I’m travelling alone right now and thought I’d give the “capsule hotel” experience a go. It cost $40 for my stay last night at the Capsule Hotel Astil in Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan and I would never do this again.
Location
This hotel is located on the 5th-7th floor of a building that was a few metres away from this sign of Dotonbori.
Reception
In their reception area, there is a small 2-person counter for checking in and a 1-metre square table for guests to unpack their luggage and bring their essentials.
It was really uncomfortable because anyone walking through the reception area could see what was in my luggage as I tried to quickly unpack my pyjamas. The rule was all luggage (except for those tiny suitcases) had to be locked up in their lobby with a bicycle lock. It was stressful as fuck 😕.
It was really uncomfortable because anyone walking through the reception area could see what was in my luggage as I tried to quickly unpack my pyjamas. The rule was all luggage (except for those tiny suitcases) had to be locked up in their lobby with a bicycle lock. It was stressful as fuck 😕.
Storage
After locking up my luggage, I moved into the next room where I had to lock up my shoes, change into their hotel slippers and get a key-on-a-bracelet.
Room
The female floor was located on the 7th floor and the only way up was the stairs. This floor was divided into a lobby, locker room, sleeping chambers and bathroom. In the lobby, there was only 2 massage chairs, a vending machine and 2 baskets for the used towels.
This locker room was tiny too, with the lockers being less wide than my forearm. I could barely fit my backpack in. Once I got a second key-on-a-bracelet I went to check out my capsule.
This locker room was tiny too, with the lockers being less wide than my forearm. I could barely fit my backpack in. Once I got a second key-on-a-bracelet I went to check out my capsule.
Capsule
I was on the top bunk and it took a lot of core muscles to climb up 😂.
My bed space was cramp. I could sit up with my head bent. There was a TV, charging port, alarm clock and lighting but that was about all I got. The mattress was very hard. The only thing between my capsule and everyone else was 2 thin curtains so I could hear whenever someone walked to the bathroom or moved. It was not a night of good sleep.
For the bathroom, it was a shared space with soaps and towels provided.
My bed space was cramp. I could sit up with my head bent. There was a TV, charging port, alarm clock and lighting but that was about all I got. The mattress was very hard. The only thing between my capsule and everyone else was 2 thin curtains so I could hear whenever someone walked to the bathroom or moved. It was not a night of good sleep.
For the bathroom, it was a shared space with soaps and towels provided.
Review
Overall, this was an interesting experience but I would never do it again. I realised I was not a hostel kind of person and I would rather pay more money to get my own bathroom. I wanna sit on the toilet and shit for a long time, ok? 😂
If you want to give capsule hotels a try, Astil is a great choice on a budget. The location is less than a minute walk from Dotonbori. The place was relatively clean and they have a “haunted room” option for the brave souls. Just don’t pack too much because shuffling your luggage around in an open lobby is definitely not fun.
Thanks for reading.
If you want to give capsule hotels a try, Astil is a great choice on a budget. The location is less than a minute walk from Dotonbori. The place was relatively clean and they have a “haunted room” option for the brave souls. Just don’t pack too much because shuffling your luggage around in an open lobby is definitely not fun.
Thanks for reading.
