AIRPORTS can be very stressful places but luckily one of the world’s best is home to a hotel with its very own pool.
Changi Airport, in Singapore, is often lauded as one of the best airports in the world.
Passengers can book to stay overnight in the hotel or pay to use its facilities per hour[/caption]
The Singapore airport has even been named the world’s best by Skytrax 12 times, including for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2021.
While features like the airport’s Butterfly Garden and the Rain Vortex (the world’s tallest indoor waterfall) are often praised, Changi Airport is also home to the world’s only airport transit hotel with a swimming pool.
Located inside terminal one, Aerotel Singapore is past security so anyone waiting to connect to another flight can pop in.
The three-star hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub and a poolside bar (just be careful not to drink too much before boarding).
Pictures show sunloungers lining the pool and beach huts where guests can eat food from the poolside bar.
Aerotel Singapore has been praised by visitors in online reviews, with one person writing: “I had an eight-hour layover in Changi airport and decided to spend my day at the pool. It turned out to be the best layover ever!”
Another person added: “We had a transit for 12 hours, and we designed to stay in this hotel for six hours twin room – it was the right decision.”
While a third person wrote: “Aerotel Singapore is a convenient transit hotel at Changi Airport, offering comfortable rooms and essential amenities for layovers.
“Its unique selling point is the outdoor pool, a rare find in an airport hotel“.
Passengers don’t need to book overnight stays to enjoy the pool because day passes can be booked.
Entry for guests aged 12 and over starts from £16.40, with children’s tickets from £7.13.
Day tickets give guests unlimited pool access during its opening hours.
Meanwhile, average overnight stays at the hotel start from £125 per night.
Other facilities at the hotel include a gym and an on-site restaurant.
Last year, Changi Airport confirmed work will start on its brand-new Terminal 5.
The mega terminal was first announced back in 2013, welcoming another 50million passengers every year.
It will also link Singapore to 200 cities, up from the current 150 today.
Not much else is known about the new terminal expansion, although it’s likely to have lounges and self-service facilities.
The new terminal will be able to operate as smaller “sub terminals” with space for testing facilities, harking back to the days of covid tests.
Terminal 5 at Changi Airport is slated to open by 2030, with the country’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stating: “Some have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers a year – so they are narrowing the gap with Singapore.
“Increasingly, flights that would have passed through Changi may no longer be needed.”
The little-known freebies and free-to-access areas at Changi Airport
Travel writer Qin Xie revealed some of the little-known freebies and areas you can find at Changi Airport.
Terminal 1
On level three of the terminal is a viewing area where passengers can look out over the planes at the gate.
And right next to it is a play area with art facilities for kids.
And there is an outdoor cactus and garden, as well as an outdoor water lily garden.
Terminal 2
On level three is the free cinema, which shows films 24 hours a day.
There is also a gaming space with free games for an Xbox, Playstation and arcade machines.
Terminal 3
Level one has the world’s tallest slide in an airport, that goes all the way down to level -2 (although you only get a free ride for every S$10 you spend at the airport).
On level two there is ST3PS, a showcase area where you can watch films and live performances.
Head to the DFS Wines and Spirits Duplex store and you can try a free Singapore Sling.
Terminal 4
The main free attraction is the Heritage Zone, with the shore film Peranakan Love Story showcasing life in 1930s Singapore.
Here’s a first look at the £3million revamp of Heathrow’s VIP terminal that’s used by royalty and A-listers.
And we rounded up some other VIP airport services you can book even as an economy passenger.
Day passes to use the pool facilities start from £16.40 for a full-paying adult[/caption]
