ODDITIES

Bods in pods with hot deals in cool places for slim folks

Pod hotels for slim travellers on slimmer budgets. From Singapore and KL to New York, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo capsule hotels and even a bed in a bookshelf. How budget hotels are making waves, no-frills to, yes, luxury..

by Vijay Verghese
updated by staff reporters May 2025

SEE ALSO Bangkok new business Hotels | Hong Kong Business Hotels | Kuala Lumpur Business Hotels | Singapore Green Lifestyle Hotels | Underwater hotels | Concierge Travails | Songdo Hi-Tech City |Tokyo fun guide

Tokyo's uber cool Book and Bed in Ikebukoro is a unique concept marrying a library and reading spaces with bookshelf bunks. The place is hugely Instagrammable, clean, neat, and popular.. The happening neighbourhood adds to this address's value and sense of fun/ photos: Vijay Verghese

WE ALL LOVE PODS. From the iPod and Dopod to the blundering but sadly extinct Sauropod, pods have been and will remain an obsession. We are mutating into a master race. The signs are everywhere. Wherever you turn, people are plugged into some snazzy POD or the other, nodding, staring blankly into the middle distance, mouth open, drool spilling out.

So if pods are hot, why not take things to their logical conclusion – and live in one. Live in a pod? That’s right.

Pods have been storming the hospitality business for the past decade or so. Drawing their inspiration from the toaster-size Japanese capsule hotels – where sozzled salarymen, having missed the last train home and forgotten their wife’s name, crash for the night for a paltry US$35 — pod hotels are the next big, or small, thing in accommodation.

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Most people just get back to their rooms for a brief kip before that dawn departure on the next red-eye. So does space really matter? And should we be getting mugged in broad daylight for it?

Quite a squeeze is the trendy The POD (www.thepodcapsulehotel.com) that arrived in SINGAPORE mid 2013 at 289 Beach Road (near the Jalan Sultan intersection not far from Arab Street).

Expect spartan grey cement interiors - this after you have buzzed yourself into a minimalist shoebox lowrise and taken the lift up to the third floor 'lobby' where a single receptionist deals efficiently with tousle-haired backpackers. This is a self-styled 'boutique Singapore capsule hotel' though the bedding arrangement is more like a train with two-tier bunk beds rather than a sealed coffin with TV. And it is this that will help allay the fears of claustrophobic travellers.

The minimalist grey opens into Nordic pale pinewood spaces with bedding neatly arrayed into categories like Front Entry, Side Entry, Female Only, and Queen. The Queen Pod will fit two and you get two personal lockers. There's a ladies' floor. If you need elbow room ask for a Single Pod (side or front entry). Black ladders run up to upper decks. Each POD serves up a private reading light, flip-down table for work, power socket, clothes rack, hangers, comfy duvet, and, remarkably, 300 thread count cotton sheets.

There are 83 beds in all (10-12 per room, designated male-only, female-only, or mixed) with pull-down blinds for privacy. A shared lobby-level pantry with long table, television, side settee and high chairs provides a self-serve common area with Nespresso, and WiFi. Complimentary breakfast is served here.

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Guests get shoe lockers, key-card access to rooms, free laundry (self service), free dry-cleaning (one item per day), free local calls, mineral water, towels and toiletries. The toilet is upscale too. A shared washroom with black marble basins set against a long mirrored wall offers a common space for shaving and teeth brushing while the self-contained compact private modern bathrooms are well featured, with vanity, flush and glass-partitioned shower. Yes, there's a hairdryer. It can't get better than this if you want a not too pinching leisure spin in a trendy hookah-puffing kebab neighbourhood or even if you're a suit in search of value digs.

A charming 2018 addition to the Singapore capsule hotel fray is the CUBE Boutique Capsule Hotel (cubehotels.com.sg/kampong-glam/) at Kampong Glam, a genuine little tight-space wonder with a royal blue facade, cool features and a nice vibe. It is also in the Beach Road and Arab Street neighbourhood. This is a vibrant happening district with bars, spices, great food and trendy shops. Neat space-age interiors (not for the claustrophobic) offer free WiFi, female only capsules, blackout blinds, fold-down tables, USB, safe, and storage with locks below the bed. Large purple numbers mark out the beds and the scene is almost reminiscent of a train carriage. A single starts around S$88 (US$68) and if you really need space and privacy opt for a private room 4 x queen capsule for around S$453 (US$346) up mid-year.

Singapore's latest 2025 capsule hotel offering is from Cube Social @ Boat Quay. It's a Pod bolthole with a difference. Think elegant upscale slip-in sleeping with 300 thread count linen, thoughtful space for your luggage, and a range of options including private rooms with natural light (above)/ photo: hotel

From the same group, Cube Social @ Boat Quay (cubehotels.com.sg) is Singapore's latest 2025 capsule hotel offering but with a difference. Expect elegant upscale slip-in sleeping with 300 thread count linen, luggage space, childproof adaptors, a safe, mirror, table, and reading light. Families can squeeze in with cube combinations (pick queen beds, single beds, or private room).

