Day room, a hotel room let for a block of hours
A day room is a hotel room rented for a few daytime hours rather than a night, common near Schiphol for layovers, with a checkout time that does not bend.
Several hotels around the terminal let rooms for a block of hours during the day, for travellers who need a bed and a shower between flights rather than a full night. It is the usual kind of room for a daytime layover session.
What it gives you
The same room a night guest would have: a bed, a bathroom, towels, a door that locks. You are a registered guest for the hours you paid for, which is all a session requires. Some day rooms start early in the morning for passengers off night flights; others run from late morning to early evening.
What to plan around
A day room ends at a fixed time, and the hotel usually needs the room back for cleaning. The session should end well before that, with enough time left to shower, dress and pack without watching the door. Forty minutes is a comfortable margin. If the hotel sells an extra hour, ask at check-in rather than at the end.
Light and temperature
Day rooms are often cool when you arrive and bright at midday. Turn the heating up when you walk in, and draw the heavy curtains while leaving the thin ones. A warm, dim room suits a session far better than a cold, bright one.
The short-stay room page covers planning inside a rented clock in more detail, and the arrival window entry explains how the hour is agreed at the airport.