Only One Pea to this Pod Hotel
Nothing will hide the fact that the “rooms” at Singapore’s new The Pod hotel are not presidential suites at the Ritz Carlton, but they do demonstrate how design and amenities go a long way toward making tiny spaces feel inviting.
The hotel, designed by Formwerkz Architecture (the firm’s founder also started The Pod) has 83 beds, which occupy the top three floors of a five story building in central Singapore–the densest country in the world. The hotel’s website touts its proximity to great shopping, though we’re unsure where you’d store your wares.
There are front and side access single pods as well as queen pods; the pods are also available as male and female only. Each pod has sateen bedding, towels, a hanging rack and its own storage cubby. Other features of the hotel include free laundry, breakfast, wifi, private bathrooms and a “business center” (which look like wood-clad toilet stalls with desks).
The idea behind The Pod was to combine the high design of a boutique hotel and the affordability of a hostel. Rates start at US $45 for a low season single to $85 for high season queen–prices that, upon quick inspection, are about twice as much as a hostel bed, but 30-50% less than a private hotel room.
The idea and the execution are quite nice. As a frequenter of many hostels in my youth, the biggest question I have is “what about the snorers?” With a rolling shade acting as the main barrier for each pod, we imagine there is little audio separation from other guests. Other than that, we applaud The Pod’s efforts at making stylish, affordable, minimal accommodations in a fairly expensive city.
Visit The Pod’s website for more info.