( CNN ) -- Airport hotels have always been necessary but unloved stopover spots for the depleted traveler , places to shower , rehydrate and let the body recuperate from the merciless rigors of flying . Yet checking into the Hilton Frankfurt Airport , which opened in December turned out to be much more . It 's an example of the emerging generation of airport hotels that are intended to function as destinations , real places where one might reasonably stay longer than a single night . Some of the best and most spectacular airport hotels are in Asia : the Regal in Hong Kong ; the Crowne Plaza in Singapore . Now the rest of the world is catching up , and the newest airport hotels in Europe , the United States , Latin America , and elsewhere are responding to the generalized craving for experience . And there 's more going on than that : the increasing sophistication of these hotels parallels a reemergence of civilization—daring architecture ; edible food—in airports themselves . Travel + Leisure : Innovative new airport terminals . The improved hotels are one component of a backlash against that shiny one-world placelessness that airports have long cultivated . Moreover , they are being retooled for a new breed of business traveler . `` The nature of work is changing , '' says Erin Hoover , head of design for the Sheraton and Westin brands , `` and it 's very collaborative . '' Now airport hotels—like the newly opened Hilton in London , Novotel in Auckland , New Zealand , and Element in Miami—are catching up , bringing technology , design , and style to the international stopover . Hilton Frankfurt Airport . The Hilton Frankfurt Airport is a stylish , hyper-connected oasis . The hotel , along with the lower-priced Hilton Garden Inn , occupies the eastern end of the Squaire ( a name meant to evoke town square and air ) , an ultra-elongated mixed-use complex that rests on angled columns atop a high-speed rail station , is adjacent to the airport 's commuter train station , and is squeezed between two major autobahns . When Squaire managing director Christoph Nebl characterizes it as `` the best-connected spot in Europe , '' he 's not exaggerating . Travel + Leisure : America 's safest airports . Sheraton Malpensa Hotel ( Milan ) A series of glass modules lined up like the teeth of a comb , this property makes for a fitting addition to a world capital of design . Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway . Two minutes from the terminal via SkyTrain , the building is LEED certified and has a lobby floor made of terrazzo embedded with glass . Aloft San Francisco International Airport . A newly rehabbed Clarion Inn building—dropped ceilings have been removed to give the rooms at this hotel an airy feel , and an expanded lobby big enough for a bustling bar scene has been added . Travel + Leisure : America 's best and worst Airports . Hilton Heathrow Terminal 5 , U.K. From its glamorous all-white main lobby staircase and unusually glitzy light fixtures to perfectly manicured exterior grounds and a celebrity chef -- helmed restaurant ( Mr. Todiwala 's Kitchen ) , this property has all the makings of a hotel hot spot . Element Miami . The Miami International Airport satellite of this Westin brand features the cutting-edge Pilot program , where electricity can be generated by guests using the hotel 's stationary bikes . The fully equipped kitchens , nutritious menus , and bathrooms with mood-improving lighting attest to Element 's health-conscious hospitality approach . ALT Hotel Pearson , Toronto . Original art , Egyptian cotton linens , an Italian-made Calla chair , and Fruits & Passion bath products lend sophisticated global flair to the 153-room ALT , part of Canadian hotel group Groupe Germain . Custom Hotel , Los Angeles . Relaunched and refreshed by Joie de Vivre in September 2011 , this bombastic crash pad minutes from LAX appeals to your sense of whimsy with themed gimmicks , like the Pan Am -- inspired staff uniforms and Hangar Lounge , the property 's main lobby . Steigenberger Airport Hotel Berlin . When Berlin 's long-awaited Brandenburg Airport opens in March 2013 , so too will this grand 322-room property with an outdoor reflecting pool , nine meeting spaces , a lobby bistro , and a fitness center with a gym , sauna , and steam bath . Lotte City Hotel Gimpo Airport , South Korea . Understated and refined , this hotel provides a welcome break from its chaotic surroundings—a massive theme-park-mall complex within the airport . It opened in late 2011 , with touch screen controls in the 197 rooms . Planning a getaway ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to the World 's Best Hotels . Copyright 2012 American Express Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved .
Hilton International Airport is part of a multi - use complex atop a high - speed rail station . ALT Hotel Pearson in Toronto features original Egyptian and Egyptian bed linens . Guests at the Hotel Miami help generate electricity by using the hotel 's stationary bikes .