Napping pods

By Alana Coates

yotel

Hopping time zones can be exhausting, but these days it doesn't have to be. In today's increasingly mobile world, there's a new option to get some quality shut-eye when you're far from the comfort of your own bed – napping pods.

Cabin fever

As of this March, London's Gatwick Airport will be offering deluxe hotel "cabins" called Yotels for passengers to rest up for a few hours before hitting the skies. (Heathrow plans to follow suit this June.) The cabins will be equipped with luxury bedding, a hand-sprung mattress, a flat screen LCD TV with surround sound – and even room service. The brainchild of British entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe, Yotels were inspired by Japan's capsule hotels. (Woodroffe also introduced Londoners to the concept of sushi on moving conveyer belts at his Yo! Sushi shops in the U.K.)

Several airports in Asia already boast similar napping facilities. Singapore's Changi Airport offers private napping compartments, which are rented in three-hour blocks, in their Plaza Premium Lounge on the third floor of Terminal 2. The dimly lit wooden interior provides the perfect sleeping atmosphere, while masseuses are close by should you crave foot reflexology or need a head and shoulder massage to unwind. The lounge also has a gym and showers. Tokyo's Narita International Airport rents day rooms by the hour with single or twin beds, night tables, cozy blankets and ensuite showers complete with fluffy towels. With the prospect of a plush clean bed ahead, delayed flights could soon become welcome news.

Plaza Premium Lounge at the Singapore Changi Airport, third floor of Terminal 2, 65-6545-0388

Day rooms at the Narita International Airport, Tokyo, third floor of Central Building, 81-476-32-4734

Peas in a pod

In Canada, the best airport to have a snooze between international flights would have to be the Vancouver International Airport. Should you find yourself nodding off after making it through security, head down to Gate 82 in the International Terminal to check out the MetroNaps pods. These space-age reclining chairs block out all sound and light, turning a busy airport into an oasis of peace. And they're scientifically designed for napping: Your upper body is cocooned in an egg-shaped fiberglass pod for privacy, while your legs are slightly elevated on the 7-foot-long chair. Headphones provide ambient music to help you drift off, and the pod will vibrate gently to ease you awake in time to catch your next flight.

MetroNaps, Vancouver International Airport, International Terminal, 778-858-7133

Camping in comfort

Camping has its charms, but a wet tent and a hard mattress don't always add up to the pampered vacation you deserve. Don't you just wish you could take a cushy hotel room right along with you to the countryside? British hotel chain Travelodge has come up with the concept of a mobile hotel room – a 20-foot-long polycarbonate glass box with a luxury double bed, cozy duvet and pillows, a fully carpeted floor, table, sink and even your very own private toilet. The Travelpod is transported on the back of a truck, set down wherever and presto – instant mud-free comfort. The company has plans to do trials this summer at a few of Britain's giant outdoor music festivals. Camping has never been so luxe.

(Alana Coates is a Montreal writer who can sleep right through an international flight. She wrote about Munich in the February issue.)

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