Pod hotels are not a new phenomenon.  They have been around for many years, but most travelers have never heard of them.  They had their beginnings in Japan as “capsule hotels”, that were, and are still being used mainly by businessmen on stopovers.  However, pod hotels are becoming more and more popular with vacation travelers as well, because they are convenient and cost less than regular hotels.

The pod hotel concept is only in its infancy in the United States and Europe, but is growing by leaps and bounds as more and more travelers want this unique service.  Entrepreneurs are responding by creating  small, pod-like hotel rooms that are normally rented by the hour, or number of hours.

Most pod hotel rooms are small, comfortable, and convenient, and they can have all the amenities of a standard hotel room at a fraction of the cost.  They can be a very good choice for budget-conscious travelers and vacationers.

Some pod hotels are situated in airports such as the ones at Yotel.com, located in London, England’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

EasyHotels.com have pod hotels in London, Zurich, Basal, and Budapest.  GBIHotels.com have pod hotels located in Amsterdam and Antwerp.  A New York pod hotel is the PickwickArms.com

There is a new innovation in pod hotels called Metronap Sleep Pods.  These space age looking pods are showing up not only on concourses in airports, but in convenient locations in office buildings.  They are great for tourists and business travelers, as well as tired people and executives that just want to have a little nap.  Even though these sleep pods are located out in the open, they will partially enclose for privacy, but aren’t claustrophobic.  They are also fitted with noise canceling headphones.  They rent by the hour and are reasonably priced.