Accessible hotels near Manchester Airport
It can be hard to find information about hotels with disabled access near Manchester Airport, so we have put together a guide to hotels with accessible facilities. Many of them offer long term parking facilities so you can leave your car there whilst you are away, and most of them also offer a shuttle bus transfer to the airport.
Bewley’s Hotel Manchester Airport
This hotel has blue badge parking spaces outside and the building has wheelchair access. There are accessible bedrooms, some of which have wet rooms. All the public areas of the hotel including the restaurant and bar are fully accessible. Bewley’s has been awarded mobility 2 status by Visit Britain. It is on-site at Manchester Airport, offers long term parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminals.
This is an off-site hotel, about 10 minutes’ drive from the airport. There are disabled parking spaces the front of the hotel. There are ramps and lifts to all floors inside the building, except the very oldest bedrooms. Specially designated accessible guest rooms are available. They have long stay parking packages which include a complimentary taxi to the airport.
Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Wilmslow)
Guide dogs are welcome at this hotel, which has blue badge parking spaces outside. The building has wheelchair access, with ramps and lifts. Adapted guest rooms can be booked. A hearing loop has been installed and reception can provide a vibrating pillow fire alarm. There’s free long term parking here at your own risk, but no shuttle bus to the airport, which is about 3 miles away.
Holiday Inn Manchester Airport
The Holiday Inn is 5 minutes’ drive from the airport. There are disabled parking bays and 2 accessible bedrooms. These are double rooms and can be booked with an interconnecting twin room if necessary. All the hotel’s facilities have disabled access and there is a walk in shower in its leisure club. There are holiday parking packages and a shuttle bus to the airport.
Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport
The Crowne Plaza is on-site at the airport. There are blue badge parking spaces outside the building. It has 2 accessible guest rooms and guide dogs are welcome. You can book long stay parking packages and there’s a free shuttle to all the terminals.
Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Heald Green)
There are 3 accessible rooms at this Premier Inn, which have lower beds and bathroom fittings. The restaurant and bar are accessible and there are vibrating alarms available. It’s less than 5 minutes’ drive from here to the airport.
Premier Inn Manchester Airport
Another Premier Inn near Manchester Airport; this one is 10 to 15 minutes away. The accessible bedrooms have walk-in showers and lower beds. All levels and areas of the hotel are accessible with lifts and there’s blue badge parking outside. There are vibrating pillow alarms for the hard of hearing. The hotel runs a shuttle bus and offers airport parking packages.
Every floor on the Travelodge has 4 accessible bedrooms. All of the hotel’s facilities are accessible for wheelchair users. It’s 10 minutes’ drive from here to the airport passenger terminal. There’s paid parking for up to 4 days and a shuttle bus available.
The Hilton has blue badge parking spaces and 2 accessible bedrooms. These have wider doors and adapted bathrooms. The gym and restaurant are accessible and vibrating alarms are available. There’s a free shuttle bus to the terminal which is 5 minutes away.
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport
There are blue badge bays in the car park and the hotel is fully accessible via lifts and ramps. The accessible bedrooms have walk-in showers. All the bedrooms have complimentary WiFi connections and long term parking is available. The hotel is on-site at the airport. Terminals 1 and 2 are connected to the hotel with moving walkways and there is a shuttle bus to Terminal 3.
Accessible hotels near Birmingham Airport
These days, more effort is being made to improve accessibility in hotels. However, it can still be difficult to find out what facilities a hotel has, because their websites don’t provide the information and staff are often ill-informed about what’s available. To help you out, we’ve done some of the work for you and researched hotels at Birmingham Airport with accessible rooms.
Premier Inn Birmingham NEC/Airport
This hotel has blue badge parking spaces outside and all its public areas are wheelchair accessible. Accessible rooms with wet rooms are available. Hearing loops have been fitted where appropriate and vibrating alarms can be provided. It takes about 10 minutes to drive to the airport from the Premier Inn, and there are park and fly packages available if you would like to leave your car at the hotel for the duration of your trip.
