Capsule Hotels

The name is the method. One hour to wash, seven to sleep, one to get ready. The 9h chain builds its hotels around that sequence and little else.

Suidobashi is a central Tokyo address, close to Suidobashi Station and within sight of Tokyo Dome. Pods are pale, moulded and identical, with lighting designed to help the body wind down and wake up.

Floors are separated for men and women. Showers, lockers and washrooms are shared and kept very clean. It is a place to sleep well, not to linger.

Hakata Station is the gateway to Kyushu. Shinkansen trains terminate here, and the airport is only a few subway stops away.

This 9h hotel, opened in 2020, sits a short walk from the station. It follows the chain's formula exactly: a clean lobby, lockers for bags, sleeping pods arranged in quiet rows.

It suits a late arrival or an early train. Travellers who want to see Fukuoka's food stalls at night can still be in bed within minutes.

CityHub is a Dutch brand that calls its pods hubs. Reykjavik became its fourth location in November 2024, on Hverfisgata in the middle of the city.

There are 89 hubs and four accessible rooms. Check-in runs through kiosks, and an RFID wristband opens both your hub and the self-service bar in the lounge.

The rooftop has a hot tub, a sensible idea in a city this far north. The capsule format here feels social rather than strictly functional.