Panel B · 3 hotels
Three hotels built around compact sleeping pods, from Tokyo's first-generation format to a Nordic take on it.
B1
Tokyo, Japan
The name is the method. One hour to wash, seven to sleep, one to get ready. 9h nine hours built its brand on that simple schedule, and the Takebashi branch follows it closely.
Pods are pale, smooth and quiet, with soft lighting built in. Lockers and shower areas are kept apart from the sleeping floors. The Imperial Palace grounds and Kitanomaru Park are a short walk away.
B2
Tokyo, Japan
Few places test a capsule hotel like Kabukicho after the last train. Green Plaza has long served that crowd. It is one of the larger capsule hotels in Shinjuku.
Expect rows of classic pods, a public bath and a sauna. Guests change into the loungewear provided, bathe, then turn in. It is a straightforward way to see how this format works at scale.
B3
Reykjavík, Iceland
CityHub started in the Netherlands with a question. How much room does a city traveller really need? Its answer is the hub: a compact sleeping cabin with a proper bed and adjustable lighting.
In Reykjavík, the hubs sit in the centre of town. A wristband opens your hub and pours drinks at the self-serve bar in the shared lounge. The harbour and the main shopping streets are all nearby.