Japan's Pod hotel concept coming to Indian Railways; IRCTC picks Mumbai Central

Pod hotels as a concept first originated in Japan and over time have come to be used fairly widely by people in the western world. Somewhat akin to a sleeping cupboard (in the most simplistic terms) pod hotels had also made their ways into India, in Mumbai - a city where space always comes at a premium - for the first time in 2017, and now they are to be adopted by IRCTC - the Indian Railways subsidiary that deals with online ticketing, among much else, for India's vast rail network.

The IRCTC's pod hotel is set to come up at the Mumbai Central station by December 2020, with two first-floor air-conditioned A/C waiting rooms likely to make way. Tenders for the pod hotel have been floated, with plans currently entailing 30 pods.

What are pod hotels?

Pod hotels or capsule hotels provide cheap, basic overnight accommodation for guests who do not require or who cannot afford or who simply don't want larger, more expensive rooms offered by conventional hotels.

The world was first introduced to the concept of pod hotels when the first one opened in Osaka, Japan in 1979. It was designed by Kisho Kurokawa. After the first hotel, the concept of pod hotels spread to different cities within Japan and since then they have spread to countries like Belgium, China, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Poland, and perhaps many others.

In pod hotels, the chamber walls may be made of wood, metal or any rigid material. Each compartment generally comes with a small television, built-in air conditioning, an electronic console with a variety of ambience controls, and power sockets. In pod hotels, the units are usually stacked side-by-side and two units high. Steps and ladders provide access to the units on the second level.

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(A pod at the Centurion Cabin and Spa, Kyoto, Japan)

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Why are pod hotels so popular?

Pod hotels have a number of advantages over conventional 'hotel rooms'. For one, they're a great space-saver, often carrying a footprint no larger than a single mattress. It tantamounts to exactly the amount of space a person needs to sleep, yet manages to pack in a number of basic amenities. There are rules, however. Bathrooms are shared, for one, and one can't be too loud lest they disturb neighbours occupying up to five adjacent pods. They are also significantly cheaper than booking an entire room - a top-notch pod in Japan could cost you as little as Rs 1500/night if booked early enough.

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