Waiting for your flight may just have become more bareable

There is nothing easy about trying to grab a few hours’ sleep between connecting flights on those uncomfortable airport chairs, where plastic armrests and wafer thin foam pads hinder any chance of comfort. Combined with the drone of security and boarding announcement, excited children and stressed parents (not to mention the sounds and smells coming from the person next to you) it’s usually a long, trying and uncomfortable wait before you are able to board your flight for yet more insufficient rest.
While some airport terminals do have connecting hotels where you can gather a few hours of contented rest (probably the only time most of us would consider paying for a hotel by the hour), the rates are usually too steep for most to consider this an option.

An affordable solution is on the horizon however and may be coming to an airport (or even train or bus station) near you.

The Sleep Box is a budget friendly, compact hotel room featuring a modest 4sq meters of space, with single bed and a lockable door so weary travelers are able to grab a little rest in peace and security.

There are no en suite facilities and with just a plug needed to connect the rooms’ electricity, units are entirely mobile (think small garden shed with a bed inside) and can be installed in any space, without the need for extensive renovations or remodeling, making this new innovation not only practical but very affordable.

They are gradually being seen in hotels, hostels and even offices (for overworked employees) around Europe with plans to introduce these to the USA in 2012.

Prices range depending on location but are typically around $50 per night or $15 an hour for those in airport terminals.

Photo Credit: SleepBox

Hotel Opera in Paris, France

Travelling close to the holiday season can often put a strain on your budget, but the Concorde Hotels and Resort group is offering the chance to make your money go further.

Stay in any Concorde Hotel in Europe between now and March 31st and your Euros will go further with the Night Bonus Offer; guest will receive a daily voucher of €30 or €50 which can be put to use in the hotel’s restaurant or bars.

Plus, if you’re travelling in a group you can also combine the offer with the Friends and Family package: when you book two or more rooms you receive a complimentary breakfast and a 50% discount on the second room.

The Concorde Group have hotels in nine countries and 20 cities around the world including: Prague, Boston, Tokyo, Geneva, Barcelona, Cairo, and Berlin. Concorde hotels can also be found in eight French cities (Cannes, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice, Nimes, Strasbourg, Toulouse, and Paris). 

All the hotels offer a luxurious stay with modern rooms and top class facilities, traditional and international cuisine is also available in any of the hotels highly rated restaurants.

For more information or to book call reservations at
1-800-888-4747 or visit the  Concorde Hotels website.

Photo Credit: Concorde Hotels and Resorts

County Antrim’s Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast to Bushmills is likely the most famous drive in Northern Ireland, and if the beauty enroute doesn’t impress, the sight of Giants Causeway surely will take your breath away. So if you need to rest a while, there’s a nice spot less than 3 miles off.

Rest a While B&B, Bushmills

That would be the Rest a While B&B near the Bushmills Distillery, conviniently located for an exploration of nearby attractions including Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and Dunluce Castle.

Rest a While offers double/twin and family rooms – all en-suite with TV and tea and coffee makers.  The en-suite family room offers a king size double bed and 2 single bunkbeds making it ideal and a quaint option for families.

Breakfast is served between 7.30 to 9.30 am, and includes a sumptuous spread, from continental fare (fresh croissants & Danish pastries) to Ulster fry, scrambled eggs & bacon, and poached eggs. Take your pick of a selection of teas, fresh coffee & toast, breakfast cereals, fresh fruits and orange juice.

There’s a lounge where you can access free broadband internet, and the establishment also offers bicycles for rent, so you can enjoy the Antrim beauty to the hilt. 

Rates from £25 (half-rate for children), inclusive of accomodations, use of the facilities and breakfast.

Photo courtesy Rest a While B&B

Info: 90 Castlenagree Road, Bushmills, County Antrim Northern Ireland BT57 8XL; 028 2073 2869; www.restawhile.net

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