If you’ve traveled through Orlando International Airport, you’ve undoubtedly seen scenes like this. Travelers sleeping on the chairs lining the pathway between the two sides of the airport. While not usually seen as an airport with a deal of connecting traffic, people can get stuck there for many reasons.

These include a long layover waiting for an international flight, getting to the airport extra early to ensure they get through security on time, weather delays, and flight cancellations.

Now, the guy sleeping in the picture above is actually an art exhibit called “The Traveler,” which has been around Orlando Airport since the 1980s.

For those who don’t fancy trying to sleep on the floor or a chair in the middle of a bustling airport, there’s now another, more comfortable option.

Day Rooms

While walking through the airport, I discovered that the Hyatt Regency, located inside the airport, rents out rooms for the day. It’s the perfect solution for when you’re stuck at the airport.

In a brilliant marketing move, they advertise the service with signs near where everyone sits while waiting for their flight.

The Hyatt Regency is located inside Orlando Airport. Its rooms surround the atrium. While many of the rooms face the atrium, some have runway views.

I took the escalator from the main level up to the hotel lobby on the second floor.

I asked about the day rooms and was told they are based on availability. Hyatt has added the ability to book a “day stay” in advance on the hotel website.

If your extended stay is unexpected, you can ask at the front desk on the day of the stay,

Rates can vary, but the typical prices are between $109 and $149. The price is set no matter what time you check in. Even if you get there at 2 p.m., you’ll pay the same price and still have to leave by 6 p.m.

Now, one of the attractions of getting a room is having a place to take a nap or a quiet place to do some work. But what if you’re traveling with your kids, who just don’t understand the idea of being stuck at the airport for hours on end?

Take them to the pool!

The Hyatt Regency has a terminal-top swimming pool. When they’re finished splashing around and tiring themselves out, you can head back to the room to get cleaned up and changed out of your swimming trunks (just be sure to have something to put those wet swimsuits into before throwing them back into the luggage).

Final Thoughts

I can’t believe the Hyatt Regency hasn’t advertised this option before. They’ve made day rooms available because Sharon stayed here during a flight delay, but it was a long time ago (Note from Sharon: 1996ish), and the airline paid for her room.

We’re a long way from the age when airlines will pay for a hotel room during a flight delay. That may be why Hyatt has started marketing the availability of these rooms directly to passengers.

The price isn’t cheap, but if the choice is to sit in the airport for 6 hours on a chair or get a room for $20 an hour, it becomes a reasonable value.

The option to book in advance also makes it an excellent choice for travelers to and from Orlando who need a place to stay for the afternoon. This could be especially useful for those with a late flight home or for those who have arrived at the airport early after a cruise.

While you hope never to need the service, it’s nice to know it’s available if you do.

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