The Coolest-Looking Capsule Hotels Outside Japan

The first capsule hotel in the world opened in Osaka, Japan in 1979. Since then, capsule hotels have not only spread to across the country but around the world. Here are some of the coolest-looking ones that aren’t in Japan.

The general concept of Japanese capsule hotels and their foreign counterparts is the same: these are cheap, functional places to sleep.

Since trains do not run 24 hours a day in Japan, capsule hotels became a place for businessmen to crash if they missed the last train while out drinking. Originally for men only, many Japanese capsule hotels now cater to a wider range of folks, especially foreign visitors keen to have a unique sleep experience.

Outside Japan, however, some hostels seem to have adopted the capsule hotel style because it’s way to get more backpackers in one room.

Below are some of the coolest-looking capsule hotels from around the world, excluding Japan. I tried to pick ones that were capsule or box-shaped and weren’t simply teeny rooms branded as capsule hotels. I haven’t stayed at any of these, so I cannot vouch for quality. However, you can click on the links, learn more and suss out if any of them meet your criteria.

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Capsule by Container Hotel (Sepang, Malaysia)

The Capsule Hotel (Sydney, Australia)

CapsulePod (Singapore, Singapore)

Chic Capsule Otel (Singapore, Singapore)

CityHub (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Galaxy Pod Hostel (Reykjavík, Iceland)

Juicy Snooze (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Met A Space Pod (Singapore, Singapore)

Pengheng Space Capsules Hotel (Shenzhen, China)

Urbanpod (Mumbai, India)

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DISCUSSION

gina molinari

The Malaysian one is actually located inside KLIA2, the newer KL airport. Been past it plenty of times but never actually checked it out up close. Looks, uh, kinda basic, considering it’s RM80 for six hours – although I guess that probably sounds much more reasonable if you’re coming from Europe or America and you do the maths...

Earlier this year I stayed in the Yotel in Heathrow Airport. Of the hotels listed in the article, it most closely resembles the Amsterdam one in that they’ve got private cabins with full-size doors, in both single- and double-bed varieties. Amenities include free wifi and TV, unlimited refills for tea and coffee, and en suite sink/shower/toilet. Not cheap by any definition (think £70ish for a few hours if you book more than a few weeks in advance, £100 if you’re doing it last-minute), but it’s the cheapest of the airport hotels and much more convenient than nearby airbnb options. Sound insulation within the hotel was a bit crap and I had to put up with hearing people lugging suitcases down the hall all night, but I’ve dealt with worse.

Probably wouldn’t stay there again though. As much as I benefitted from getting a shower and a few hours’ rest after a difficult couple of days, it was mostly curiosity that made me book. For what you’re getting, it’s not sufficiently cheaper than a room in a traditional hotel.