The Arden has 6 blue badge parking spaces. The meeting rooms, bar and restaurant are all accessible to wheelchair users. Accessible bedrooms have been built with appropriate turning circles and lower fixtures and fittings, such as light switches. Evacuation ski pads are available in the event of a fire. Assistance dogs are welcome in the hotel. It’s less than a mile to the airport and long term parking is possible.
This hotel has blue badge parking and 12 accessible guest rooms. At reception there is an induction loop for hearing aid users and all the public areas of the hotel are fully accessible. The hotel is 5 minutes’ drive from the airport. They have long term parking packages and a shuttle bus to the train station, where you can catch the free monorail to the terminal.
The Ibis has ramps to allow wheelchair access to the building. Inside, there are 8 accessible bedrooms. Induction loops have also been fitted for the hard of hearing and there are accessible toilets in the building. The hotel is just 300 metres from the terminal. It does not have its own car park, but you can use the official airport car parks; there’s one just across the road.
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
The public areas of the hotel are fully accessible and service animals are welcome here. There are 2 accessible rooms, with wider doors, bigger bathrooms and lower fittings, such as light switches. There are panel grab rails by the toilet and an emergency button there and beside the bed. It takes 10 minutes to drive to the airport. They have long term parking packages and a shuttle bus.
The accessible rooms in this hotel have level access showers with grab rails and a shower seat. There is an emergency pull cord in the bathroom and a button beside the bed. The room has a 1500 mm turning circle. Features such as the spyhole and lightswitch are set at a low height and there is a strobe light in the ceiling which activates if the hotel’s fire alarm sounds. There are blue badge parking spaces and the public areas of the hotel are fully accessible. It’s a few minutes’ drive from the airport terminal. Park and fly packages are available and there’s free Wifi access throughout the hotel.
This hotel has blue badge parking bays and long term parking packages. Its accessible bedrooms have lower fixtures and fittings. All the public areas including the bar and restaurants are fully wheelchair accessible. There’s a shuttle bus to the train station, where you can board a monorail that goes to the terminal building. It takes 10 minutes to drive from the hotel to the airport.
Express by Holiday Inn Birmingham NEC
This hotel has accessible parking spaces, but blue badge holders still have to pay for parking, which costs £7 per day. Guide dogs are welcome. There are 10 accessible bedrooms which have adapted bathrooms and lower fixtures and fittings. They also have vibrating pillow alarms. There is no restaurant in the hotel but the pub next door is also wheelchair accessible. The airport is 10 minutes away by car, or a shuttle bus to the train station is also provided. This is connected by skyrail to the airport building.
The Novotel is on-site, opposite Terminal 1 at the airport. It has 6 accessible rooms and can provide vibrating alarms. All public areas of the hotel are fully accessible. There is a wireless internet connection, but a charge applies to this. Parking is in the airport car parks at Terminal 1.
Birmingham Airport Hotels with parking
Booking an airport hotel with parking can be a convenient and cost effective alternative to using the official airport car parks. There are 7 hotels near Birmingham Airport with parking packages – including a night’s accommodation and airport parking.
Premier Inn Birmingham NEC/Airport
The Premier Inn is 5 minutes’ drive from Birmingham Airport. It has free parking for guests whilst they’re staying at the hotel and long term parking packages are available. They include a night’s accommodation for up to 2 adults and 2 children, a Grab & Go breakfast and long term parking, starting from £85 (price correct April 2010). It’s a 3 star hotel.
Arden Hotel and Leisure Club
This 3 star hotel has a large car park with 350 spaces. It’s free to use whilst you’re resident at the hotel and they offer 14 day airport parking packages. Longer stays can also be arranged. The hotel’s less than a mile from the airport. There’s no shuttle bus; a taxi costs about £6. There’s WiFi access available at the Arden Hotel, for a charge.
Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC
The car park at the Crowne Plaza has controlled access gates and floodlights for security. It’s free to use overnight and long term parking packages are available. The hotel is 5 minutes’ drive from Birmingham Airport. There’s a shuttle bus which will take you to Birmingham International Train Station for free. Then you can take the free monorail to the airport. If you’d like to be dropped right outside the airport terminal the bus can do that for £1. There’s wireless internet at this 4 star hotel but there is a charge to connect.
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
This 3 star hotel is about a mile and a half from the airport. You can book a package that includes a night’s accommodation, parking for up to 15 days and airport transfers. There is a charge to use the wireless internet at the hotel.
Gables Hotel & Restaurant
Overnight parking is free and long term parking packages are on offer. This 3 star hotel is a mile and a half from the airport. They don’t have a shuttle bus and a taxi will cost about £10. There’s free WiFi in the public areas of the building.
Hilton Birmingham Metropole
This is a 4 star hotel which is 10 minutes’ drive from the airport. It has 700 spaces in its car park, which has been given the “Safe Park” award for secure parking. Long term parking packages are available. Deluxe rooms have internet access.
Ramada Encore NEC Birmingham
The 3 star Ramada is within walking distance of the airport terminal; it takes 5 minutes. Its car park is covered by CCTV. You can park there for free overnight and long term parking packages are available. There’s free wireless internet access throughout the building.
Volcanic ash cloud fills up UK airport hotels
Passengers are stranded at airports across the UK as a volcanic ash cloud moves across Europe. It’s unsafe to fly in these conditions, so hundreds of planes have been grounded until the situation improves. This is the second day of disruption and the flight ban will remain in place until at least 1 pm on Saturday, making further delays and cancellations over the weekend inevitable.
So far 600,000 UK travellers have been affected. Floods of stranded passengers are looking for somewhere to stay, meaning that many on-site airport hotels are already full to bursting. Airport Hotels.com can help with this because it searches both on-site and off-site hotels to find vacant accommodation within a few minutes’ drive of the airport. It has a database of 1800 hotels near UK airports – that’s more than any other UK airport hotel website. Price comparison technology looks for the best deals on accommodation, pooling the results from 10 different booking websites, including Expedia, LateRooms, ebookers and Hotels.com. This means a bigger selection of rooms, more availability and cheaper prices on Airport Hotels.com.
You can see where the hotels are on a map, look at photographs and read Tripadvisor reviews before making your decision and booking online. If you’re affected by the flight cancellations and need to find an airport hotel with vacancies, Airport Hotels.com can help.
A search for Stansted Airport hotels will bring up 30 options within 5 miles of the terminal. There are plenty of guest houses and B&Bs that won’t blow your holiday budget. Manchester Airport hotels are mainly 3 and 4 star properties but they also feature the budget hotel chains of Premier Inn and Travelodge. There are several large Birmingham Airport hotels within a few minutes’ drive of the terminal and many of them are still showing availability for tonight. Those stranded at the UK’s main airport and looking for Heathrow Airport hotels can find 25 different accommodation options on Airport Hotels.com for an unexpected overnight stay, including serviced apartments and hotels of all standards from 1 to 5 stars.
The volcanic eruptions have caused disruption to passengers at airports across Europe. It’s the worst meteorological situation Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control organisation, has ever dealt with. A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday, sending up a cloud of ash that then drifted across Europe. It contains particles of rock, glass and sand which can jam aircraft engines. This has caused planes to crash in the past so flight bans have been put in place for safety reasons. UK airspace was closed on Thursday afternoon as the cloud enveloped the country. Only a tiny number of services have been allowed to fly since then, as gaps appeared in the cloud, and this situation will continue until Saturday afternoon at least. News teams have been vox popping stranded passengers across the UK, and some of them are clearly more upset about it than others, judging by this live clip from Sky News.
Luxury hotels at Manchester Airport
There are a number of luxury hotels near Manchester Airport. Whether it’s a swimming pool and spa you’re looking for, or a period property with antique furniture, you’ll find a place to fit the bill near Manchester Airport. Two of the high quality hotels are on-site at the airport and the others are all within a 10 minute drive. They all provide transport to the terminals.
