Lengthy lay-overs, delays and cancelations can leave travelers exhausted.
Soon, O'Hare International Airport will offer some relief for passangers who are stuck in the airport for more than a couple of hours. Jet-setters will have the option to privately nap, work or decompress in a special mini-suite.
Minutes Suites will offer their Extended-stay Suites at O'Hare in the rotunda between Terminals 2 and 3. They will not only be equipped with a daybed sofa -complete with fresh linens- but also HDTV and a workstation with an Internet access computer. According to the Minutes Suites web-site, "A sound masking system within each suite helps neutralize noise and a unique Nap26 audio program is available to help deliver a refreshing powernap."
The 29 suites, which will measure approximatley 62 square feet in size, range in price from $30 an hour to $120 a night.
The suites will help to produce an estimated $5.6 million a year for the city of Chicago.
Co-founder David Solomon said he and his business partners came up with the idea for Minute Suites after researching health and fitness concepts for airports.
Minutes Suites launched their first line of suites in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on November 18, 2009. Extended-stay Suites are also now available at the Philadelphia International Airport and Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport will soon become the third location.
Of course, there are concerns that come along with private rooms available for hourly rates at the one of the nation's busiest airports.
In Philadelphia, it appears to be a non-issue. According to Ronnie Gross, a supervisor at that location,"People come to us with that comment... but people don't pay for that." She also added, "When you have a five-hour lay-over between flights, the first thing you think about is sleep, getting some food or souvenirs and getting some work done."
Chicago's mayoral spokesman, Tom Alexander, sent an email to the Sun-Times stating, "We have a large law enforcement presence at the airport, which helps us maintain asafe enviornment for all travelers. We will work diligently in preventing illegal behavior, as we do throughout the airport."
Karen Pride, Media Relations Director for O'Hare, confirmed that The Minute Suite Extended-stay Suites are expected to be available in 2013.
