The overnight pit stop at a forgettable (and decidedly déclassé) airport hotel used to be one of the banes of the road warrior's life. No longer. The hotel industry's burgeoning emphasis on design includes airport properties, many of which are starting to boast the upgraded amenities and modish trappings of their downtown cousins. Say goodbye to poky rooms and drab lobbies, and luxuriate in slick digs like the striking Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich, tel: (49-89) 97820, pictured above. Below are some of our other layover favorites.

HYATT REGENCY INCHEON This state-of-the-art property, tel: (82-32) 745 1234, is just 2 km away

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) from Seoul's main airport and boasts 523 rooms and suites, furnished with goose-down duvets and flat-screen TVs. Its restaurant, 8, offers (you guessed it) eight different culinary styles. Other leisure options include a casino and the stylish pool at the Club Olympus spa.

RADISSON SAS STANSTED With Heathrow and Gatwick operating at near capacity, more London-bound flights are opting for Stansted, home to the Radisson SAS, tel: (44-12) 7966 1012. Rooms come in three funky styles (Chili, Ocean or Urban) and the hotel's four restaurants surround a unique 12-m "wine tower" holding 4,000 bottles.

REGAL AIRPORT Hong Kong's airport hotel, tel: (852) 2890 6060, is every bit as stylish as the hub it serves — and even manages to impart something of a resort feel, with outsized rooms, two swimming pools, courtyard gardens and a spa. Hong Kong Disneyland and the new AsiaWorld-Expo convention center are within easy reach.

WESTIN DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT With its Zen-style water features, bamboo thickets and Asian-inspired restaurant design, this 414-room hotel, tel: (1-734) 942 6500, brings fusion flair to Motor City. Smokers who come off a long-haul flight desperate to light up will find no relief here, though: the property is entirely smoke-free.

• FARHAD HEYDARI
• Airport hotels compete with their downtown cousins