Hilton Manchester Airport
This is a 4 star hotel. It has open plan luxury guest suites with seating and dining areas, and extra touches like bathrobes, slippers and complimentary mineral water. All the guest rooms have LCD TVs with satellite channels, movies and video games. They are fully air-conditioned and soundproofed. It also has a gym and rooms that can be hired for conferences or events. They offer a complimentary shuttle bus to the terminal buildings, which are very nearby since the hotel is within the grounds of the airport.
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport
This 4 star hotel has the luxury of being connected to Terminals 1 and 2 with an undercover moving walkway. Very convenient! They have a swimming pool, sauna and steam room, and a spa where you can treat yourself to a massage or a facial. There are 6 luxury suites with a separate bedroom and sitting area, complimentary movies, bathrobes and slippers and Nespresso coffee machines. There’s complimentary WiFi access throughout the building and airport parking packages are available. A shuttle bus runs to Terminal 3.
Etrop Grange
This is a 4 star Georgian Mansion, about 2 minutes’ drive from the airport. It is decorated in an elegant country house style, with lots of period features. Most of the bedrooms have either brass or four-poster beds and some of them have Jacuzzi bath. The hotel’s restaurant has been awarded an AA rosette. There’s WiFi internet throughout the building which is free for guests to use. They also provide complimentary transport to the airport, which is available on request 24 hours a day.
Stanneylands Hotel
This is another 4 star country house hotel, about 10 minutes from the airport. It is set in wooded grounds and the restaurant has been awarded 2 AA rosettes. There is also a café bar which is the setting for performances on the grand piano. Deluxe suites and executive rooms have plasma screen TVs and high tech sound systems. There’s free WiFi access throughout the building. They offer long term parking packages which include a night’s accommodation and complimentary taxis to the airport.
Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel
This modern 4 star hotel is about a mile and a half from the airport. There are extensive leisure and fitness facilities including a swimming pool and whirlpool, a gym and complimentary exercise classes. You can also book some beauty therapies in the spa. Guests staying in executive rooms and suites have access to the Executive Lounge in the hotel and are provided with complimentary food and soft drinks. There’s wireless internet in the rooms, although there is a charge for this. The Marriott has airport parking deals on offer and provides a shuttle bus service to the terminals.
Manchester Airport hotels with parking
There are many hotels near Manchester Airport with long term parking deals on offer. They usually give you a price that includes a room for the night and a certain number of days’ parking. Lots of them also offer transport to the terminals, so this can work out to be a convenient and cost-effective alternative to using the official 0n-site car parks at Manchester Airport. There’s even one hotel that offers free holiday parking – that’s the Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Wilmslow). To help you choose the right accommodation, here is a complete guide to hotels with parking at Manchester Airport.
Rylands Farm Guest House
This is an old farm with plenty of parking on-site. It’s free whilst you’re staying there. After you jet off on holiday, it costs £25 for 1 week’s parking, £40 for 2 weeks and an additional £12 for any further weeks. The owners will transport you to and from the airport free of charge, between 7 am (or 8 am on weekends and holidays) and 8.30 pm. The 3 star commended guest house is about 10 minutes’ drive from the airport.
Travelodge Manchester Airport
The car park at this hotel is managed by an external company, Britannia Parking. There’s a £5 charge for one day and you can leave the car for up to 4 days, which costs £40. Four days is the maximum stay, so if you’re off on a long trip this will be no use to you. There’s a shuttle bus to and from the airport, but be aware that there is an extra cost for this. The 3 star hotel is 10 minutes away from the airport.
Stanneylands Hotel
This country house hotel has free parking for its resident guests. Long term parking can be booked as a package deal with a night’s accommodation. They also throw in a complimentary taxi to and from the airport. The journey takes about 10 minutes. This is a 4 star hotel with free WiFi access throughout the building.
Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel
The Marriott has a car park on-site which costs £6 for a day. If you need long-term airport parking you can book that as a package deal with a night’s accommodation. The hotel is about a mile and a half from the airport and they provide a shuttle service to the terminals, for a charge.
