Cheap fares and discount travel packages are great, but now more customers are looking for comfort as well when they travel. Very small sleeping rooms at airports are starting to be made available in the US.
Five Minute Suites opened at the Atlanta airport earlier this month. For $30 per hour travelers can rest in rooms 7 wide by 8 long. These rooms come with a daybed sofa, pillows, blankets, a small desk, Internet access, 32 inch flat screen TV and a DirecTV hook up.
The San Francisco International Airport is not far behind. 14 rooms are being designed to be placed in its international terminal and will have comparable amenities.
This phenomenon started in Asia and Europe where travelers catch naps in between flights. Extremely small nap rooms that include shower and spa services have been offered to many of their international passengers for years.
Use of nap rooms in the US has been limited in the past because layovers are typically shorter and Americans usually look at airports as a place you simply move through as quickly as possible.
US Airports are slowly changing their attitude towards nap rooms because domestic passengers spend more time in airports as a result of tightened security, delays, and missed connections.
These rooms are not just being designed as nap rooms. They are also meant to attract passengers who do not want to pay for airline club membership, parents who are trying to entertain their children, business people who want to work while they wait, and fans who want to watch sports in private.