Airport hotels — much like the opportunistic remora fish that cling to the bodies of foraging sharks — have a symbiotic relationship with the larger entities to which they are linked. When an airport does well as a result of increased flight activity and passenger traffic, nearby airport hotels remain healthy and vibrant. With global business and leisure air travel on the rise, this accommodations category now enjoys the best growth period in its history.

Although airports have existed since the early 20th century in the United States and Europe (Albany International Airport, founded in 1928, is the oldest municipal airport in the country), the concept of a branded airport hotel wasn’t established until 1959 with the opening of the San Francisco Airport Hilton. Today, about 2,300 U.S. airport hotels offer 313,000 guestrooms. With domestic travel increasing, hospitality industry investors see airport hotels as the next big opportunity. “In the first four months of 2014, airport hotels in the U.S. sold nearly 27.2 million rooms, the most ever during this period,” said Jan Freitag, senior vice president, strategic development, STR, which tracks hotel data.

In addition, with the tremendous growth of airports and business travel in the emerging markets of Asia, Latin America and the Persian Gulf states, the number of city and airport hotel properties in the pipeline of developing countries is staggering. Five airports in developing markets — İstanbul, Dubai, Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore — each with more than 40 million annual passengers, saw double-digit growth last year.

Total global passenger traffic in May increased 6.2 percent over last year according to the International Air Transport Association, helping to fuel the boom in airport hotel construction projects. Lima International Airport received 7.1 million passengers during January to June, a new record; and the overcrowded airports in China all plan expansions, with Starwood Hotels set to open 100 new properties, many of them at airports, throughout China over the next few years. As of this spring, Brazil boasted 408 hotel development projects in the pipeline, Mexico 138. Ibis, Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn & Suites lead the move in new airport hotel projects worldwide.

“If I’m attending a conference in a congested urban area and have an early morning flight, I will spend my last evening in an airport hotel which has free shuttle service, which relieves me of the worry of combating morning rush hour traffic and allows me to sleep an hour later,” said frequent traveler Eve Dryer, Dryer Healthcare Consulting in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Although many airport hotel guests look for close proximity to the terminal and a quiet environment (not a problem with high-tech, soundproof windows), airport hotels are now so diverse that they often provide as many activity options as vacation resorts. The list includes on-site gourmet restaurants and sports bars, meeting facilities, fitness rooms and swimming pools, business centers, laundry rooms, complimentary breakfast and WiFi, hotel managers’ wine tastings, kids’ playrooms and on-site mini cinemas.

Le Méridien Cairo Airport links to the terminal via a private walkway. © Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Still, certain airport hotels stand out, especially newer, design-driven properties located directly within the airports. Opened last year, the 350-room Le Méridien Cairo Airport, designed by WATG, features two six-story wings in the shape of a lotus flower with a private walkway connecting to the terminal. With two restaurants, meeting rooms and a full exercise center, the hotel expects to attract regional business meetings, as staying at the airport may be the safest, most convenient and economically beneficial option. “If you are [a meeting planner] pressed for time with a group of 100 people, the cost and effort to move them from the airport to downtown is a factor,” said Simon Turner, president, global development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which opened the Le Méridien property.

Considered one of the best airport hotels in the world, the 320-room Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, beautifully designed by the Singapore-based firm WOHA, opened in 2008 with an all-weather “link-bridge” to Terminal 3. The hotel’s three-dimensional façade provides 60 percent shading through the use of perforated aluminum screens. The public areas feature bands of timber laminate, glazed Thai tiles, Indonesian batik and Chinese metal mesh. The property brilliantly displays the colorful flora of Singapore in the form of arranged palm trees and hanging plants in open-air corridors. The property offers several dining venues, meeting facilities and an outdoor swimming pool.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport © Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

During the first six months of 2014, Frankfurt Airport welcomed 27.8 million passengers, the busiest half-year in the airport’s history, and the 249-room Hilton Frankfurt Airport and its sister property, the 334-room Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport, reaped the benefits with many sold-out nights. Both properties occupy space in a futuristic-looking office building, an architectural gem known as The Squaire, which opened at the end of 2011 with a direct connection to Terminal 1 as well as to the airport’s high-speed train station. Guestrooms at the HFA property, with its designer furnishings and extensive meeting and fitness facilities, are slightly more expensive than the Garden Inn, but both Hilton brands provide dining options, business centers and multilingual staff.

At London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, the modern and stylish 605-room Sofitel London Heathrow ranks as a perennial favorite among international travelers, with its attractive and sedate lobby located just a few minutes’ walk from the buzz of one of Europe’s largest and busiest terminals. Guests will find five on-site dining venues, including Brasserie Roux and the trendy Bar Sphere; an ESPA spa and fitness center; 45 meeting rooms; and a 117-seat theater for meeting participants.