For mixers there's a lively bar area, all this is in a trendy converted shophouse district on the river. Rates at this buzzing pod spot start from about S$84 (US$64). CEO Mohd K Rafin believes modern peripatetics occasionally suffer rate fatigue. These digs, he feels, give them “Elegant yet affordable premium lifestyle capsule accommodation in a space that encourages
social interaction." It's certainly different.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, from Tony Fernandes who gave us the shocking reds and mad cut-price scrambles of AirAsia, comes a budget lodging concept that will be music to any budget traveller’s ears – Tune Hotels (www.tunehotels.com). The flagship 173-room Tune Hotel at No. 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman — known now as Momo's Kuala Lumpur — is reasonably central. Rooms are cleaned every day and towels changed every three days. Expect free Wifi, a smart TV and hairdryer. The Playground event space is available for meetings too. The basic upgraded Crashpad is a Tatami-style raised platform with a queen mattress. Expect soft woody tones and free moneral water. All this for about US$25 per night. A decent deal that.

At KLIA a double room starts at US$52 while a 25sq m Premium Executive Studio with cable satellite TV, ensuite bathroom and complimentary WiFi weighs in at US$96 mid-June 2025. Tune Hotels can be found in Georgetown Penang, Kuchin (East Malaysia), Liverpool and Hakuba (Japan).

The container hotel craze has been on for a while in Kuala Lumpur. The Container Hotel Kuala Lumpur (chgworld.com/) is in the centre of town at Jalan Delima around Bukit Bintang. The minimalist and industrial Capsule by Container Hotel (capsuletransit.com) arrived in 2014 targeted airside and landside at transit travellers, backpackers and frequent flyers passing through KLIA2, looking to recharge overnight. Upon check-in, guests receive an access card, locker key and an amenity bag with towel. The size of each locker is 30x23x15cm and fits most medium-size backpacks and luggage. Travellers can opt for the 3, 6 or 12-hour stay. The access card allows you entry into the sleeping zone or CapSpace, which is gender-specific. A Mixed Single or a Fermale Single costs just RM216 (US$50) for a 12-hour sleep-in June (2025)

There are aound 80 basic mod capsules; each comes with bedding by Orthorest, two pillows and a blanket, a foldable table, hangers, personal locker, reading light, power socket and blinds for privacy. Bathrooms are shared and are divided into separate wet and dry areas; the wet area is fitted with a walk-in shower with complimentary shampoo and shower gel while the dry zone has a mirrored dressing area and toilet. There’s a Capsule Bar for a quick drink and a lounge area with free WiFi. Capsule Transit MAX adds a dash of luxe to the experience. Try and Excutive Room or a Runway Suite. Explore meeting rooms, a bar, restaurant and gym.

In HONG KONG, capsule stays may be offered in combination with a mix of regular rooms as at Nap Hella Inn on Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (hkcapsule.com/). With public toilets and fixed airconditioning prices are from about HK$320 (US$40) for a mid-June 2025 sampling. L'etoile de Mer Hella Inn TST (hkcapsule.com/tst/), is a stylish offering with nice design touches, lifts, and a no-smoking policy. With automated reservations and a do-it-yourself approach. A premium seaview double with balcony at the Harbour Hella Inn (hkcapsule.com/) on Cannon Street Causeway Bay may go up to HK$480 (US$60) a night. There is a day use plan and a stay longer incentive for longstays at these Hong Kong capsule hotels. Even more modestly priced are places like Sleep Cubee Hostel (Causeway Bay) at around US$25. Few frills but smack in the shopping action.

Capsule by Container Hotel at KLIA2 is one of the originals that in 2014 launched the container-style cargo grunge avalanche for transit travellers in need of few frills but lots of style. It is targeted at backpackers and frequent travellers airside as well as landside/ photo: hotel

In BANGKOK travellers might look at the exceptionally clean and fun Khaosan Social Capsule (khaosan-social-capsule) at US$16 a night in a popular low rent entertainment area (also beds in 20sq m shared rooms for women).

Other top choices include the no-smoking space age industrial Avagard Capsule Hotel (www.avagardcapsulehotel.com/) in the Suvarnabhumi Airport basement from Bt2,200 (US$66) mid June 2025 dates: and Here We Go Bangkok (here-we-go) retailing at around US$12 for curtained bunk beds bordered in cheerfully red steel tubing (6-bed female dormitory available too) on Bunsri Road near the historic Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).

