Long delays at the airport can be gruesome for the weary traveler and current gate seating is not especially comfortable for those looking to get a little shut eye. Fortunately, a unique new form of airport accommodation may soon be coming to an airport near you.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will be one of the first airports in the country to offer "pod hotels" -- small, in-terminal cabins where travelers can comfortably rest while waiting for flights.
The hotels, designed by the company Minute Suite, have already debuted at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2009 and Philadelphia International Airport last March.
The pod hotel idea was inspired by Japanese capsule hotels or "sleep boxes," which are designed for cheap and basic overnight stays.
Each roughly 56-square foot pod hotel room includes a daybed, pillows and blankets and a 32-inch HDTV that can also serve as a computer with wireless internet access. In-room workstations include a desk, phone and office chair. Although the current locations do not include bathrooms, the pods at DFW will have private shower units.
The rooms are $30 for the first hour (the minimum stay) and $7.50 for every 15 minutes afterward, with discounts applying for longer stays.
Dallas-Fort Worth's first pod hotel will open in Terminal D near the end of the year. Another location in Terminal A will open in late 2014.
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Pod hotels may soon become a common feature in U.S. Airports -- Minute Suites is currently negotiating to open in several airports across the country.
