If you travel a lot, after a while, all airports begin to look the same.
Sure there are a few standouts such as Singapore’s overachieving Changi, which regularly tops ‘best airport’ lists, with its sunflower and butterfly rooms. But otherwise, it’s just generally endless corridors of walking punctuated by chain outlets.
But what if we told you some airports have ‘hidden’ rooms? Would that pique your interest?
Las Vegas
You’ve given Vegas your best shot, but now it’s all catching up with you.
Good news! You can catch a bit of shut-eye in a sleeping room at the Harry Reid International Airport (formerly known as McCarran International Airport).
There are eight pods in total and, sorry, you can’t carry on the Vegas ‘fun’. Strictly for one person only.
Other airports to offer some sort of sleeping facilities include Dubai, Dallas, Munich, Heathrow and Philadelphia international airports.
Peace out
Want to calm down, but not pass out? The Netherlands’ Schiphol airport has you covered with a meditation room.
It’s a multi-faith space where you can pray, meditate or just relax in silence.
It also has a small library of books from different faiths and hosts a church service most Sundays from 11am.
If you are looking for some more one-on-one guidance, or experiencing a crisis, a chaplain can also be consulted.
Sense of place
Pittsburgh International Airport has recognised air travel isn’t always easy for the tackers, especially for those with special needs and older adults who find flying stressful, particularly if they are neurodivergent.
As a result, it developed a sensory-friendly room to decompress and recover between flights and also get used to the airport environment before a flight.
It’s called the Presley room, and is named after an airport staff member whose child greatly benefitted from a similar concept at his school.
The airport in Shannon, Ireland, has a similar space.
Stretch it
Let’s face it, the way airports cram us in these days, sometimes your first priority is a bit of a stretch.
Well O’Hare takes it one step, or stretch, further with a yoga room.
The mirrors probably won’t help your sense of calm, but might improve your form and there is a continuous loop of poses running on a screen to follow if you need some guidance.
Changi
It’s not really a secret, but Changi’s divine rooms are worth mentioning, if for no other reason than there are so many of them, so some might still be a secret to you.
The butterfly room, the sunflower room, cactus garden, climbing room, discovery garden … the list goes on.
In highly developed Singapore, the locals use the airport as a hub for dining and entertainment, you can even get married if you so require.
One tip, unless you are a smoker avoid the outdoor balconies, nothing but wall-to-wall people dragging on gaspers out there.
Lounge about
Another not really ‘secret’ room as such, but still a room. And the secret is: you don’t have to be a member to get into a lounge.
There are many lounges independent of the airlines in which you can ‘buy’ time in. Check the relevant airport website to confirm and pay, and some give discounts for booking early.
It’s also worth investigating if your credit card ‘bonuses’ include access to airport lounges. Check out this Canstar report to see if yours is on the list.
Have you discovered a ‘secret’ space at an airport? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below.
Also read: What type of damage will void your passport?
