Stepping off the plane in Beijing, the first thing that hit me was the smell. A thick blanket of pollution hung in the air, its presence growing stronger as we walked towards the terminal.
My plan for this layover was simple: wander, eat, and most importantly, sleep. If I could get some solid rest between flights, it might help adjust my body clock for the journey from Sydney to Stockholm.
I’m no stranger to airport naps. Buses, trains, terminal floors—I’ve slept on them all. Finding a row of empty seats and using my carry-on as a pillow has always been my go-to. But then I saw the sign: “hourly hotel with showers.” Showers! Now that sounded appealing. After some hesitation, I did something I’d never done before: I checked into an hourly hotel.
Overnight stays in hotels made sense, but paying for a room by the hour felt like an unnecessary extravagance. When I learned it was only about $35-40 for two hours, I decided it was worth a try.
Ahead of me in the check-in line was a Dutch family: mum, dad, and two teenage sons. They were arguing with the staff about the hotel’s policy of keeping guests’ passports for “safekeeping.” The mother insisted, “You’re not the government,” while the father added, “We’ve paid you, and that should be enough.” Their sons glanced at me, clearly embarrassed by their parents’ fuss.
From a historical perspective, the Dutch couple’s reluctance to hand over their passports was understandable. Similarly, the Chinese staff’s request was likely just standard procedure. I could see both sides. For a moment, I considered using my mediation skills to help bridge the language gap, but I was simply too exhausted.
Eventually, they reached a compromise.
The room was compact, and the shower was shared, but it had a comfortable bed and basic amenities like a television and radio. Most importantly, it was incredibly quiet. The silence was so profound that I fell into a deep, drool-inducing sleep. I ended up overstaying my paid time by twenty minutes, but the staff didn’t seem to mind. Emerging from the room, I felt as refreshed as if I’d had a relaxing massage. It was a small investment but a vast improvement over napping on airport chairs.
The flight from Beijing to Stockholm provided a few more hours of sleep. Surprisingly, despite the older plane, it was a more comfortable and relaxed experience than the flight from Sydney. The meals were better, and the flight attendants were more generous with drinks. This time, I had an aisle seat in a 2-5-2 configuration, sharing the row with a young family. Although they looked Asian, I assumed they lived in Stockholm because the woman spoke to me in Swedish. She also helped her children practice the language. Hearing them sing “The wheels on the bus go round and round” in Swedish was absolutely adorable.