Sleeping at Gatwick - Yotel or an airport bench?

Leaving London to go by air to  anywhere in Europe seems  these days to involve getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning to catch one of those obscenely early flights out of Gatwick or Stansted or Luton. Arriving early at your destination may give you extra time but if you are feeling sleep-deprived and half-dead on your feet, I've never seen the advantage. Some people have taken to sleeping on an airport bench and there is even a website devoted to this http://www.sleepinginairports.net. 

Far better is a night's stay at the Yotel, http://www.yotel.com/hotels/london-gatwick a new form of  cabin-style rooms bookable by the hour or more and right in Gatwick's South Terminal. The cabins are a bit like the sleeping accomodations in a high-class train but also have  monsoon showers, flat screen tvs,wifi and free hot drinks. Rates vary but  promotional rates start at £32 for a standard cabin.  (Pictured below). The premium cabin on the right costs around £85.

If you do opt for a hotel  off-site, remember to check that they provide shuttle service. This is not always the case in the UK and the extra cab fare can cancel out any savings you made on the room. When I stayed at the Yotel a few months back, I left my bags in the room, rode the elevator up to the main terminal and went for a leisurely stroll. Without bags to lug, anxiety about check-ins and the like, I discovered that air terminals can be pleasant places to visit. Who knew?