Pod hotels at Heathrow

Q: I need accommodation at Heathrow Airport, but do not want to spend too much. I read that easyJet have started a Japanese-style "pod" hotel at the airport. Do you have any details? - Fran Lexington

A: There are two "pod-style" hotels serving Heathrow Airport in London. Both offer rooms that are bigger than the traditional Japanese cubicle, and are more luxurious. The easyhotel London Heathrow offers rooms ranging from just under 10 square metres without a window to rooms of 16 square metres with a window. Rates start at 24.95 British pounds per night for a double room. The rooms have a double bed, two towels, an en-suite bathroom with a shower and air conditioning. There are additional charges for TV usage (5 pounds for 10 channels for 24 hours), internet access (5 pounds per hour) and extra towels. The hotel is not directly at the airport, but is a 10-minute drive from terminals 1, 2 and 3, with terminals 4 and 5 a little further away. Book at www.easyhotel.com. The other "pod" hotel is the Yotel Heathrow, which is accessible from terminal 4. The tiny rooms range from seven square metre bunk rooms (similar to a train compartment) to premium cabins, which have double beds. The rooms are luxuriously appointed (similar to first class airline cabins) and offer en-suite bathrooms, flat screen TVs, free wireless internet and 24-hour room service. Yotel rooms can be booked in four-hour segments. I made a test booking for June 2009 and was offered a single cabin for four hours at 26.50 pounds and a premium double-bed cabin for eight hours at 80.50 pounds. Bookings can be made on www.yotel.com. Both hotels accept credit cards and are non-smoking.