The front desk of The Fairmont Vancouver Airport property is situated so close to the U.S. departures terminal check-in counters that hotel guests may not realize when they leave the confines of the lobby. Guests and local residents flock to the hotel’s Globe@YVR restaurant and Jetside Bar, and the “odd-numbered” guestrooms feature great views overlooking the runways. Celebrating its 15th year, the 392-room property was voted Best Airport Hotel in North America in the Skytrax 2014 World Airport Awards.

Convenience also reigns at the 404-room Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport, built within the Edward H. McNamara/World Gateway Terminal, where a private TSA security checkpoint connects the hotel lobby to the terminal gates, and guests rarely wait in line. The sleek and contemporary exterior design mirrors the contours of the terminal, and the eight-story atrium and 5,000-square-foot reflecting pool offer a serene Asian ambience. Thirty-four meeting rooms, an Executive Club Lounge and indoor pool make The Westin DTW an excellent choice for business travelers.

Two new Canadian airport hotels incorporate sleek design and sustainable features into their properties. The 101-room Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel by Lakeview (2013) offers “Guest Driven” technology (iPads and Samsung Smart TVs) and special design elements in each guestroom, including Toto toilets, Grohe faucets and Duravit sinks. The Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel (2014) is the world’s first and only Marriott Renaissance hotel located inside an airport. Nominated for Alberta’s “Steel Design Awards of Excellence,” the property features 213 guestrooms with enhanced technology systems, an extensive collection of artwork in public areas, an indoor swimming pool, the HALO Bar & Bistro, an Arctic-style exterior design and a sky bridge to terminal departure gates.

The Dorint Airport-Hotel Zürich (2014), a five-story, 235-room property shaped like the Swiss cross, received several awards for “innovative concept” by international architectural publications. Heating and cooling systems use eco-friendly geothermic energy, while the hotel features efficient LED lamps throughout. Meeting facilities with touch-panel walls accommodate up to 180 persons. Guests can dine at Basilico, a Mediterranean-style restaurant; use the modern fitness center; and enjoy the summer terrace for business meetings or leisure dining.

The 178-room Pullman Marseille Provence Airport Hotel, only a three-minute drive from Marseille Provence Airport, offers a “South of France” resort experience just six miles from Mediterranean beaches and close to the revitalized port of Marseille, France’s hot tourist destination. Guestrooms feature beautifully designed furnishings, high-tech amenities and 24/7 room service; public areas include a bar, an outdoor restaurant and pool, a tennis court, a fitness center and high-tech meeting rooms.

Looking ahead to 2015, Westin Hotels and its architectural firm Gensler are creating a property at Denver International Airport that will raise the bar for future airport hotels. “Gensler is designing a Westin hotel at DIA with a rooftop pool, dynamite views of the Rockies, and a lobby overlooking a spectacular train hall offering high-speed trains to downtown Denver,” said Tom Ito, principal architect, Gensler’s Los Angeles office. “The key to creating a successful hotel is design, and that’s especially true for airport hotels. Design is not merely an aesthetic condition, it’s a tool for making a place function beautifully and perform profitably.” The 519-room DIA Westin will be owned by Denver Airport and operated by Westin Hotels & Resorts when it opens in late 2015. The property will include a 26,000-square-foot conference center and an 82,000-square-foot public plaza that will serve as a venue for meetings, entertainment, trade shows and restaurants for both corporate and community events.

Late 2014 and 2015 will see the debut of several new airport properties from Marriott’s Moxy brand, a group of stylish but inexpensive European properties that will focus on design, sustainability and new technology. “Moxy Hotels is the essence of the next-generation traveler, not only Gen X and Y but people with a younger sensibility, for whom contemporary style is paramount,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International. “Every aspect of these hotels was thoughtfully researched and crafted to reflect and deliver on the changing lifestyles and expectations of this fast-growing customer segment.” In addition to the Moxy Milan Malpensa Airport, expected to open in late 2014, next year’s openings include Moxy Munich Airport, Moxy Frankfurt Airport Gateway Gardens and Moxy Oslo Exporama.

In 2016, the Steigenberger Hotel Group will open a 5-star hotel near the world’s newest major airport, Qatar’s $15 billion Hamad International Airport, which opened this year. The Steigenberger Hotel Doha Airport Road will include 200 guestrooms, a large conference center, two international-style restaurants, a swimming pool, a fitness room and a spa.