Capsule Hotels

The place — Bloc Hotel Gatwick sits inside the South Terminal at London Gatwick and is reached from within the terminal rather than from a street. Rooms are compact and built around the bed, with no loose floor area. The hotel belongs to a small group that runs separate houses elsewhere, and this is one address of that group.

Each room is a single volume with a wet room, a fixed bed and a wall of storage. Some face the apron and others have no window at all. There is no restaurant of its own, since the terminal concourse serves that purpose, and the reception desk is staffed around the clock.

Before you write — Ask which floor and which aspect a room has, as window rooms and windowless rooms differ. It is also worth checking the walking route from your arrivals hall, the earliest time a room can be taken, and what happens when a flight lands overnight.

The place — This address of Book and Bed Tokyo is in Kabukichō in Shinjuku, on an upper floor of a commercial building. Sleeping places are set behind and above bookshelves, so the shelving itself forms the walls of each berth. The group keeps other addresses in Japan, and this one is a separate house with its own reception.

Berths come in two sizes, both closed by a curtain rather than a door, with a reading light and a socket inside. Washrooms and showers are shared between the guests on each floor. A lounge holding the book collection is open through the evening, and luggage is stored away from the sleeping area.

Before you write — Ask which berth size is being held and whether it sits above or behind the shelves. Check-in hours, the times the lounge is open, and the rules on luggage and on daytime access are worth confirming before travelling.

The place — Cocoon Stachus stands on Adolf-Kolping-Straße in central Munich, a short walk from Karlsplatz and from the main station. Rooms are small and repeat the same plan floor after floor, with the fittings built in rather than added. It is one address of a Munich group that runs several separate houses across the city.

The plan places a glazed bathroom volume inside the room instead of a partitioned corner, and storage runs fixed along one wall. Public space is limited to the ground floor, where the reception desk, a bar and a breakfast room sit together. Windows face either the street or an inner court.

Before you write — Ask whether a room faces the street or the court, since the difference in noise and light is real. Breakfast times, luggage storage before check-in, and which of the group's houses a booking refers to are also worth confirming.

The place — This YOTELAIR takes a floor of Jewel, the covered building attached to Changi Airport. It stands on the public side of immigration, so passengers connecting through Changi clear passport control in order to reach it. Cabins are compact and sold by the hour as well as by the night, and the brand runs separate airport houses elsewhere.

A cabin holds an adjustable bed, a small shower room and a work surface, and most have no window. Shower cabins can be taken on their own by people who are not staying over. A lounge and a gym occupy the same floor, and reception is staffed at all hours.

Before you write — Ask how the hours of a cabin are counted, since the booking is timed rather than nightly. Confirm the route from your arrival gate, whether an onward connection allows you to leave the transit area, and what luggage may be brought in.