February 1, 2010

The 9 h capsule hotel in Kyoto is luxury in a nutshell, so to speak

by Shayne Rana

One of the experiences I’m still hoping to have, if I ever make it to the far east of Asia is to stay in one of those crazy (in a good way) capsule hotels in Japan. A new hotel though, that’s called the 9 h or Nainawasu hotel (announced in July 2009) is designed to offer a luxurious stay even in its tiny quarters. The hotel gets its name from quiet a simple basic scenario 1 hours to shower (toilet duty etc.) + 7 hours of sleep + 1 hours of rest and relaxation which could also include toilet time. That’s an awful lot of toilet time. Each capsule is equipped with computerized control lighting that includes an alarm like function for the lights to come on and wake you up. All this is part of Panasonic and Matsushita electric works advanced system for good sleeping. Hotel 9 h also uses beds that that are comfy enough to be in four-star hotels. The concept is fascinating and I hope to get the opportunity to slid into one of these little rooms real soon.

If you happen to be in the vicinity of Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto, on Teramachi street look between the department store Fujii Daimaru and the convenience store AMPM and you should find 9 h right there. It’s about two minutes walk from Kawaramachi station and has a total of 125 capsules, locker rooms, showers, and a lounge. A night’s stay will cost you about $54. Awesomo!
Designboom http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8111/9-h-nine-hours-capsule-hotel-in-kyoto.html