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I Spent $50 To Sleep In A Capsule Pod At A Tokyo Airport. It Wasn't Restful, But It Was Worth It For The Convenience.
Business Insider's reporter spent a night at the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita Airport in Japan.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
- I ended a trip to Tokyo with an experience on my Japan bucket list — a night in a capsule hotel.
- For $50, I slept at the Nine Hours Narita Airport, a pod hotel inside the airport.
- The sleep wasn't great, but I thought it was convenient for travelers with early flights.
In April 2023, I spent 12 days wandering around Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. As the days passed, I wanted to end my trip with a few experiences that were high on my travel bucket list.
I made sure to spend my morning slurping shio ramen and my afternoon exploring Shinjuku City, a popular Tokyo neighborhood known for its skyscrapers and stores.
For my last night, I wanted to stay in a capsule hotel.
Capsule hotels, often called pod hotels, originated in Japan. I've stayed in a capsule hotel in Australia and think it's best described as a cross between a hotel and a hostel — you don't have much space, but you do get a bit of privacy.
Since the concept originated in Japan, I wanted to end my trip with the quintessential experience. I booked a night at the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita International Airport, where I was flying out the next day to go home. Here's what it was like.
Around 9 p.m. on the last night of my trip, I hopped on a train in Shinjuku heading to Narita International Airport and arrived a little over an hour later.Signs point to the hotel at the Narita international Airport.
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I navigated to the hotel located in terminal two and checked in for the night.The entrance to the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita International Airport.
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Before getting the keys, I was told the rules: I was not allowed to eat in my pod, but I could drink. Travelers were instructed to be quiet and return their towels to a bin at the end of their stay.The check-in desk at the capsule hotel.
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My capsule cost $49 for the night, but travelers can also book a pod for just a few hours to nap and shower.Two rows of capsules at the Nine Hours Hotel at the Narita International Airport.
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Once the rules were covered, I was handed a key marked 11. This was the number on both my locker and bed.Each pod had two nooks to store belongings.
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From there, I headed to the women's capsule. The hotel was divided by gender, with two rooms of capsules.The entrance to the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita International Airport.
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Since the pods are small, travelers store their belongings in lockers. They were spacious enough for my items.Two rows of lockers filled a room at the Nine Hours Hotel.
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I grabbed a pair of slippers, which were in a complimentary bag of toiletries for overnight guests. The bag also contained two towels, a toothbrush, earplugs, and a nightgown.A bag of amenities, which included towels and a nightgown.
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With my luggage locked away, I headed into the next room, which was the bathroom. Eight toilets lined one wall.Rows of toilets and sinks.
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The next two rooms were home to a total of nine showers.The showers at the Nine Hours Hotel.
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Everything appeared remarkably clean, and as I explored the hotel, I was shocked by its size. The rows of lockers felt as if they went on and on, as did the bathrooms.A row of sinks in the capsule hotel.
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In other hostels I'd stayed at, rooms had four, eight, or 12 people, and this felt like a lot. I'm a light sleeper, so strangers snoring and leaving at different times have meant poor nights of sleep in the past.A capsule hotel with 12 pods in Sydney.
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I didn't consider the number of pods in the hotel, and I didn't spot that information on its website. But the number of lockers hinted that quite a few people would be sharing the same space.Guests dropped off their used towels in the bin.
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My fears were soon confirmed. Near the showers, I saw a door leading to the capsules that said, "Sleeping Pods 001 - 058."A door leads to the pods.
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Any hope of sleep vanished, and I took a deep breath and stepped inside the pod room. The fluorescent lights of the rest of the hotel disappeared, and I felt like I was stepping into the set for a utopian movie.Fifty-eight beds filled the women's section of the capsule hotel.
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The pods were illuminated in the darkness. Each capsule had a pull-down curtain for privacy, but with travelers still trickling in, most of the pods were open when I arrived.Each pod had a pillow and blanket.
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I walked the length of the room to bed 11 and found my pod.The numbers for the pods painted on the floor.
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Inside my pod was a folded comforter and pillow.The view of one pod.
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I crawled in and was surprised by how spacious the room felt. I assumed I would feel claustrophobic, but I had plenty of room to stretch out my legs and sit up straight.The reporter inside her pod at the Nine Hours Hotel.
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The mattress was firm, and the pillow was firmer.Each pod had a pillow.
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A small panel was stationed at the head of the bed. Here, I could control the pod's lights and access a power outlet. The hotel also provided a button for music, but I didn't have headphones to try it out.The control panel inside the pod.
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There were also two small storage nooks, though they could not hold much more than my AirPods or the locker key.Each pod had two nooks to store belongings.
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Besides that, the room was bare.A view of the pod at the Nine Hours Hotel.
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At 11:30 p.m., I was ready for bed and pulled down the curtain at the entrance of the pod.Each pod had a curtain for privacy.
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The curtain allowed for privacy, which I was thankful for, but it wasn't thick enough to dampen the sounds of other travelers entering the room.The pods illuminated in the dark.
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From what I could see, most pods were occupied. I dozed off to the sounds of a nearby pod mate snoring. Overall, it was surprisingly quiet, considering over 50 other people were sharing the room.A view of four empty pods.
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Unfortunately, the silence didn't last long. At 3 a.m., I woke to strangers' alarms, pod curtains being opened, and people getting up to catch flights.A screenshot of alarms.
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I was in no rush to wake up. My flight wasn't until the afternoon, and I hoped to sleep in. I dozed in and out of sleep for the next five hours as people crawled out from their pods and headed to their airport gates.Three pods at the capsule hotel.
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Overall, I didn't have a great night of rest, but I usually don't before flights. Instead of deep sleep, I typically stir all night, fearing I'll miss an alarm.The reporter is in her complimentary nightgown.
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Even if I was in a traditional hotel, I don't think I would've gotten much more sleep. I climbed out of the capsule at 8:30 a.m. and was surprised to find that every other bed in the room was empty.Rows of pods at the capsule hotel.
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Even though checkout wasn't until 10 a.m., everyone else had already left, and the cleaning staff was already stripping sheets and preparing for a new set of guests.The interior of the capsule.
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It made sense. The pod seemed convenient for people with early flights who didn't want to make an hourslong journey to the airport in the morning.The interior of one of the trains that goes to the Narita International Airport.
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When it was time for me to leave, I checked out of the hotel and headed to my terminal, which was a short walk and bus ride away.The exterior of a building at the Narita International Airport.
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Getting to my was gate stress-free. I typically spend the day of my flight fearing some sort of mishap would prevent me from getting to the airport on time, but all my anxieties disappeared since I was already at the airport.Travelers stand inside the Narita International Airport.
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While it wasn't the best night of sleep, it was awfully convenient and affordable. If I had an early morning flight in Japan, I'd be sure to book the capsule hotel again.The reporter outside the hotel's entrance.
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