But let's head to where it all started. Japan. A capsule room at the 441-room Capsule Hotel Asahiplaza Shinsaibashi (asahiplaza.jp/english/) in OSAKA, and briefly closed during Covid will set you back Y3,000 (US$21) a night for a standard capsule. The space includes TV, power outlet, towels and storage. A private room (yes, that's right) is from Y6,500. The hotel has complimentary use of high and low temperature saunas for guests, a public bath and a lounge that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vending machines, game machines, public phones and laundry facilities are scattered around the complex. Get a massage or rent a mahjong table to pass time. Dress shirts, ties and underwear can be purchased in the lobby. Shower rooms are available.

Also in Osaka, First Cabin Midousuji-Namba (/en.first-cabin.jp) takes capsules to the next level. Imitating airplane cabins but with a futuristic edge, it offers premium class twin rooms from about US$80 while quadruple cabins are from US$180 mid summer weekdays. For a quick snooze, day stays are also available. Cabins offer LCD TVs, comfortable cabin wear and toiletries. Pop by the lounge for a quick bite, or relax the bathhouse and sauna. Shower booths are also available.

This is a members-only establishment with registration and subsequent reservations done via mobile phone or Internet. Quick, easy, painless. In a sign of true Japanese efficiency, your phone can double as the room key by downloading the "APLI" program onto it. A stroke of security genius. First Cabin has other properties in Kyoto, Osaka and Nagasaki.

The designer Book And Bed (bookandbedtokyo.com/en/) in Ikebukoro, TOKYO, near Shinjuku, serves up something completely different - a hostel in clean wood tones and minimalist lines, with the 'bedrooms' sunk into and behind bookshelves. That's right, you sleep with the books. What seems a quirky idea, seems to have taken off, and the compact rooms - 120cm x 200cm, or the size of a single bed - are well thought out and presented. Pick a 'bookshelf' bed or a 'bunk' with step ladder and choose from two sizes of beds, 'standard' and 'compact'. Whew, this is getting tight, but it sure beats a capsule hotel. A Compact bed may start from just Y1,680 (US$12) so this is money well spent (or saved). If you never had a chance to sleep in an IKEA cabinet, this is for you. It's all Swedish homey seeming stuff. Find a good book and stuff in for the night. There are day rates too from Y960 (one hour). The books are not for sale, alas, and showers and toilets are shared. The hotel is close to the Marunouchi line to skipping into town is a a breeze if you can fob off the sleepy salarymen. Find this pod hotel brand in Osaka and Fukuoka too.

A chic new 2024 arrival to Myeongdong Seoul is the Hotel Drip&Drop that is making a pitch for luxury capsule hunters. Give them a try at up to US$150 for roomier digs, or pick a stylish and cheaper capsule (pictured here). Expect a whole lot of extras as well as coffee for a caffeine fix/ photo: hotel

In SEOUL, the clean and adults-only The Capsule Hotel Myeongdong (www.thecapsule.co.kr/) serves up a central entertainment and shopping location from upwards of US$20 though you can shell out over US$150 at a luxury capsule address (also in Myeongdong) at the new quirkily named and uber chic 2024 arrival Hotel Drip&Drop (www.hoteldripndrop.com/).

Drip&Drop has 52 single capsule spaces and five sleek woody spaces for up to four along with a coffee zone for an aromatic caffeine hit. Expect shampoo, conditioner and body wash, a hairdrier, towels, in-house shoes, coffee bags, earplugs and fast WiFi.

Personal towels, room shoes, drip coffee bags, and earplugs are placed inside the individual lockers.These make for a good starting point in South Korea.

And in TAIPEI, the popular Hey Bear Capsule Hotel (www.heybear-hotel.com/) offers what it terms an "urban camping" experience in roomy futuristic sleeping pods with TV, airconditioning, ventilation and power outlets (no safe, and slip-ons and towels for a fee) from about US$22. A mixed capsule grouping for four persons starts from US$88.

Farther afield The Pod Hotel (www.thepodhotel.com/), NEW YORK, offers stylish centrally located digs at 230 E 51st St and other locations including Times Square. As its catchline goes "Sleep Tight Stay Happy". Just don’t attempt to swing a cat by the tail.

If you’re sharing the bath and toilet, your Full Pod mid-June 2025 is from US$2i7 a night. This 112sq ft space sleeps two. There’s a small work area, flat-screen TV, an iPod dock, laptop safe,hairdrier and free WiFi. For a more real sense of space head up to the rooftop garden with bar, or opt for a larger room with queen-size bed that comes with its own glass-enclosed bathroom. The secret sauce? Book direct for a one or two-person Veranda Pod with a grand alfresco terrace view. Not for the shy or faint of heart.

There are bunk bed configurations too, with an in-room display indicating if any of the shared bathrooms are available. A bit like being in an aircraft cabin, only more spacious, with room to swing a modest-size mouse by the tail.

