If average travelers are ambivalent about hotels at American airports, savvy business flyers tell a different tale about a good hotel at an international airport.

After a long overseas flight, the thought of a long ride to the economic center of an unfamiliar international city can be the mythical straw that breaks the business traveler's back. Besides, an airport hotel, complete with global-standard amenities, is often a much-needed stop before striking out into less developed parts of the world. And as a restful, close-to-the-flight-home option at the end of a grueling business trip, a fine-tuned airport hotel can be a sybaritic amenity before the crack-of-dawn departure of a 12- or 16-hour itinerary.

"I don't mind giving up my last night in a great city if it means I can check into an airport hotel with good beds, great showers, and strong Internet," says Wendy Fearington, a 150,000-mile-a-year international flyer. "Given how time-consuming and difficult it [sometimes is] to navigate international departure formalities, I like knowing that I'm already close to my flights. It's better than guessing on traffic, hoping the car service shows up, or that the cab driver won't mess up."

What follows is a guide to some of the best airport-hotel options at a handful of the world's most important cities. It is hardly a comprehensive list, however. In fact, I urge you to let us know the properties you like at the international airports you frequent. Just remember the standards: Business travelers like their airport properties to have around-the-clock amenities and weatherproof access (preferably by walking a short distance) to the airport terminals.

The Fine Print…

Speaking of international travel, the U.S. airlines have reacted predictably to the European Union's imposition of carbon-emissions limits on flights. United/Continental, Delta, American, and US Airways have all tacked a $6 round-trip surcharge on international travel. And OAG, the industry schedule keeper, claims the emissions program may eventually add 3 percent to the cost of an international itinerary.

Next destination: Hong Kong