When the world's first capsule hotel opened in 1979 in Osaka, Japan's third-largest city, it was radical and unexpected. It changed how Japanese people thought about hotels. Three decades later, the rest of the world is playing a catch-up game. Slowly but surely, we are getting there!
London has been a stable competitor for the title of the world's most expensive city, easily making it into the top 10 in the past decades. With an average price of about $150 a night for a hotel room that's alright and not too far from the center, the UK's capital is not exactly cheap.
So, if you want to keep some pocket change to enjoy London's extensive gastro and cultural offerings, then you have to give up on a private room. Fortunately, your privacy is not at risk because, unlike the hostels you're used to sharing space with strangers in an unpleasant way, London now has several capsule hotels to choose from.
Click on the picture to see the full-size map!
1. Cosmos capsule coworking London
Cosmos capsule coworking London
Cosmos is a fully automated accommodation, which means you will have to do manual check-in, and there is no on-site staff. As its name suggests, it's a hostel with a co-working space with high-speed Internet, free coffee/tea, and sweets to help you get through your work.
The futuristic-looking capsules have 2-meter x 0.9-meter mattresses and sockets for charging devices overnight. Thanks to their privacy, age differences matter less here than in dormitory-style hostels.
Cosmos Capsule Hotel is in a great spot, with Brick Lane right around the corner, where you can grab a drink and something to eat. Even the Tower of London is within walking distance.
What about the price? You'll pay around the third as in an average private room in a similar location.
2. Komo Pod Hotel
Komo Pod Hotel is a couple of blocks from Hackney Central tube station
Komo Pod is in Hackney, London's art neighborhood, which has transformed from a "slightly scary to walk at night" to one of the hippest places full of galleries and hip cafés. It's a no-fuss accommodation if you need a cheap place to sleep, and you don't have to be very close to the center. A quick ride on the Weaver line gets you to Liverpool Street station within minutes anyhow.
Good news if you are a couple: You can stay in one of their 16 new double pods and save even more by sharing the capsule. It will cost you per person as much as an avo toast with a cappuccino in one of the fancy cafés.
In the small communal space, you can prepare your food from Sainsbury's, and if you forget to get a drink, there is a vending machine.
3. St. Christopher's Inn in London Bridge
St. Christopher's Inn in London
Saint Christopher's is a European backpacker hostel chain with 20 properties in 12 cities. Their target audience is fun-loving people seeking no-frills accommodation, usually consisting of a bunk bed in a room shared by two dozen people.
They have private rooms for those who want to socialize but not listen to a choir of snoring and door slamming during the night. The problem is that they are nearly the price of a nice hotel room.
So, in 2018, St. Christopher's opened a capsule hotel with 26 pods, becoming the first to do so in London. It's their London Bridge property, which has a fantastic location and a rooftop terrace where you can enjoy city views, including the Shard, London's tallest skyscraper.
The capsules resemble Japanese pod hotels. They have comfy mattresses, USB ports, mood lighting, and curtains. They are compact but spacious enough for one person, with a depth of two meters, a width of 1.1 meters, and a height of 1.1 meters.
After successfully introducing this new concept, St. Christopher's plans to open more capsule hotels across Europe.
+1: Zedwell Piccadilly Circus
Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus
Okay, Zedwell at Piccadilly Circus does not follow the traditional recipe of Japanese capsule hotels and is also not as cheap. But, if you are torn between a classic and rather dull 4-star hotel room or something less spacious but more exciting, then this is it.
In some ways, Zedwell does copy Japan. Its minimalist rooms are designed with fine wood fittings, and the beds are simply mattresses' on the floor - just like tatami mats in ryokans.
Zendwell calls them 'Cocoons', and the smallest has only 8m² of space. However, these tiny rooms are soundproofed and have ensuite bathrooms. So, for about half the price of a regularly sized hotel room, you will stay in a stylish cocoon in a fantastic location.
With only two steps from the Piccadilly Circus, you are in the tourist hotspot of London. Four parks - St. James's, Green Park, Buckingham Palace Garden, and Hyde Park - are right around the corner if you want to take your Pret a Manger sandwich to eat on a bench with squirrels running around.
