Stuck in Heathrow or Gatwick for a while? Here's a solution that might work for you. YOTEL - a revolutionary hotel that offers cabins in Gatwick's South Terminal, offers a "first-class" hotel experience at affordable prices.  The cabins include en-suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi and wired internet, and 'techno-wall' entertainment systems.  You can book the cabins for a few hours or for the night (facilitating early morning flights!). 

YOTEL was created by YO! Founder Simon Woodroffe and YOTEL CEO Gerard Greene. The idea was conceived by Simon after he was upgraded into first-class on a flight. He decided to translate the language of luxury airline travel and Japanese capsule hotels into a small but luxurious cabin. Gerard Greene evolved that idea into reality with YOTEL.

Cabins come in Premium, Standard, and Twin rooms, with enough room for two, in-cabin entertainment, room service, free WiFi or wired internet access, charging points, luxury bathroom, a flat screen TV and a jukebox. 

"In the 21st Century luxury will be available to everybody at the right cost and this is a taste of that future," comments Simon Woodroffe, Founder of YO!. "Travelling can be a painful experience so we are looking to making it as pleasurable as possible for YOTEL customers. We expect this radical approach to be extremely popular with a range of consumers and are looking to expand YOTEL globally."

I contacted Yotel to ask a few more questions for our wanderingeducators.com members, and here's what a Yotel Spokesperson had to say...

WE:  How far in advance should you reserve a yotel? Are any available on a walk-up basis?

YOTEL:  Yes they are available on a walk-up basis (which is fantastic if you are met with long delays) but I would recommend booking online for overnights as these do tend to get booked up in advance - 1/2 weeks in advance should be fine

WE: If you were traveling with 1-2 children, would it be possible to fit into a luxury room, or should you get two rooms?

YOTEL: You could fit 2 children and adult into a premium room but I probably wouldn't recommend this - not a very comfortable nights sleep! I would suggest 2 rooms, a standard and a premium.

WE: Thanks so much - YOTEL seems ideal and a great concept come to life!

Opening in Summer '08 - YOTEL at Amsterdam's Schipol Airport!

For more information, and to make a reservation, please see:
http://www.yotel.com/