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Japanese airport hotel puts flight simulator in room
Joshua Berlinger and Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN • Updated 11th July 2019
Tokyo (CNN) — If you've ever gotten off a long flight and thought to yourself, "I miss being on a plane," then the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu has the room for you.
The airport hotel near Tokyo's Haneda International Airport has installed a flight simulator inside one of its rooms that guests can book for 90-minute flying sessions.
Guests can simulate the flight from Haneda to Itami airport in Osaka.
Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu
The machine simulates the experience of piloting a Boeing 737-800, flying from Haneda to Osaka's Itami Airport with an instructor on hand to help. Using the simulator costs 30,000 Yen ($277), while booking the room for the night is an additional 25,300 Yen ($234). Guests aren't allowed to operate the simulator themselves.
Aki Hagiwara, a public relations manager at the hotel, said it cost about 10 million yen ($92,000) to outfit the room. While she was unwilling to disclose sales figures, she said the hotel has gotten positive reaction from enthusiasts.
It cost about $92,000 to install the simulator in the room.
Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu
The idea to install the flight simulator came from the hotel's general manager, Hagiwara said.
The company was looking for a way to differentiate itself from the thousands of other hotels in Tokyo.
Hagiwara said the company decided to embrace the airport theme in order to attract aviation enthusiasts as well as transit passengers, the typical clientele for hotels near airports.
The "Superior Cockpit Room" is open for booking starting July 18.
