten minutes by car from Singapore’s Changi Airport, the Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore is set to open its doors some time next year, offering 198 rooms and suites along with eight corporate villas, all situated within the Laguna National Golf and Country Club.
Opening date: 2019
dusit.com
Yotelair Changi Airport
Changi Airport’s upcoming Jewel lifestyle and entertainment complex is due to open to the public early next year, and with it will be Asia’s first Yotelair-brand property, the Yotelair Changi Airport. Situated on the complex’s fourth floor, the hotel is inspired by luxury first class aircraft design, going so far as to term its 130 guestrooms “cabins”.
Opening date: March 2019
yotel.com
Marisa Cannon
