Airport hotels: Catering to all tastes

We report on a handful of airport hotel projects, and not all of them are designed for human guests as demonstrated by new pet accommodation at Rome Fiumicino Airport.

IT’S A DOGS LIFE AT ROME FIUMICINO 
Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) has opened its equivalent of a pet hotel offering accommodation for dogs in 40 ‘exclusive lodges’.

Dog Relais is believed to be the first facility of its kind at an Italian airport and is designed to offer resort type accommodation and a day care centre for dogs of all breeds and sizes, whether for just a few hours or a longer period while their owners travel.

Describing the new facility, FCO operator, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), says: “If you have to go on a trip and you can’t take your four-legged friend with you, entrust him to us.

“During the day they will have fun with the activities of the nursery, while at night he/she will rest in one of our exclusive lodges, designed to offer maximum comfort, just like at home.

“Each lodge, made of wood to offer high levels of quality and safety, has an internal area of four square metres, an external area of ten square metres divided into covered and uncovered areas, radiant panel air conditioning, automatic drinking trough and music.”

The new facility also offers additional features including aromatherapy, grooming and veterinary services and is equipped with video call facilities allowing dog owners to communicate with their pets from afar.

Airport workers can also use the dog day care services provided at the ADR dog relais, which is located close to FCO’s long-term car park.

“This innovative facility represents a significant step in improving the services offered to our travellers and the airport community,” says Marilena Blasi, Aeroporti di Roma’s chief commercial officer.

“The Dog Relais – Airport Resort & Daycare has been designed to ensure maximum comfort and wellbeing for our four-legged friends.”

BUILDING HOTEL ACCOMMODATION IN THE BAHAMAS
Seeking more traditional accommodation, officials at Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) have reissued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI) for the development of a hotel at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas.

The airport management company is once again inviting local and international proponents to design, build, finance, and operate a midscale to upper-midscale hotel catering to a diverse market of travellers and residents.

With a strong post-pandemic recovery and growing demand for additional hotel rooms, NAD believes that the timing for the development couldn’t be better as it could add up to 240 new rooms to the local inventory.

The proposed hotel is part of a broader Landside Development Master Plan and Strategy (LDMS).

Indeed, NAD is working in close collaboration with Vantage Group to create a new ‘Gateway District’ at the airport to stimulate economic development, enhance the overall airport experience, and diversify LPIA’s revenue streams beyond traditional aeronautical and
non-aeronautical revenue sources.

“With our record-breaking passenger traffic in FY2024 and a strong post-pandemic tourism rebound, we believe that this is the right time to revisit the hotel development as a key component of our broader landside development vision for LPIA,” said Vernice Walkine, president and CEO of NAD.

“Nassau’s western district is booming and LPIA sits at the centre of this surge in growth. A well-designed airport hotel not only addresses a critical accommodation gap but also strengthens our role as a driver of economic development.”

According to NAD, the project comes at a pivotal time, as hotel room availability lags behind tourism growth. In 2023, average occupancy rates reached 72.1%, with some properties reporting rates as high as 95% during peak periods in 2024.

WELCOME TO THE TRIBE BUDAPEST AIRPORT
In Europe, Budapest Airport has opened a new hotel, the TRIBE Budapest Airport, located just steps from the passenger terminal and directly connected to the ibis Styles Budapest Airport.

Bringing TRIBE’s bold, design-first spirit to Hungary’s largest travel hub, the new 167-room hotel is said to offer thoughtfully curated social spaces, fresh food and drink options, and smart essentials.

According to the hotel, it is aimed at business travellers, “digital nomads” and short-stay guests seeking comfort, convenience, and a high-end feel at a fair price.

“It is important for Budapest Airport that its passengers encounter high-quality services at the gateway to Hungary,” says BUD CEO, Francois Berisot, noting that travellers were now welcomed by “two elegant high-quality hotels.”

“In light of the dynamic growth in passenger traffic, we are confident that the modern and comfortable TRIBE, located just a few minutes’ walk from Terminal 2, will be very popular.”

Founded in Australia in 2017, TRIBE currently has over 20 hotels in operation and more than 30 projects in development.

TRIBE’s Pauline Oster, said: “Our brand embodies precisely what the new generation of travellers seeks: exceptional, unique, and bold in design, providing guests with everything they need.”

ARLANDA TO OPEN LARGEST AIRPORT HOTEL IN NORDICS
Elsewhere in Europe, Swedavia has announced that Strawberry, one of the leading hotel chains in the Nordics, will manage its new airport hotel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

Construction of the new hotel is expected to start in 2027, which when it opens in the first quarter of 2029 will boast 656 rooms, making it the largest airport hotel in the Nordics.

“The need and demand for hotels at Arlanda Airport is great. We are very happy that we will be able to offer a full-service hotel of this size in the future as part the airport’s continued development,” enthused Jesper Sandahl, CEO at Swedavia Real Estate.

“We are very pleased that the new hotel will be managed by Strawberry. The hotel will be a strong addition to the existing hotels at the airport and an important meeting place at the largest airport in Sweden.”

Swedavia believes that there is great interest in the market for hotel development at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

The hotel’s facilities will include a large congress hall capable of holding different events, a restaurant with several different concepts and social areas such as a specially designed green and lush outdoor courtyard.

“For us, this is not only about being able to offer another hotel. This is about contributing to the continued development of Arlanda,” said Petter Stordalen, owner of Strawberry.