Really, all I need is a pod hotel
In a city where space is a major commodity, renting shoebox sized spaces at a premium is a brilliant way to make a huge return on investment while offering budget-conscious travelers affordable, but clean and safe lodging alternatives. While pod hotels are something I've been talking about for a while in Hong Kong (I'm sure I'm not the only one either), someone is finally taking steps towards building one. Now it's just a matter of time before he finds investors to get his "galaxy" going.
Benefits of a pod hotel for guests
Why pay USD 30 or for a deep, dark and shady hotel, when you can pay USD 15 for a nice clean capsule hotel?
You probably don't spend much time in your hotel anyhow.
They almost always offer free WiFi! What more do you need?
Chung King Mansion's great for the adventure traveler (I stayed there my first time to Hong Kong 12 years ago), but it certainly isn't for the faint hearted.
Benefits of a pod hotel for the developer
Really, it's about dollars per square foot & heads in beds
Maximize room count - instead of one 30 square meter room, squeeze in 14 1.6 square meter pods (2 rows and 2 layers of 1.8m x 0.9m) capsules with a 1m aisle.
Maximize revenue - get double or triple the revenue per square meter as you would for a regular room.
$$$ - With low development costs associated with building conversions, few amenities, low staffing requirements, and limited utility cost, your ROI is worth the double take.
It's a no brainer. But looking at this guy's site, I guess there are still a million opportunities to do it better! www.galaxystarshk.com
How to do it better?
A brilliant example of a pod hotel that took minimalism and design to a perfection is 9H Hotel in Tokyo designed by Studio S. Love it!