After arriving in Sapporo to check out the Snow festival and do some snowboarding on my last leg of the Japan trip, I stayed in a capsule hotel due to not booking any accommodation in advance. I thought I’d write down some notes on my experience of staying in a capsule hotel. First up, it’s weird. Fucking weird.
Upon checking in ($¥2,800 / $31), you are given a shoe locker to store your shoes which sits beside the reception area. Next stop was down to the lockers located in the basement of the hotel to store my belongings (the lockers here were so small/narrow).
The locker room in the basement where you store your gear.
Then it was up to check out the capsule. Rows of 2 capsules high running down both sides of the room. Each capsule had a TV (porn was an optional extra at ¥1,000 / $11), radio, lighting control and an alarm clock. The hotel as a whole was really well kitted out with vending machines for all sorts of stuff including hot food. Extra facilities included washing machines, sauna, hot tub and free tolitories.
Fast food vending machine. I’m sure you, as I, can imagine how good this stuff must be ;)
After a few beers out on the town, I feel asleep straight away but woke up a few times due to my little capsule heating up… which was a let down. Overall, I think the concept is a good idea, in that they are normally used by Japanese men who have been out on the town and want a place to crash before going into work the next day. But for me, I’m not going to go out of my way to stay in one again.
The chill-out room
Oh Capsule bed! this is base on erth or skymatchine haha. i never see machine for cook pay by coin in thai,but atmost have can drink water. (porn was an optional extra at ¥1,000 / $11)?? what it mean for pay up?. time is veryfast this 2 week for you already -*-. oh friend but now have amazing in mukdahan at relationbrigde. a lot of peple come to see big snake in the legend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WNZUJ0qlgw&feature=player_embedded it amazing in mukdahannow.
Been loving your photos from all over Japan. Akihabara, Harajuku, ice sculptures, the bullet train, you’ve covered all the bases and more.
I have to say that the chill-out room looks much more comfortable than the sleeping capsules! I’d rather sleep there.
Thanks Brian! It’s been an awesome trip!
I think the guys shared the same opinion, as that photo was taken at around 2am!
Hey Chris,
What did the inside the that coffin look like? I was surprised you didn’t have a pic posted.
regards,
sip
I went straight out for beers, and when returned was a littler worse for wear. Hence, forgetting to take a pic of inside.
Wow, that’s awesome :D
I’ve seen those before in a documentary and always wondered why we didn’t have them over here – I heard a lot of business people will use them for mid day naps since everyone is working so hard.