Pod hotels are aimed at hip travellers with slim hips and slimmer budgets who want all the convenience of location and the odd bit of chic design chicanery without shelling out for it. Step out of The Pod Hotel New York and it’s a short stroll to Times Square, Radio City or Rockefeller Centre.

The Jane (thejanenyc.com/), in New York’s West Village, has all the efficiency of a pod hotel, albeit with a bit more character. Originally built in 1908 as a hotel for sailors with cabin-like rooms, The Jane was restored in 2008 to become a convenient and whimsical option for budget travellers with a ship feel. Standard “Cabins” are a cosy 50sq ft and come with single beds, wall-mounted luggage rack, in-room safe, free and fast WiFi, and LCD TV. Bathrooms are shared. Captain’s Cabins feature almost the same amenities except with a flat panel TV and a phone, and are significantly larger at 250sq ft. They have queen or king beds, and private bathrooms and are fully accessibility compliant for handicapped guests. Cheapest rates at The Jane start from US$199. Great woody and clubby ballroom, bar, and common areas.

The Jane is a delightful hotel in New York's happening West Village. It offers a range of rooms including tiny ship style 'Private Cabins all in woody tones with a smart finish. Elsewhere a gleaming ballroom beckons as does the rooftop bar complete with a clubby sipping room/ photo: hotel

In LONDON, budget airline easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou took his signature cheery orange into the compact, futuristic first-class cabin shapes of his easyHotel (www.easyhotel.com) franchise that offered truth in travel. The range started with the Small Room (with or without a window). And that pretty much said it all. Rooms were not serviced daily, but would be cleaned if requested.. There were Special Needs Rooms and Standard Rooms. The brand has expanded all over Europe and the UK and the look is brighter and more upscale though the space remains tight. At easyHotel London Victoria expect a double room at 7sq m with a "four star" feel, free WiFi, shower, hair and body wash, aircon, TV, towel and linens and blackout blinds at £153 (US$205). Check out locations in Croydon, Shoreditch, South Kensington and Paddington.

In Basel, Switzerland find double rooms from US$105, and in BARCELONA, Spain, from US$107 for an 11sq m room with plenty of light, wooden floors and daubs of red.

London Heathrow’s Terminal 4, Gatwick South Terminal and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport were the early locations for Yotel (www.yotel.com) where “cabins” can be booked hourly or overnight. Youtels have expanded to airports like Changi Singapore and Paris Charles de Gaulle. There are also Yotels in various configurations from Miami and Washington DC to Ginza, Tokyo and ISTANBUL. At the Yotel Istanbul Airport (Landside) bag a relatively roomy 29sq m PremiumPlus Twin with laptop safe, rain shower, iron, and free and fast WiFi for US$306, a hefty price tag for this range. But then this is now more hotel room than pod or capsule. Or at the Yotel Amsterdam book a Premium Queen Room for US$169.

YO! founder Simon Woodroffe, the evil genius behind this butt-squeezing brand, took a pinch of British Airways First Class, a hint of Airbus, and a dash of Japanese capsule hotel to create the Yotel. The first Premium Cabins featured a “techno wall” with an iPod or MP3 player port, a workstation with a stowable chair, flat screen LCD TV with surround sound, free WiFi or plug-in Internet, mood lighting, bespoke toiletries and all the storage space you needed. Private bathrooms now boast showers, heated mirrors and towels.

Beds even turn into couches at the touch of a magic button. There’s a cabin service menu, which you can order from any time day or night. Unlike an easyHotel, the Yotels are crammed with amenities. It looks like a plane, feels like a plane, but does it fly? Take a test run and find out for yourself. Yotel, backed by Kuwait-based IFA Hotels, has plans to bring more of their cabins to airports and city centres across the globe.

In AMSTERDAM, check out Qbic Hotels (www.qbichotels.com) right by the World Trade Centre where a "clever cosy crashpad" awaits. Try a No View Room (honest) with king-size bed, flat-screen TV and free WiFi, a Basic Room, a Basic urban Room, or a Large or costlier Family Room (US$419). Bright “Cubi” rooms beckon mod bods and their PODS featuring a Hästens four-poster bed, LCD TV, in-room safe, high-speed Internet and those obligatory Philippe Starck design touches that can be enjoyed from just US$376 (mid-summer 2025). By mid-November the rate for a Cubi will have dropped to US$188 and by mid-December to US$106.

Remember, June is the high season in Europe and low season in much of Asia as the monsoons sweep through.

Each Cubi comes with different coloured mood lighting – try "mellow yellow", "red romance" or "deep purple love". There are self service check-in terminals dispensing room keys to guests, and "grab and go corners" providing home-made food and other amenities like toothbrushes, chargers, condoms – not that there’s room to really use one – and phone cards.

Listen up space cadets. Get your bod to a POD. NOW.

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