Experience the Future: Tokyo's Luxurious Capsule Hotels

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1. BookTeaBed Shibuya

It may not be an original concept (Book and Bed introduced the intriguing idea of mixing a library with a hotel), but BookTeaBed has unusually spacious capsules. The inside of the capsule feels luxurious, with soft head support, dimmable lights, hangers, and lots of storage space for gadgets and books. Ladies, if you need to be far from men, a separate floor is dedicated exclusively to you.

The hotel has a retro-vibe café with tasty iced coffee lattes made from beans brought from Laos. Pretty posh, right?

It's also in one of Tokyo's most famous spots, only a five-minute walk to the Shibuya Crossing, where hundreds of people crisscross the street from all directions and where, on the side of the metro, you will find Hachiko's (the dog) statue.

2. The Millennials Shibuya

The Millennials hotel in one of Tokyo's most busy districts is the pineapple pizza of capsule hotels. Locals will tell you this isn't one, and this shouldn't bother you one bit. The rooms are capsule-style, but with a double-height ceiling, you can experience Japan's quirkiest hotel type even if you are claustrophobic. Plus, the Millennials is one of the most social hotels where you will be in the middle of the action all the time.

The Smart Pods where you will sleep are controlled by iPods, letting you adjust the bed and lighting and set a soundless alarm (if you know how annoying the 5 AM alarms are in hostels, you know how cool this is). These pods are equipped with comfortable 120cm wide Serta mattresses.

The 120 multi-functional Smart Pod sleeping units are spread over the six floors of the Millennials hotel. So, when the hotel is full, it can get pretty busy with people.

3. 9 nine hours capsule hotels

This article would be pretty boring listing all the incredibly good nine hours properties. First, because there are so many of them, and second, because you probably already know this brand. It's Japan's next-generation capsule hotel chain with super futuristic interiors that give 22nd-century vibes. These capsule hotels also have such luxury facilities as communal workspaces with city panorama or rooftop terraces overlooking the quirky urban landscape of Japan.

There are nine 9 hour hotels in Tokyo, two of which are exclusively for women, one exclusively for men, and one at the Narita airport. Keeping these important details in mind (to avoid booking the wrong hotel), you can go for any of them, as they are all brilliant. 9 hour is today's best modern capsule hotel chain.

Which one should you choose from the nine locations?

If you want a mixed-gender hotel, the 9h nine hours Hamamatsucho sleep lab is the place to go. It has a panoramic lounge with an outdoor terrace overlooking the skyline, including the supertall landmark Tokyo Tower.

It's in one of the most overlooked locations, even though it's one of the best. The Shiba Park, Tokyo Tower, and Ginza are within walking distance, and the nearby Hamamutsucho train station allows you to quickly reach all the other special wards of Tokyo.

4. MyCUBE by MYSTAYS Asakusa Kuramae

Mystays is a Japanese hotel chain, and there are too many to list in Tokyo alone. But there is only one MyCube in Japan. This Mystays property's specialty is that it has extra-large capsules ("cube rooms"), where if you aren't too tall, you can stand up straight without bumping your head into the ceiling. The storage space is also bigger than usual, and there is a mirror, so you can even do your makeup.

This is one of the coolest locations in Tokyo because it is next to the Sumida River. Whenever you want, you can go for a long walk on the riverside promenade, which extends on both sides. This is where you can see locals walking with their cute doggies, sitting with a cup of coffee on the benches, or jogging.

5. Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusa

Resol Poshtel is so good we have dedicated a separate article to it. It's part of the new-wave movement of boutique-hotel-level interior design in what used to be called a hostel. But Resol is a Poshtel, which is short for Posh+Hostel.

What you get here is a sleek design incorporating Japan's symbols, like the Fuji Mountain of Bonsai trees, and larger-than-usual capsules with interiors covered with colorful wallpapers.

Another big advantage is its location in Asakusa, close to the Senso-ji Temple -the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and the Tokyo Skytree—the tallest tower in Japan at 634 meters (2,080 ft).

6. Manga Art Hotel

Surrounded by 5,000 manga books (4,000 in Japanese and 1,000 in English) and close to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo's Chiyoda City, it is one of the most Japanese places to stay. Its capsule-like rooms are built into specially curated manga comic-stuffed bookshelves. So you can grab an edition of "My Hero Academia" or "Attack on Titan" and crawl into your happy space.

If you are an otaku (obsessive fan of manga and anime in Japanese slang) or just want a deep dive into Japanese culture, Manga Art Hotel delivers.

7. Rembrandt Cabin Shinjuku Shin-Okubo

Rembrandt Cabin has the exact same style of capsules as 9 nine hours hotels, so that's not where you'll feel the luxury. They are well-equipped and futuristic but have a similar size to the ones in traditional capsule hotels.

The communal spaces, however, are really cool. The lounge on the high floor with brilliant views of Tokyo has some private working spaces and a long table to get to know others while you try one of the three types of free lemonades.