Premier Inn Manchester Airport (Wilmslow)
Parking at this 3 star Premier Inn is completely free of charge. You can leave your car here when you depart for the airport, although the hotel won’t take any responsibility for looking after it whilst you’re away. There is no shuttle bus to the airport, which is about 3 miles away.
Holiday Inn Manchester Airport
The car park at this 3 star hotel is free for guests to use overnight. They offer holiday parking packages that include a price for long term parking and a room for the night. There’s a shuttle bus to the airport, which takes 20 minutes to get there because it has to make other stops. If you go direct in a taxi it only takes 5 minutes.
Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport
It costs £10 per day for guests to park at the Crowne Plaza. Alternatively, you can book a holiday parking package with a night’s accommodation. The car may be kept at the on-site car park or transferred to an off-site car park in conjunction with Holiday Car Care, depending on how busy they are. There’s a free shuttle bus to the airport from this 4 star hotel, which is within the grounds of Manchester Airport.
Bewley’s Hotel Manchester Airport
Parking costs £6 for one day at Bewley’s Hotel. They offer packages with a room for the night and either 8 or 15 days’ parking. The cars are usually kept in the on-site car park for 8 days, but may be moved to an off-site facility, depending on availability. There’s a free shuttle bus to all the airport terminals, or you can walk to them, which takes 5 or 10 minutes. This is a 3 hotel on-site at Manchester Airport. They’ve got free WiFi throughout the building.
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport
The Radisson charges for parking. They offer deals including a night’s accommodation and 4, 8, 15 or 22 days’ parking. The 4 star hotel has free WiFi throughout the building and is connected to Terminals 1 and 2 via a covered moving walkway. There’s a shuttle bus to Terminal 3.
Luxury hotels at Stansted Airport
Since it was built, Stansted Airport has become a hub for the low cost airlines, so it’s not surprising that a lot of the accommodation in the area is low budget as well. There are lots of guest houses and bed and breakfast places, and a few decent 3 star hotels. However, there are also a couple of 4 star options, so if you’re looking for a luxury hotel near Stansted Airport, these are the ones we would recommend.
Radisson SAS Hotel London Stansted Airport
This modern, glass fronted hotel has a light filled atrium at its centre. Rising up in the middle of this, 4 stories high, is a spectacular tower of 4,000 wine bottles. Guests in the bar at the bottom choose their bottle, and a Wine Angel flies up on wires to collect it, performing acrobatics as she goes. It’s quite a sight.
The hotel also has a Health Club with a 10 metre indoor pool, a sauna and steam room. You can ease away the strain of travelling in the spa with a massage or a reflexology session.
The guest rooms are all air conditioned and soundproofed for your comfort and peace and quiet. They’re equipped with all the latest technology including LCD TVs with cable channels and movies and free wireless internet access. Full suites are the most luxurious rooms you can book. They have a private dining and seating area, two bathrooms and broad bay windows. The Radisson SAS Hotel is on site at Stansted Airport. It’s 2 minutes’ walk from the terminal along a covered pathway. You can book long term parking at the hotel along with your room.
Hilton London Stansted Airport
This hotel is also in a modern building. It has a Health Club with indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. You can even use the sunbed to make a start on your tan before you jet off on holiday.
The guest rooms have 32 inch LCD TV and radio with MP3 connection. Deluxe rooms have marble bathrooms and Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. The most luxurious bedrooms are the suites, which are 34 metres square and have a separate living room and working area. The Hilton Hotel is within the perimeter of Stansted Airport. There’s a shuttle bus to the terminal, which takes 6 minutes. They have overnight parking at the hotel for residents.
