Podtels: Pod Lodging

Hotel rooms are getting bigger as some suites now feature entire living areas, kitchens and all the amenities of home. With a room like this, you don’t even need to leave your hotel! On the other hand, some lodging options are getting smaller and are aimed at the solo traveler with less money who doesn’t require luxurious amenities.

Podtels are a new way to stay and are currently produced by the UK-based company Podtime. A portable podtel is a capsule with room for one bed and one guest. Inside the sliding door of the pod, there are shelves, power outlets, a mattress, a mirror, blinds for privacy and a luggage storage space. The pods are even stackable if guests want a bunk bed for two. Optional add-on services include a big-screen TV, memory foam mattress and an electronic card-entry system, among others.

Travelers with claustrophobia needn’t worry as the capsules do not have an air-tight seal. There is enough ventilation and space to eliminate any coffin-like comparisons. There is also an option to remove a whole or part of an end piece if more space is requested.

Podtels can be tried and tested by guests in a Moscow hostel, and developers hope to add more to hotels in Tel Aviv and Helsinki before introducing them to major international airports.