At the end of hall B of the Sydney International Airport arrivals terminal, Australia’s only in-airport hotel has been quietly going about its business. But don’t confuse quiet with idle.
Aerotel recently celebrated one year of operations and in that time has welcomed more than 8,000 travellers and over 110 nationalities, according to Song Hoi See, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group, which owns and operates the property. And it’s done so with an inventory of just 15 rooms.
In an interview with Karryon, Song says the one-of-a-kind hotel in Australia is perfect for passengers moving through the airport early in the morning or late at night or for those just looking to freshen up or rest for a few hours.
“If you arrive early in the morning, especially from Asia or other continents … a lot of people can’t check into a hotel. We know there is a big market here,” he explains.
“Remember that Sydney is a curfew airport. A lot of people travel down to Sydney and forget this curfew when they land. They think they can take a local [onward] flight. So they get stuck here. So our Aertotel is the best solution for them … so they don’t have to go outside the airport and look for hotels. If they’re not familiar with the airport, transportation at those hours can be a bit challenging for them.”
Song opened the first Aerotel property in Hong Kong in 1998 after he saw people lying on the floors of airports. A poll of passengers shortly thereafter revealed that many thought hotels were too expensive.
“I only need a few hours. I don’t want to pay 24 hours,” Song says, citing travellers’ feedback.
“Hey, this is an opportunity … when we set up a hotel where we only sell a three or six-hour block.”
How it works
The benefits of Aerotel are simple: passengers can reserve a room by the hour – instead of overnight – and can choose their check-in and check-out times.
In Sydney, guests also have access to the Plaza Premium Lounge located inside the hotel at a discounted entry fee.
Then, of course, there’s the location, just steps away from the airport departure halls.
“Our hotel is a bit different compared with the normal, conventional hotels – they have front desks, big restaurants,” Song adds.
“Our rooms are very functional rooms. They range from 7 to 10 square metres, have either single or double beds, shower facilities and good amenities. We also provide soft pillows and hard pillows so that you can sleep [well].”
More awareness
Despite welcoming thousands of passengers since opening, Aerotel’s profile remains relatively low among Australian travellers generally.
“It is very small compared with other Aerotels that I have,” the biggest of which offers 220 rooms, Song says.
“Certainly, a lot of people do not know Aerotel is available at Sydney International Airport.
“And I’m sure it will grow in popularity. In fact, when we started this concept, a lot of people did not know this kind of hotel catered for travellers and now … can you imagine we have 14 of them around the world and it’s getting very popular.”
As for Aerotel’s plans for Australia, Song says they see “a big need for places like Melbourne, Adelaide, even in Perth … but to find the space is challenging”.
“We are helping airport authorities look for space. Because the Aerotel concept is quite new, we need to persuade and prove to them it is working.
“For example, in Sydney, we only have 15 rooms, open for one year. We are taking care of over 8,000 passengers.”
Sounds like it’s working to us.
For more information on Aerotel, click here.
