Can you believe the airport has become the holiday destination? Here's some of the best

Most people want to get out of the airport as quickly as possible - to their destination, to their home, or just through a layover. Spending longer than necessary at the airport can bring out the worst in some passengers, stress and jetlag morphing into frustration and anger. (I assume that's where the term "fight or flight" comes from.)

So what should we make of a growing trend ... where the airport is the destination?!

There was a time, not so long ago, when airport hotels were simple utilitarian offerings. You needed somewhere to sleep before an early flight or during a long transit, so you got a bed, a coffee machine, and a restaurant. And normally an overpriced rate. Now, some airport hotels are rivalling the most luxurious accommodation options in the city.

The latest addition to this trend is Darwin Airport Resorts, which unveiled its new look a few weeks ago. Combining three hotels - a Novotel, Mercure, and Ibis - into one resort destination around a 65-metre lagoon style pool, there are now villas overlooking Top End bushland and a restaurant with a Californian-inspired menu and beer garden. It's almost enough to entice you not to get a flight ... which is apparently why some locals come out just for the atmosphere.

Maybe you won't take it that far, but there are some impressive airport hotels where it might be tempting.

In the latest Skytrax awards for best airport hotels (yes, that's a thing), the Asia-Pacific winner was the Pullman at Brisbane Airport. About a five-minute walk from the domestic terminal, it's a modern and upmarket hotel with an outdoor lap pool and a great restaurant. In other words, it wins because it ticks all the boxes and does all of them well.

But the Australian airport hotel getting much more buzz from guests is the MOXY Sydney Airport, which thinks outside the box. Playful and funky, there are cocktails at check-in, colourful common areas, arcade games, and practical features like a laundry and family-friendly rooms. Best of all, it includes five days free parking - perfect for locals with early flights.

Over the years, airport hotels have become more luxurious, and the best example is Singapore's Crowne Plaza, the winner of the Skytrax best airport for the past 10 years! It leans into its humid climate to feel like a tropical oasis, palm trees surrounding the large pool. There are rooms with soundproofed views of the airport, an excellent Italian restaurant, and a generous breakfast buffet.

For aviation nerds, runway views can be a highlight of airport hotels and San Francisco's Grand Hyatt really lands this feature. Amongst the luxury of this newish hotel, a highlight may be the binoculars and "plane spotter guide" on the windowsill. Still, it's a bit corporate for my liking, so for something more stylish, check in to the CitizenM at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The facade is covered in a colourful mural, the canteen is 24 hours, and the coworking space in the lobby makes up for the small rooms.

I know I already gave aviation nerds a shout-out, but I have to mention the TWA Hotel at New York's JFK. The restored TWA terminal is a masterpiece of mid-century modern architecture and, while the room designs are inspired by 1960s aesthetics, it's the bar covered in rich red carpet that really stands out, with huge windows looking onto an original plane that you can even climb into.

Unfortunately, the Jumbo Hostel at Stockholm Airport closed earlier this year, which means you may have missed your chance to sleep inside a decommissioned 747. But the Hilton at Munich Airport is popular for its architecture that resembles an enormous aircraft hangar. And just last month it was announced that a series of Pan Am-themed hotels will open at some European airports from 2028.

Now for the terminal list. For the ultimate transit hotel, avoid the queues for immigration and stay airside. A pioneer in this space is YOTELAIR, which offers a selection of small cabins right near the gates at several airports, including Amsterdam, Istanbul, and London Gatwick. They may be tiny, but they're comfortable and relatively affordable. On the other hand, the airside Oryx Airport Hotel in Doha is as opulent as you might expect for something located above a Hermes store. The 100 large rooms range from king to family size, there's a 25-metre indoor pool, a gym, squash court, golf simulator, and spa. It certainly beats dozing on the seats next to gate C11, like I did last time I passed through.

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And, finally, a nod to those weird and wacky airport hotels that you'll remember as more than just a layover. I'm thinking of places like Hotel Vagar on the Faroe Islands, which feels particularly isolated even for a destination in the middle of the ocean between Iceland and Norway. Perched on the edge of the dramatic runway, this tiny scandi-designed airport hotel is otherwise surrounded by green wilderness and rugged hills ... and, for some reason, has a mini-golf course? There's also the Shangri-La Traders Hotel at Shanghai Airport, fully staffed by humanoid robots for guest greeting, cleaning, and luggage transport. And (get ready for cuteness overload), there's Dog Relais in Rome, an airport pet hotel so you can drop off your furry wingman just before you jump on a flight.

You can see more on Michael's Time Travel Turtle website.