Capsule hotels are inexpensive, convenient, and can be used not only for travel and business trips, but also when you miss the last train! They are also convenient and can be used when you miss the last train!
When I think back to 10 years ago when I first started using capsule hotels, I used them only for their convenience.
I would work late on a business trip and check into the capsule hotel I had planned around 10 or 11 pm.
I would go to sleep as soon as I entered the capsule, and in the morning I would take a shower and then skip out, so I did not really enjoy the facilities and amenities there.
Some people think that a capsule hotel is just a place to shower and sleep.
However, by now, capsule hotels have become well-equipped with facilities and equipment, and I often think that “just sleeping is fine” is too much of a waste.
In this article, I would like to introduce the various facilities and amenities of capsule hotels and write thoroughly about “how to have fun at capsule hotels.
You can enjoy a surprisingly wide variety of things! (^-^)
What kind of facilities and equipment do capsule hotels have?
Before introducing individual “ways to enjoy”, let me briefly tell you what kind of facilities and equipment capsule hotels generally have.
First of all, this is an old photo, but it shows the floor plan of the former “Sunplain Nagahori” (now renewed and called “Hotel Morning”). (It has now been renovated and changed to “Hotel Morning Box Osaka Shinsaibashi.)
I think this is still the average.
Here is a rough sketch from this diagram.
- 10F: Observation bath and sauna, tavern, free rest area
- 9F, 8F, 7F: guest rooms, single rooms (there seem to be regular single rooms here)
- 6F: Capsule floor for men only, business rooms
- 5F: Women-only capsule floor
- 4F: Guest rooms, single rooms
- 3F: Lockers for male capsules, massage space, vending machines, rest room for women only
- 2F: Front desk and lobby
- 1F: Cafe, Mahjong House
Here is another example of another capsule hotel. Here is a floor plan of the Asahi Capsule & Sauna.
- 3F: Capsule room
- 2F: Capsule rooms, rest rooms, manga corner, sofa corner
- 1F: Reception desk
- B1F: Locker rooms
- B2F: Public bath, sauna, restaurant, body care room
（This is a capsule hotel for men only.)
I mentioned two examples, but as far as I know, other capsule hotels have similar facilities and equipment, and they are getting even better by now.
So without further ado, here are“10 ways to enjoy yourself” in a capsule hotel to the fullest.
10 ways to enjoy yourself in a capsule hotel!
1 Enjoy yourself inside the capsule room
When it comes to spending time, the first place to start is the capsule room.
You will spend a lot of time in the capsule room.
I forget where this picture was taken, but it is the inside of a standard capsule room.
Most capsule rooms are equipped with a TV, so you can watch it or look at your phone.
I spend my time relaxing. Most capsules have five or six channels.
(Some capsule hotels do not have TVs.)
(Some capsule hotels do not have TVs.) There is an additional charge of about 1,000 yen, but some hotels allow you to watch a variety of movies, so it is fun to watch a movie at your leisure.
Most of the TVs are small like the one in the photo, but some stores have large 24-inch or 32-inch TVs (these rooms are also spacious, but…).
The main prohibitions in capsule rooms are
- Smoking
- Eating and drinking
- Making phone calls
- Turning up the volume of the TV, etc.
(Prohibitions vary from hotel to hotel, so please follow the rules of the hotel you are staying at. (Prohibitions vary from hotel to hotel, so please follow the rules of the hotel you are staying at.)
In most hotels, there is a space near the elevator hall where you can make phone calls, eat, and drink (or you may be allowed to do so in the restrooms, which will be described later).
(In some cases, you may be allowed to use the restrooms, which will be described in a later section.)
Smoking is allowed in smoking rooms or other designated areas. It is absolutely not allowed in the capsule rooms!
Shouting or turning up the volume on the TV is also not allowed in the capsule rooms.
TVs are always equipped with earphones, so please use them.
In rare cases, there may be places that do not have earphones. It may be that low volume is OK, but I have never made a sound without earphones because sound escapes quite well in a capsule hotel.
In addition, WiFi is available in most places nowadays, and there are outlets for charging.
It is OK to charge your phone or computer and connect to the Internet inside the capsule room.
2 Relieve your fatigue in the large public bath, outdoor hot spring, and sauna
Baths are still the king of “how to enjoy and spend your time” (laughs).
Nowadays, there are many capsule hotels that have well-equipped large and outdoor baths. Some places are really spacious and offer a variety of baths, like a so-called health spa.
In addition, there are places that draw hot spring water, and some have baths with a view or open-air baths.
When I feel like I can stay a little longer, I choose a place with a large bath and take a bath twice a night and once in the morning.
However, as for women, I am sorry to inform you that, as usual, there are many places where “only men have large baths” (women only have shower rooms).
If you are a woman and want to enjoy a bath in a capsule hotel plus a large public bath, please check for “separate men’s and women’s baths available”. There are a lot more of them now.
Saunas are available in many places (most of them are for men only, but the number of women’s saunas is increasing as well).
The photo shows the women’s sauna room at DAITIYO LADIES in Osaka.
3 Relax your body and mind in a body care (massage) room
Many of them are set up near the main baths, but there are also rooms that offer massage services.
