The basic premise of a capsule hotel is, just how much space do you actually need for a one-night stay? Fundamentally, you just need to be able to lie down and then get up and leave once you have rested. The concept has been around for a while now, particularly in Asia. As a family, we have stayed in minimalist rooms where you are provided with a cubicle containing nothing but a large bunk bed, but I had yet to try the solo version.
I recently flew to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore, and decided to book-end my stay in Malaysia by trying out two different capsule hotels. Kuala Lumpur International has a couple at Terminal 2, one air-side and one land-side.
The automated gates recognised my Australian passport, letting me out into the Arrivals hall, and I followed my printed instructions to get to the CapsuleTransit Landside capsule hotel.
Or tried to. Arrivals is on Level 2, and the instructions were to take the lift to Level 1, but the lifts only went up, not down. Eventually I got there via the car parks, and after a bit of searching, found the entrance to the capsule hotel tucked away behind the car rental desks. Friendly staff retrieved my booking, handed me a bag containing towel, water, toothbrush, earplugs, eye mask, and gave me a key card. This allowed me to open a secure door that led into a warren of little metal containers, all stacked on top of one another, accessible via ladders and walkways.
I found number 316 up a ladder and about half way down a walkway. Inside was a comfortable mattress, clean sheets, a small fold-down table, and a mirror.
I slid the paper screen down behind me. There was enough room to get undressed, and to sit up in bed and read a book. It was remarkably quiet, considering there were other capsules all around. When I turned out the light, I quickly fell into a comfortable sleep.
In the morning, I made my way in the provided slippers to the shared bathroom for a shower. The bathroom was clean and quiet, simple but with everything you needed. Refreshed, I dropped my key card at reception, and headed out into the city.
I concluded my business in Kuala Lumpur, and headed back to KLIA2. On this occasion, I had booked a room air-side at another CapsuleTransit capsule hotel, reasoning that it would be best to get a good night’s sleep inside the terminal, close to my departure gate.
Once at the Departure hall, I checked in for my flight using the airline’s app, but it wouldn’t give me a boarding pass to Singapore (not uncommon for an international flight). I tried one of the automated machines at check in, but it wouldn’t give me a boarding pass until 4 hours before departure. The checkin desks were all closed, with no sign that they were opening any time soon.
I needed a boarding pass to get through security, and I needed to get through security because my hotel was air-side, at the departure gate.
I got on the phone to the airline, Scoot, and explained my predicament. After checking my details, she talked me through logging in to their website portal where I was able to download my boarding pass as a PDF onto my phone. Thank you, Scoot.
Even then, I had another hurdle. Security at immigration didn’t want to let me in because I was (to them, at least) a day early for my flight. I politely explained to the guard, and then to their boss, and then to their boss’s boss, and they waved me in.
The air-side hotel is near the food hall in the nexus between the P and Q arms of international gates, and was pretty easy to find. These capsule hotels can be booked for any period from one hour up, and although I had booked for a full twelve hours, I had quite a bit of time to kill before I checked in at 4pm. I ate some salad and drank some wine, and then returned to the hotel.
The checkin process was the same as land-side, but the capsules were different. Far fewer in number, here at the departure gates, and of a different design. Taller, and slightly narrower due to the presence of shelving and a small safe. The difference in width didn’t seem much at first, but I banged my elbows a lot getting changed.
There was also a lot more noise from the infrastructure, there were rolling and grinding noises from some of the capsules above, and a snoring guy, and the mattress squeaked a bit.
Still, I had no trouble sleeping till 3:30, then a nice hot shower in a large clean cubicle. I ate a salad that I had bought the previous night, just in case, but in fact the food court was already open.
From the shower, straight to my gate. It could hardly be more convenient for a solo traveller, at A$100 for twelve hours. For a couple or a family, though, especially if you have any luggage, a similar price per person could easily get you a room in an airport hotel with all the usual facilities. For instance, at KLIA we often stay at Sama-Sama which costs about A$250 for a family room with access to pool, sauna, restaurants.
I like being pampered at Sama-Sama as much as the next person, but for a no-fuss, no-frills solo option, and travelling without any luggage, the capsule hotel works for me.