Pod Hotels: Not Just For Japanese Salarymen Anymore

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  11.09.07 | 7:57 AM ET

podhotel

In Japan, pod hotels are old news. The first one, Capsule Inn Osaka, opened in 1977. Writes Karen Burshstein in a National Post story: “With more than a passing resemblance to the drawers in a morgue, it was a weird but nifty addition to Japan’s space-starved cityscapes.” Now, though, the concept has spread, and mini-hotel rooms are popping up in London, New York, Amsterdam, Vancouver and elsewhere. They range from the garish yet economical (the low-cost and bright orange easyHotels,) for instance, to trendy and high-tech (like Dutch company Qbic‘s LCD TV screens and changeable color schemes that match your mood, pictured) and many are available for only a few hours at a time, neatly filling the gap between a red-eye landing and the start of a long day of museum or gallery hopping.

I have to admit, my late-night landing routine has usually involved finding a quiet corner of the arrivals lounge to stretch out in—I have had sound sleeps on airport floors on three continents—but Burshstein’s round-up has my curiosity piqued. I’d always planned to try out a capsule hotel when I made it to Japan, but with so many newer, closer options, why wait?


Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


1 Comment for Pod Hotels: Not Just For Japanese Salarymen Anymore

Emily 11.09.07 | 10:58 AM ET

Is it sad that I’ve been dreaming of a stay in a pod since I was about 10?  I love the littleness, and how compact it is in a way that isn’t done in the home.

Although, how much more practical would it be to have a Cubi for those years of University where you essentially live in a room?

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