Of course, there is an extra charge. The picture shows where I stayed a long time ago, and the price is 2,100 yen for 20 minutes, but I think it will be a little higher now. I think it varies quite a bit from place to place….
I think, “How about paying extra for a massage when I dare to stay in a capsule hotel to keep costs down? (^_^;
I had to stay at a capsule hotel for work, but there were no vacancies at all… I finally found a “1 night course with massage”.
Well, I thought it would be nice to experience it, so I applied for it. The regular fee plus 3,000 yen (60 minutes)…I think.
Yes, I took it. I took the massage….leaving aside whether 3,000 yen is expensive or not….it felt really good! (^_^)
4 Enjoy a meal at the in-house restaurant
Recently, I think there are more and more capsule hotels that have restaurants inside the building.
I don’t think I particularly choose such places, but most of the places I have stayed so far have had a restaurant.
At first, even if a capsule hotel had a restaurant, I rarely used it. But recently I have been using them more often.
I have the impression that they are inexpensive, quite tasty, and clean.
Also, many places offer a kind of “breakfast course” when you book a capsule, where you can stay with breakfast for an additional charge of about 300 yen.
You usually get a meal ticket at the front desk when you check in. The photo is an example. （Kobe Care House)
In most places, breakfast is basically a set breakfast (Japanese-style set meal, Western-style set meal, buffet style, etc.), but at other times of the day, a certain variety of food is available.
I heard that THE ROCK HOTEL in Osaka offers free breakfast with all plans, and I would be glad to see more places like that. (^-^)
Some capsule hotels have solid cafes attached to them.
The photo shows a coffee shop called “Café Morning Box” on the first floor of Hotel Morning Box Osaka Shinsaibashi in Osaka. It is very authentic!
Find a great restaurant at IchiYu,com5 Surfing the Internet in the computer room
Most capsule hotels now have free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, so if you bring your laptop into a capsule, you can use it to your heart’s content. However, they are still small and cramped.
Nowadays, there are many places that have a computer room (or computer space). Some have one in the corner of the room, and at the one I went to before, there were three computers side by side, partitioned into booths.
You can’t e-mail on the shared computers, but you can enjoy surfing the Internet and doing research, and it can also be used as a kind of break space.
*When there are many people who wish to use the computers, please be considerate of others and leave the room after a certain amount of time.
The image shows the computer space on the women’s floor of Hotel & Capsule The Inn in Chiba City.
6 Enjoy manga at the manga corner
Many places have a lot of manga available for you to enjoy freely.
If you like manga, you can spend hours here.
7 Relaxing in the break room (rest room)
Rest rooms vary from small to relatively large, but most capsule hotels have them.
There are sofas and small tables where you can make phone calls and drink canned coffee. Televisions and newspapers may also be available. Most are non-smoking.
If a place allows women to stay as well, there is often a women’s rest room on the women’s floor. It is safer and better for women.
People who stay with friends, for example, can talk in the rest room and make phone calls here.
*I think there are some rest rooms where eating and drinking and phone calls are prohibited depending on the restaurant, so please follow the rules of that restaurant.
8 Resting in the sofa room
Sofa rooms are lined with reclining seats and have slightly darker lighting. The sofa room in the photo is a fairly large one, with a large number of them, and each one had a TV.
Compared to rest rooms, rest rooms are more like places to take a short rest or talk with your companion, while sofa rooms are places where you can take a long, relaxing rest, including napping.
Some restaurants offer a course for sofa room use only, in addition to the capsule room use course, so you can stay there overnight.
Find the best restaurant deals at IchiYu,com.9 Read or work in a working space
Depending on the restaurant, some have working spaces. The picture below is from “Anshin Oyado, Akihabara” in Tokyo, which has a secure working space where you can make copies and print out your work.
If you have some work left to do, you can do it in a place like this, or you can enjoy reading a book.
Also, depending on the capsule, there are spacious rooms with a small desk by the bedside.
In such places, you can read or work at your leisure without worrying about other people. The photo shows Hotel Cargo Shinsaibashi in Osaka.
10 Play in the game corner
Many places do not have this, but several of the capsule hotels I visited did.
There were several game consoles that looked like they had been around for a long time.
If you are a game lover, it is also fun to play with these things.
Extra Vending Machines
Vending machines sell everything from tea and coffee to beer. Some stores sell some pretty fancy stuff, which is also fun.
However, drinking inside the capsule is prohibited in many places. Please drink slowly in a rest room or other permitted place.
Photo from “Anshin Oyado, Akihabara Branch.
Conclusion
These are 10 facilities & equipments that you can enjoy in capsule hotels in general.
One way to think of capsule hotels is “low price, good if you can take a shower and sleep”, and I believe that is possible.
On the contrary, I think it is also good to “use various facilities of capsule hotels and enjoy them a lot.
Compared to 10 years ago, when I first started using capsule hotels, facilities and equipment are getting better and better. I think that these improvements have made the nights and mornings at capsule hotels so much more fulfilling and enjoyable.
MacckeyIf you are going to stay at a capsule hotel, please enjoy your time inside to the fullest!
I write reviews of capsule hotels and various other things about using capsule hotels. You can see a list of all articles related to capsule hotels and jump to each article in the “Articles” section. Please take a look if you like.
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