Staying at Capsule Hotels in Japan seems to be like a “must do” for curious travellers.
After staying in two different capsule hotels I have to say that it is an interesting experience and definitely worth a try. Plus it doesn’t hurt to save a few $$ along the way!
Now capsule hotels are primarily for singles, meaning that men and women bunks are separated in different wings. If you are hoping to stay in a couple capsule hotel then I believe the only one(s) you’ll find are in Tokyo.
The first capsule hotel that I stayed at was the true capsule experience, and I’ll outline the details below. The second capsule hotel was a single room for two people and it was just a room with one capsule on top of the other. This room did not come with a private bathroom, instead we had a shared washroom on different floors.
Our Capsule Hotel in Kyoto, Japan
The first capsule hotel experience I had was in Otsu, Japan (a 10 minute subway ride into Kyoto). If you are in the area, I highly recommend this capsule hotel, and I assure you that you won’t be disappointed! It was very clean and modern!
What the Hotel Provides You
Since the purpose of capsule hotels is to provide a basic area to sleep, it comes with everything you need including towels, pjs, shampoo/conditioner/bodywash, and a locker for your belongings. The locker is located outside of the sleeping area and there is also a place for additional luggage storage in the common area of the hotel.
The Sleeping Quarters
Each capsule has a duvet blanket and a pillow. The pillow is about half the size of a regular pillow, and seems to be filled with “bean-bag” like materials. It is not the most comfortable, but sufficed for the time that I was there. Additionally, there is also a plug at the head of each bed to charge your essentials… aka… your phone! I found my bed to be very clean and mattress very comfortable.
In general the main room is always dark with minor lighting, but just enough to easily get by in the evening. At the foot of every bunk, you can pull down your shade and hook it in place so that it doesn’t come up during the night and to secure your privacy. There were two lights in the bunk at well. This is great because you can determine where and how much lightning you want in your capsule cell.
The cost of staying in a capsule hotel is in the middle between the cost of a bunk at a hostel and the price of a budget hotel room.
Overall, it’s totally worth checking out a capsule hotel in Japan! Certainly give it a try while you are there!
If you are visiting Kyoto and looking for a place to stay, consider visiting the Calendar Hotel. I had such a great stay, and would recommend if you want to experience staying in a true capsule hotel!
If you have already had a stay in a capsule hotel, let me know your thoughts! How did you like your stay?
