Capsule Hotels

Long journeys wear me out.

The last time I flew from Auckland to Los Angeles was 23 years ago. That was before none-stop flights, and aeroplanes would stop to refuel in Hawaii. I arranged to stay in Hawaii for 12 hours and complete my travel on a later flight so that I could rest up. I was glad I did because Auckland to Los Angeles is a very long flight and there's nothing to see out the window but ocean.

However, when I got there, I realised that 12 hours wouldn't be enough time to check into a hotel and get back to the airport. What to do? No problem. There were accommodations inside the airport. It was like an old fashioned sleeping carriage on a train, with curtains for privacy. That's all I needed. Eight hours sleep, a shower and a change of cloths before I boarded the aeroplane to LA.

When I'm traveling alone, my only requirement for a hotel is a guaranteed undisturbed nights sleep (and clean, cheap, convenient of course). That's why I'd like to see these Japanese style "hotels" at airports for the use of budget-minded travelers and the Youth Hostel set.



Photos by PFC