Technorati – WUEB57BB529J
Stansted Airport hotels with parking
There are lots of hotels around Stansted Airport where you can book a room with holiday parking included. This is sometimes known as a park & fly package. As well as being cost effective, it’s also really convenient. In the morning, you don’t have to worry about driving anywhere, you just leave your car at the hotel and make the short journey to the airport terminal by shuttle bus or taxi. Many of these hotels are about 5 minutes from the airport, in comparison to the official long stay car park for Stansted, which is a 20 minute shuttle bus ride away. Here is a guide to all the hotels with long-term parking near Stansted Airport.
Express by Holiday Inn London Stansted ***
This hotel has on-site parking for up to 175 cars. There is a charge for overnight parking and further nights can be added at an extra cost, subject to availability. The hotel shuttle bus will take you to the terminal building, which is 5 minutes away. The hotel has a bar and restaurant.
DeSalis Hotels London Stansted ***
Most bookings at this hotel come with a day’s free parking and other parking packages are available. You can take the 24 hour shuttle bus to the airport, which is 2 miles away. There is a restaurant on site with Italian and English menus.
Residents are given 2 days free parking and additional days can be booked at a charge. The guest house provides free transfers for the 3 minute journey to the terminal. It is set in the countryside and there is a pub serving meals a short drive away. Rooms are en suite and a self-service breakfast is provided.
Car parking is free during your stay and extra days are available for a charge. The owners provide free transport to the terminal. The guest house is a 17th century cottage in a village setting 2 miles from the airport. Breakfast is served in your room and there are places to have your evening meal a short drive away.
Radisson SAS Stansted Airport ****
There’s a large car park alongside the Radisson. If you want to leave your car there for the duration of your holiday, the best idea is to book the parking along with your room. If you don’t do that it will end up being very expensive. The hotel is just a 2 minute walk from the Terminal along a covered path. The guest rooms have free Wi-Fi internet access.
Long term parking is available when staying at this B & B, if you arrange it in advance. The drive to the airport takes about 5 minutes and they offer free transfers from 6 am; otherwise, a taxi will cost about £7. Taphall has an English Tourist Board rating of 3 diamonds.
Here the parking for the first day is free, but after that you have to pay. You can book a room and parking package together. The lodge has free Wi-Fi in the public areas. It’s 5 minutes from Stansted.
There is space to park your car overnight and if you need long term parking, ask in advance and they can organise this for you. The house is equipped with a free Wi-Fi connection and is a mile and a half from the Terminal.
You can book a room and holiday parking package at this manor house. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. It’s about 3 miles from the terminal.
One night’s accommodation can be booked with up to 7 days parking included. The guest rooms have wireless internet access and the airport is about 2 and a half miles away.
This guest house offers long stay parking at a cheap per-day rate. They provide free transfers to the airport between 4 am and 11 am and 4 pm to 10 pm. Outside of those times, a taxi costs about £10. Wi-Fi internet access is available. They are about 2 miles from the airport.
This B&B, also known as Aspens, offers parking and transfers on the same terms as Avalon. It has free wireless internet access and is also a couple of miles from the airport.
This guest house offers holiday parking rates with its rooms. They can arrange transfers to the airport for you, which is just over 3 miles away.
This is a country house restaurant with two en suite bedrooms available. It offers free airport parking for 3 nights and charges per day after that. The airport is around 4 miles away.
Jolly Brewers Travel Lodge ***
This hotel can provide long stay parking whilst you are on holiday and can organise transfers to the airport. The guest rooms have internet access. It’s a 10 minute drive to the terminal.
You get free parking at this inn during your stay and airport parking is available at an additional cost. They run a transfer service to the airport; it’s about 3 miles away.
This B&B offers long term parking at a cheap daily rate, and provides complimentary airport transfers. It’s about 4 miles from the terminal and takes 12 minutes.
Aeroplane hotels
Have you ever wished you could bring your bed on board the aeroplane? Stretch out and get a sound night’s sleep on a long flight? The dream of a floating hotel is not as far-fetched as you might think. There’s a new generation of aircraft in development that could change the way we travel forever. But, for the moment, the closest thing you’ll get to that experience is an aeroplane hotel; the only problem is, you won’t have moved anywhere when you wake up!
