Brilliant or Baffling: Mini Motel

July 15, 2008

Generosity on behalf of airlines is no longer common practice, meaning less airlines are giving away hotel vouchers for canceled overnight flights. Stranded passengers can either book themselves a nearby room or post up in the airport for the night.

Frank Giotto was inspired to find a better sleep solution for unfortunate travelers spending restless nights in the airport. His portable Mini Motel ($50) is essentially a tent equipped with an air mattress, pillow, reading light, alarm clock, toothbrush and paste, ear plugs and eye shades, and it fits in your carry-on luggage.

21 Comments

kh61582 4 years 39 weeks

See here's the problem, you won't know if you need this until you are already at the airport and to carry it in your luggage just on the chance you might need it sounds more inconvenient than just getting a hotel. A night at those airport hotels are typically cheap and in some cases might be the same amount as the tent.

Lilavati 4 years 44 weeks

I hate this! I mean it's a good idea, but it shouldn't be needed. If you force someone to stay the night in some place, at least give him a bit of respect and acceptable conditions.

Le Etiana 4 years 44 weeks

Actually, this is kinda cool! If you had no other choice but to be stranded at an airport - this would be worth having. I was stranded once and had to sleep at the airport and in desperation I slept on the floor - yuck! I just wonder how compact it really is?

museanima 4 years 44 weeks

Wow love it! What does it look like when it's compacted?

kathrynliz 4 years 44 weeks

Ha Ha. When these start popping up all over the place and causing problems in the airport for traffic flow, I bet airlines will have to think of a new way around it. Capitalism rocks.

JennaV 4 years 44 weeks

Sometimes a hotel isn't an option when everything is sold out due to weather, etc or say you don't want to pay $60 for a few hours of sleep. I am sure anyone would rather stay in a hotel, but, if you have no choice this will work nicely.

nv27 4 years 44 weeks

I suppose its a cool idea if you're really stranded, but I would definitley opt for a hotel. I dont imagine it would be easy or comfortable to just pass out in the middle of an airport!

tigerlily10 4 years 44 weeks

I think it's a great idea, but if it has a bottom on it crawling in and out of that little "doorway" looks really hard.

luvluvg 4 years 44 weeks

The last thing in the world that I'd ever want to do stuck in an airport is sleep in a tent on its floor. No, thanks!

bigestivediscuit 4 years 44 weeks

Great idea, but I agree with carhorns above.

smiley13tree 4 years 44 weeks

That is such a cool idea!

JennaV 4 years 44 weeks

That's actually a fantastic idea.

AmberHoney 4 years 44 weeks

Another reason for me not to flight, but if you do it's better than a chair.

carhornsinapril 4 years 44 weeks

the airline industry is in a sad state when this crazy contraption is actually marketable.

sfbutterfly24 4 years 44 weeks

OMIGOD!!! My friend so needed that when he was stuck in Argentina airport for THREE DAYS!!! He would have bought it in a heartbeat my poor boy almost went crazy.