James, a construction worker from Queens, had a vision to change the hospitality business. When he and his friend had to spend hours in a McDonald's in the middle of the night waiting for the train, he thought of a way to revolutionize the hotel industry.

He had envisioned affordable pods that you could rent by the hour. A concept that the Japanese people have been more than familiar with since the 1970s.

His pitch to investors was repeatedly refused, but eventually, he raised enough funds to open his first Nap York accommodation where travelers who arrived too early to check in to their hotel could take a nap.

However, the dream turned into a nightmare when the Mayor's office accused him of running an illegal hotel business. After a lengthy legal battle, he won but got deep in debt and had to shut down all his operations.

During the second wave of COVID-19, he was one of the few to dare to open a new hotel. Nap York Central Park was born in those demanding times when most feared to invest.

Nap York Central Park Sleep Station is located just a few blocks from Central Park in Manhattan. Usually, you would pay hundreds of dollars a night in a place like this.

Instead, at Nap York, you could pay as low as $72 (as of December 2024).

There are two, three, and six capsule rooms. You can book the whole room if you want it all for yourself. Each room has a private bathroom, so it's a great alternative to hotels in a killer location.

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Kama is a modern and affordable capsule hotel close to the Northern edge of Central Park.

Their state-of-the-art pods open with a magnet card, so unlike traditional capsules, you can store your valuables inside. Plus, you don't have to worry that someone accidentally (or intentionally) tries to get into your place while you sleep.

Each pod has an adjustable light that can change its color, an air conditioner, and plugs to charge your gadgets. In the low season, you can rent a capsule for under $80 a night.

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New York's original pod hotel is where survivors of the Titanic once stayed. In the old days, sailors paid 25 cents for a night to stay in one of the maritime-themed cabins.

Today, they cost about 400 times more. Still, the 50-square-foot (4.6-square-meter) cabins are one of the cheapest and quirkiest options for an overnight stay in Manhattan.

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Moxy offers off-the-menu crashpads, kind of like the secret menu at McDonald's.

The concept behind the quirky and secretive Crashpads is to order them like you would if you wanted another beer. But instead of a cold beverage or a burger, you get to stay overnight in a tiny room.

Actually, it's not that small. The twin crashpad spans over 120 square feet (11 square meters)

So, to order a Crashpad, you need to take the elevator to the 18th floor to the Magic Hour Bar & Lounge. It's a fantastic rooftop bar on top of the Moxy NYC Times Square hotel.

Once you have had enough drinks and need a place to crash, look for the Crashpad item on the menu, which costs $99.

It's too bad you can't book these rooms in advance, but then they would lose their mysterious appeal.

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An alternative to traditional capsule hotels is the micro rooms of Pod Hotels in New York. They have four highly sought-after locations in the city: 39th Street and 51st Street, Times Square in Manhattan, and one on Metropolitan Ave in Brooklyn.

Their concept is a modernized version of The Jane Hotel. The most affordable rooms have single beds without en-suite bathrooms.

Although they are just 80 square feet (7 square meters) in size, they can still accommodate a small work desk and chair.

If it's not like a traditional Japanese capsule hotel, what's the point of staying at a Pod Hotel? That's a great question because, at first, it looks like you would be paying more for less.

Rooms are tiny, and you could indeed have more spacious suites for the same price. But Pod Hotels offer something that others don't: luxury and quality in all corners of the room plus panoramic views of New York like in 5-star hotels.

So, there are rooftop terraces with designer furniture and a panorama of New York. Another advantage of Pod Hotels is that you can always upgrade to a better room if you ever need more space or a private bathroom.

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The first capsule hotel in LA opened in Venice Beach in October 2021. Stay Open's new hotel is based on the no-compromise affordability concept.

The owners of Stay Open thought to utilize empty commercial real estate instead of building new and cleverly using every inch of the interior space.

The result is a cozy place that offers more privacy than hostels but costs considerably less than the hotels in the area.

The capsule rooms have single pods with soft-close doors and luxurious bedding.

Stay Open Venice Beach offers plenty of communal space to cook, work, and rest. The best part is the rooftop terrace that overlooks the iconic Venice Beach.

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The US capital's first and only capsule hotel opened in 2019. The hotel offers private rooms with en-suite bathrooms along with futuristic capsules.

If you enjoy coffee immediately after waking up, the hotel's brewOnU café is ready to serve you your favorite hot beverage and fresh pastries in the lobby.

You can enjoy your coffee on the cute porch in front of the building and pretend to be a local.

The high-tech pods have built-in lights, air-conditioning, and even a mirror, so you can check yourself before opening the capsule's curtain. If you are lucky, you could pay as little as $30 for a night.

The hotel is next to a subway station, and you can hire bikes to explore Washington on two wheels.

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PodShares is a big part of the sharing economy in the USA. Their accommodation is a posh version of hostels, with everything upgraded to be more comfortable.

The bunk beds have an extra bit of space and privacy. So there is less of a possibility of creeping on fellow guests.

PodShare is available in four locations in Los Angeles (Venice, DTLA, Hollywood, and Los Feliz), two in San Francisco (Civic Center, Marina), and one in San Diego.

And if you wonder how American capsule hotels compare to the world's best, check this.

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