Flight delays and cancellations can be impossible to predict, but passengers whose trips include Dulles International Airport can at least be assured of having a clean, safe place to nap if it happens to them.
鈥漈his is your hotel room, right in the airport,鈥� said Mikhail Krymov, co-founder and CEO of Sleepbox, a modular, sound-insulated sleeping facility. Its first airport location is in Terminal A of Dulles, above the Aerotrain.
Located past airport security, Sleepbox offers 16 small rooms for passengers to sleep more comfortably than most stranded air passengers.
鈥漎ou can see people sleeping on the floor across the airport, unfortunately,鈥� said Krymov. 鈥淵ou can stay one to five hours, or overnight, without leaving the airport.鈥�
Rooms are single-occupancy.
To use the service, customers need to download the Sleepbox app.
鈥漈hen you book your room, choosing any time, within 15-minute increments,鈥� said Krymov. 鈥淵ou check in and unlock the door with a key button on the app.鈥�
Once inside the room, users can tailor the Sleepbox to their preferences.
鈥漎ou can choose color of light, temperature, the privacy tint on your window,鈥� and only the user can unlock the door.
Compact rooms at Dulles on the app are listed at $27 per hour, $43.75 for a standard room.
According to the company, there is concierge and maintenance at all times near the pod to clean it after each usage.
Krymov said Dulles Airport was chosen as the facility to launch the service for several reasons.
鈥滻t鈥檚 an international airport in the city of Washington, the capital of the U.S. There are lots of business travelers. The need is there,鈥� said Krymov.
In addition, 鈥淭he Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was very supportive and interested in providing this solution for travelers, and were very helpful in helping us set this up.鈥�
