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Sydney Airport has released new photos to mark the grand opening of its new in-airport hotel, Aerotel.
It joins similar Aerotel ventures already operational at airports around the world, including London Heathrow, Singapore’s Changi Airport, and Beijing Daxing International.
The new boutique accommodation, said to be Australia’s first in-airport hotel, offers rooms available by-the-hour to arriving and departing passengers.
Located in the T1 International Terminal arrivals hall, near Arrivals B, Aerotel Sydney boasts 15 single and double rooms, and is now accepting bookings.
Each room also contains a private ensuite bathroom, while the hotel offers free WiFi, a private lounge, hot and cold food, as well as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol.
The venue already appears popular with soon-to-be bleary-eyed travellers, with no availability to be found online for at least two weeks.
Passengers lucky enough to secure a room can enjoy a restful night’s sleep and full buffet breakfast before their early-morning flight, or book in for a shower, nap, and snack after a long late-night flight.
“Aerotel is an exciting boutique hotel experience for the modern-day traveller and we’re thrilled to be able to secure the first in-airport hotel in Australia,” said Sydney Airport Executive General Manager Commercial Mark Zaouk.
“Convenience is key when you’re travelling, and having the hotel situated within the International arrivals hall delivers that in spades — whether you’re heading out or flying in, Aerotel will now play a central role in delivering a great airport experience for passengers.”
It comes as the number of international passengers passing through Sydney’s international airport continues to grow.
Last month, Australian Aviation reported that the number of passengers travelling via the country’s largest international gateway jumped 19 per cent in June compared to May, as the industry continues to struggle with operational problems.
Meanwhile, the number of international travellers at Sydney Airport has increased 164 per cent between January and June. However, international passenger numbers remain 47.1 per cent below 2019 levels overall.
Despite passenger numbers remaining below pre-pandemic figures, airports and airlines have struggled to accommodate for the sudden influx of travellers.
Post-pandemic passengers have faced increasing flight delays and cancellations, lost baggage, and unprecedented hours-long snaking queues at airports.
The industry has chalked up the chaotic scenes to the “perfect storm” of pent-up travel demand, COVID-19 absences, and an underlying shortage of aviation staff.
Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert said on Thursday “The increasing demand for travel is encouraging but it’s clearly creating challenges for an industry that is still trying to rebuild operationally.
“With the June long weekend and school holiday peak behind us, we will continue to work on our operational recovery alongside our airline partners and each of the 800 organisations across the airport.”
Sydney Airport announced just last month that it was on the lookout for thousands of additional workers across multiple facets of its operations, in anticipation of strong travel demand during the July school holidays, and after the airport suffered significant scrutiny over operational shortfalls in April.
