Where to get a good night’s sleep while traveling

These companies know that being away from home doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice sleep.

The world is waking up to the importance of sleep. 

As more research on the benefits of sleep makes its way into public knowledge, the way many of us used to think about getting shut-eye is changing. Sleep is no longer something we can neglect, or at least cut down on, without consequences. It’s a priority. 

The wellness industry is booming, people are more health-conscious than ever, and sacrificing sleep while traveling is no longer taken lightly. The travel industry has woken up to helping weary-eyed travelers with services and treatments designed to help them get to sleep and wake up rested. 

Hotels

Equinox Hotels 

Luxury gym chain Equinox launched Equinox Hotels in June 2019 in New York City, with more hotels planned for Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Seattle, Chicago, and Houston. 

The rooms feature blackout blinds, soundproofing, and a temperature-regulating king-size bed. Guests can wind down with Equinox Rituals, pre-bed yoga sequences (streamed on the TV), herbal shower gels, and the Sleep-Well menu, which features smoothies and small plates made from ingredients said to promote rest. 

There’s also an in-room The Nue Co. sleep kit featuring magnesium and valerian root drops. An in-house Sleep Coach is also on hand with the latest advice on how to get the best night’s sleep. 

Beyond sleep, there’s everything else you’d expect from the luxury wellness company: fitness classes, spa treatments, and IV vitamin drips. The hotel also offers a sound and harmonic therapy session, a 30-minute dose of which is said to equal three hours of sleep. 

Four Seasons  

Beds are the focus across Four Seasons hotels in the US. Designed by Simmons, everything is customizable when it comes to these beds. There are three mattress toppers to choose from with varying degrees of firmness: the Signature Firm, Signature, or Signature Plush. Pillows can also be customized with a choice of feather or non-allergenic and the sheets are made from 300-thread-count Dobby Sateen cotton. 

The rooms feature soundproofing, blackout blinds, aromatherapy diffusers, and abstract artworks chosen by interior designers specifically for their calming effect. 

The mattress toppers, sheets, and pillows are also available to purchase so guests can have the same Four Seasons’ sleep experience at home.   

Airports 

Minute Suites

Founded by doctors and healthcare professionals, Minute Suites are luxury nap rooms with more space and amenities than the average nap pod. The suites are currently found in airports across Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, Charlotte, with plans to expand further into Baltimore and New York City. 

Guests can rent a private soundproofed room from one hour to overnight stays, with each room including a private thermostat, fresh pillows and blankets, and white noise machines. Unlike other nap rooms in airports, Minute Suites are staffed 24/7 and offer wake-up calls for those worried about oversleeping. 

In the rooms, there’s also a desk, Wi-Fi connections, and Netflix should you prefer to work or relax in peace away from the noise of the airport.  

Airlines

Etihad Airways 

UAE-based airline Etihad Airways is famous for its luxurious first and business-class services that feature lie-flat beds, privacy partitions, and onboard showers. Aromatherapy, in the form of pillow sprays and pulse-point oils, can be found in the amenity kits and the pillows convert from full size to neck pillows. 

Noise-canceling headphones are also handed out across all the classes. Eye masks not only help passengers fall asleep but make sure they stay that way or don’t miss meals. The outside is embroidered with two options: “Do not disturb” or “Wake me up to eat.”  

Air New Zealand 

In 2011, Air New Zealand launched Economy Skycouch which turns a row of three economy seats into a lie-flat bed by pulling out a footrest to form a couch. Nicknamed “cuddle class”, the space is ideal for couples, families with young children, or for a solo flyer wanting more space. 

In business class, leather seats are able to transform into two-meter long beds with memory foam mattress toppers and two full-size pillows. 

In the city 

SLEEEP

Hong-Kong-based SLEEEP offers curved wooden sleep capsules that can be rented from as little as 45 minutes across three locations in Hong Kong’s city center, making them ideal for a power nap when spending a day in the city. Guests can personalize their experience with a choice of mattress firmness, number of pillows, and blanket thickness – all of which are selected before arriving. 

Once inside, the light, sound, and temperature are all adjustable and circadian lighting helps you drift to sleep and wake up naturally. The bathrooms feature heated floors and high-end toiletries. After a nap, showers and steam rooms are available to freshen up along with coffee and pastries. 

Minimalist private rooms without beds are also available for meditating, working, or relaxing with HD cinematic film and gaming experiences. 

There are plans SLEEEP to open in locations across Bangkok, Thailand and Basel, Switzerland. 

MetroNaps 

The EnergyPod from MetroNaps is a sleek-looking nap pod kitted out with tech features. Inside, a visor provides privacy and nappers are reclined into a zero-gravity position, which is said to take pressure off the cardiac system and relax the lower back. 

MetroNaps supplies EnergyPods to companies including Google and NASA but they’re also becoming more available in hospitals, universities, airports, and fitness centers such as New York City’s JFK, Toronto’s Pearson Airport, and Virgin Active Health Clubs.

Using the built-in speaker or headphones, specially composed sleep music plays and blocks out outside noises. A timer can be set for the desired nap length or the recommended 20-minute time can be chosen. 

Once your time is up, you’ll be woken with a mixture of soft light, music, and vibration and lifted into a seated position.