MIA passengers headed for $60-an-hour snoozes

Assured by the county’s aviation director that, as one commissioner said, “they’re not the little caskets,” a county committee last week gave its stamp of approval to a pair of sleep centers predicted to net Miami International Airport more than $1 million a year.

The airport is providing the space in the North and South terminals to Hotelzo LLC at no rent but is to get 25% of the short-term passenger pay to get the sleep for a 10-year period. Aviation Director Ralph Cutié said the provider has a similar operation at Bogotá’s airport and is building out another in Canada.

Members of the county’s Airport and Economic Development Committee unanimously recommended the deal to the county commission, but only after asking about the hourly rates for a little rest, what the clients will get for their money, and whether the airport is prepared to make certain that the sleep centers won’t be used for human trafficking.

Commissioners were told that rates for the sleep center would range from $36 to $60 an hour and from $165 to $280 overnight, said Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, yet John F. Kennedy airport in New York has one “called minute suites that’s $2 an hour and $33 overnight…. I’m just wondering whether our airport justifies those kinds of prices.”

Mr. Cutié responded that “we had negotiations with the firm and these were the rates that were provided. We’re confident that we’ll be able to achieve the revenues that are stated in the item.”

But there are sleep centers and then there are sleep centers. The JFK centers offer pods, not rooms, commissioners were told.

“Just to be clear, ours are not pods, they’re suites,” Mr. Cutié said. “It’s more of an amenity than just the pod.”

“It’s a little cubby versus a little casket,” explained Commissioner Raquel Regalado.

“It reminds me of a dorm room,” said committee Chairman Keon Hardemon, describing his stay in one. “And it was very comfortable for that purpose, a bed, privacy, security.”

Because users will have to have an airline ticket and pass through security to get to the centers, they “can’t turn into a homeless encampment,” said Ms. Regalado. “I think it’s a very good amenity, and it adds a necessary price point as we move into providing the hotel and other things. It gives people options.”

Commissioners last July voted 13-0 to award a contract to development giants Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, and Jeffrey Soffer to jointly build and run a four-star hotel on airport land, with county income from the hotel projected at $240 million over the term of the 50-year lease.

Asked by Commissioner Marleine Bastien whether the airport is fully prepared to prevent the sleep centers from become tools of human trafficking, Mr. Cutié cited thorough staff training and said “we have signage at all of our bathrooms that are put up that has phone numbers of who to reach out to.”

“No matter how well prepared you are,” said Commissioner Bastien, “you will be tested. There is always a risk.”