Jumbo Hostel, Arlanda Airport, Sweden
This plane had a long life in service, ferrying tourists around the world and flying Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. But by 2006 it had been reduced to a mouldy wreck, abandoned at Arlanda Airport in Sweden. An entrepreneur saw an opportunity and snapped it up, transforming the Boeing 747 into a 25 room hostel. The interior was completely cleaned out and refurbished, with new wiring and plumbing, and the space divided into bedrooms and bathrooms. It has kept some original features, like overhead cabins for storage and repositioned airline chairs in the lounge. The hostel has a view of the landing strip at the airport and those not staying overnight are welcome to come in for a coffee or a walk out on the wing.
This is budget accommodation – you can expect to sleep on a bunk bed in a room about 6 metres square. You can opt to share with others, dormitory style, but private rooms for up to 3 guests are available. The most luxurious space is the cockpit suite, which sleeps 2 and is the only bedroom with a private bathroom. It’s being billed as the honeymoon suite, with marriage ceremonies to take place on the wing outside. You might not quite qualify for the mile high club, but it’s the next best thing.
Have a look around and see what you think!
727 Fuselage, Costa Rica
This plane looks like it has crash landed in a tropical paradise, but it was really brought here bit by bit from its prior resting place at San Jose Airport. It’s another plane that came to the end of its working life and was given a makeover by a hotelier with an eye for unusual accommodation.
This one is at the more luxurious end of the market. The whole Boeing 727 has been turned into one exclusive suite. Set on a 50-foot high pedestal, it has views over the ocean and the jungle. A hardwood deck has been added to the outside and there is a dining area, kitchenette and 2 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The interior has been covered in teak panelling, giving it the feel of a top-class treehouse.
Airplane Suite, Teuge Airport, Holland
This plane was being used as a village restaurant when it was bought and brought to the edge of the runway at Teuge Airport in Holland. It has been transformed into a 5 star hotel suite and meeting room, complete with Jacuzzi, sauna, bar and kitchen, as well as all mod cons like flat screen televisions and wireless internet.
The four engine plane was built in 1960 and was used by the East German government, to carry officials like Erich Honecker around the world. It’s an Ilyushin 18, which was a popular Soviet Union aircraft. Its Cold War-era owners could hardly have imagined that the plane would one day be kitted out as a playroom for wealthy capitalist businessmen.
Manned Cloud
If you really want your hotel to get off the ground, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. The Manned Cloud won’t be launched until 2020. It’s still in development, but a flying hotel is an exciting prospect and could be part of a revolution in the way we travel. The technology hasn’t been fully worked out yet, but it’s an airship that will be fuelled by some kind of gas. It will be huge – the length of 2 football pitches – with 20 bedrooms for up to 40 guests. It will have all the features you would expect in a quality hotel such as a restaurant, bar, spa and gym. But it will be able to take you places you have never been before.
The idea is that it could land in beauty spots such as Thailand and the Caribbean, stay there for a week or so and then take off again. This would allow tourists to visit these destinations, whilst leaving the natural landscape unspoilt by permanent building.
Aeroscraft
And there’s another airborne hotel on the horizon, with a prototype expected as early as 2010. It will be the cruise ship of the sky. Travellers who choose to sail around the sea are more interested in the journey than the destination, and it will be the same for those aboard the Aeroscraft. They will travel at a leisurely speed, with time to relax and enjoy the unrivalled and ever-changing views of the earth below. If they tire of that, they can entertain themselves in the casino or restaurant.
The Aeroscraft is a cross between an airship and an aeroplane. It has electric engines, which are both quiet and environmentally friendly. It takes off vertically, so it doesn’t need a runway, and it will be able to land on earth, snow or water, making it a very flexible means of transport.
Credits
Picture 1 – Travel Anecdotes
Picture 2 and 3 – Mr Vincent Costello
Picture 4 and 5 – Hotel Suites
Picture 6 – Groovy Green
Picture 7 – Air Voila
Picture 8 – How Stuff Works
Picture 9 - Elite Choice
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