Posts in the category "Sleeping":

I had loads of fun touring Singapore’s Changi Airport today and wanted to share a few photos of the some of the fun, unusual, and very useful amenities this airport offers.

In addition to free wireless Internet access and more than 500 free Internet terminals, Changi Airport has five lovely and restful gardens, including a cactus garden, a fern garden, a sunflower garden, an orchid garden and, my favorite, a butterfly garden:

There are napping areas throughout the airport, including some lounge chairs that include alarm clocks (!)  and I found these ladies enjoying some of the airport’s complimentary foot and leg massage machines.

And, in case you’re not quite awake, I guess, this giant coffee cup is around to remind travelers that on Monday mornings through mid-February, there’s free coffee for everyone.

Categories: Art, Assistance, Entertainment, Exhibits, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Massages, Sleeping, Wi-Fi
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A rare working week in London is bracketed by two very different, but equally impressive at/in Heathrow Airport hotel stays.

6 AM arrival: after a long, sleepless flight from the US west coast beside a fidgety, too-tall seatmate, I can’t face heading to town and trying to stay awake until hotel check-in time. Instead I visit the short-stay YOTEL in Terminal 4, where compact and very cozy, ship-cabin-inspired rooms offer just the essentials: bed, TV, Wi-Fi, and bathroom.  Four hours later I’m refreshed and ready for the Tube-trek into town.  Not for the claustrophobic, but a great option for folks with very early arrivals or departures.

6 AM departure: With such an early morning flight, its just makes sense to stay at – or in – the airport.  In the past I’ve snagged an acceptable rate at the Heathrow London Hilton Airport Hotel, attached to Terminal 4, but this time I’m snuggled in for a short night at the new, ultra-swank Sofitel London Heathrow, attached to the new Terminal 5.

Rooms offer pillow menus and many public areas have themes:  for example the lobby is “Antarctica,” with a cool ice-block-inspired fountain, and there’s a huge, peaceful indoor Zen Garden.

There are multiple restaurants, several bars and a fitness room, but it’s the spa that offers a hidden treat for folks stuck – or just worn out – at the airport.  For about the same price as four hours at the YOTEL, travelers can hang out in the Sofitel’s Hydro Suite, which has a shower, steam room, sauna, giant spa tub, and some very inviting-looking lounge chairs.  If you’re nice, they might even let you stretch out in the official relaxation room as well.

Categories: Hotels, Sleeping
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Stockholm-Arlanda Airport not only has a fancy new duty-free store with the world’s largest “snusidor,” there’s also a hotel in the middle of the airport, the Radisson SAS Sky City Hotel between Terminals 4 and 5.

Starting around January 15th, travelers will also be able to spend a night at the nearby Jumbo Hostel, a hotel INSIDE a retired Boeing 747 airplane.

Check out the photos and comments about the Jumbo Hostel over at Wired’s Autopia. With Valentine’s Day coming up, keep in mind that Arlanda Airport offers a wide range of wedding and registered partnership ceremonies.

So you can get married and have your honeymoon right at the airport: the hostel’s honeymoon suite is in the airplane’s cockpit and has its own bathroom and a great view of  the airport.

Categories: Sleeping
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We say we want Wi-Fi everywhere – in the airport, on the airplane, and in our hotel rooms. And some folks keep a BlackBerry by the bedside in case an important message arrives in the middle of night.

But according to research put together by the folks Crowne Plaza hotels:

“Checking emails just before hitting the sack halts the production of sleep enhancing melatonin and has the same effect as drinking a double espresso at bedtime…”

So the hotel chain is testing a program that offers travelers a “switch-off call” telling them it’s time to power down, relax, and go to bed.  If needed, a guest can request a fresh mint or calming ginger tea as well.

Crowne Plaza is testing the “switch off call” at some of its properties in the United Kingdom. If folks like it, the service will spread to the more than 300 Crowne Plaza hotels around the world.

Good idea????

Categories: Sleeping
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