The following is an excerpt from my Kilimanjaro travel journal, written June 4, 2010
Unlike my past few trips overseas, this one won’t involve riding any trains. The closest that I will come to that was my hotel last night: The Yotel London Heathrow.
I got a room for the night at this bizarre little place built into Terminal 4. In fact, it was only about 25 meters from the check-in counter for KLM. I had a 6:30 a.m. flight this morning — first to Amsterdam and then on to Kilimanjaro — and it made the most sense to stay close.
The place was as compact as advertised, with the room feeling somewhat like a private couchette on a train except with a bed that’s actually quite comfortable.
If you’re not claustrophobic, the place is perfect for a quick overnight. If you are, just walk in, lay down and go straight to bed before you have time to think about it. The peace of mind of being able to roll out of bed and check in for your flight is worth lack of frills the place offers.
Chris Wristen 