A few days ago, a capsule hotel appeared in Shanghai. According to reports, every room's width and height is approximately 110 centimeters, about 220 centimeters long, and is equipped with LCD televisions, internet connections, etc. According to reports, this hotel charges by the hour, with a base rate of 28 yuan, or 88 yuan per day.
A capsule hotel is a type of hotel popularized in Japan with a large number of extremely small "rooms" (capsules) intended to provide cheap and basic overnight accommodation for guests not requiring the services offered by more conventional hotels. The first capsule hotel to open was the Capsule Inn Osaka, designed by Kisho Kurokawa and located in the Umeda district of Osaka. It opened in 1979.
The guest space is reduced in size to a modular plastic or fiberglass block roughly 2+ m by 1+ m by 1.25 m, providing room to sleep. Facilities range in entertainment offerings (most include a television, an electronic console, and wireless internet connection). These capsules are stacked side by side and two units top to bottom, with steps providing access to the second level rooms. Luggage is stored in a locker. Privacy is ensured by a curtain or a fibreglass door at the open end of the capsule. Washrooms are communal and some hotels include restaurants (or at least vending machines), pools, and other entertainment facilities.
As it is understood, the requirements for the materials used in a capsule hotel are very high. From the frames to the accessories, all of them must be fire-resistant, and even "the mattresses are inspected for fire-resistance". But on the surface, this specially ordered mattress doesn't look any different from any ordinary mattress.
The owner of the capsule hotel is a Chinese returnee who had studied abroad in Japan. During his study abroad, he worked "undercover" as an attendant/service personnel at a Japanese capsule hotel before he learned everything required from the hardware to the service. According to him, Japan's capsule hotels only charge by the day, whereas his hotel in Shanghai, instead charges by the hour.
