Miami International Airport will soon have places where weary travelers can take a nap
Passengers at Miami International Airport will soon be able to take proper naps - in beds - without leaving the terminal.
Two sleeping centers will be ready for use by ticketed travelers by the end of this year, Duilio Sanguineti, founder and CEO of Hotelzo LLC, said in an interview with the Herald on Friday.
Hotelzo LLC, the holding company of Wait N Rest, was awarded a contract last week by Miami-Dade County. In 2022, the company built 18 rooms at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, its first initiative. It now also has a budget brand called Sleep Oasis that offers more compact spaces.
The company plans to have ready about 70 beds total, as many as 45 in one center in Concourse D in the north terminal, and the rest in a nexus in Concourse H in the south terminal. There will be both private rooms and double rooms for couples or families. These are regular twin beds.
Sanguineti said he expects a private room for one person to cost about $36 per hour and a double room for two people to run $60 per hour.
Each room will come with a private toilet and shower. It will also include a television with streaming capabilities. A small desk and WiFi will allow travelers to work. They will be available 24 hours a day year round.
The company now has to begin the process of getting permits for construction and then chose a construction company to start work. Sanguineti said they are close to choosing a firm. They will also have to coordinate with Miami International or county engineers and management.
Hotelzo also plans to start hiring in South Florida. Sanguineti said later this year, they will look to hire at least 25 employees locally based. Those will be folks who have strong hospitality skills, he said.
Revenue for MIA/County
The sleep centers won’t merely offer a respite to the weary traveler. They’ll help replenish county coffers.
The contract calls for Hotelzo, which is based in Boynton Beach, to pay the Miami-Dade Aviation Department a minimum of $5 million over the first five years of the contract. The agreement is for the company to pay either the minimum rent for the space at the airport, or 25% of yearly revenue, whichever is more. So, the county could receive more than $5 million if the sleep centers do well.
The county also has the first option to renew the contract for a second five-year period.
The contract was approved on June 18 after the recommendation of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
The contract states that its primary goal “is to provide traveling patrons with an alternative way to relax and rest at Miami International Airport (MIA) without worrying about locating a hotel.”
It stipulated that the vendor provide a safe, state-of-art, private space that is clean, quiet and relaxed, and where one can work or rest.
Hotelzo is responsible for the finance, design, construction, management, operation, and maintenance of the two sleep center locations at MIA.
Hotelzo was awarded the contract in an open bid after another vendor withdrew their proposal.
