Regular RocketNews24 readers will know how much we love capsule hotels – and tiny spaces in general, for that matter – to the point that we were genuinely saddened when one of the country’s premier locations announced last month that it was to close its doors. So when we caught a glimpse of the new Pengheng Space Capsules Hotel in Shenzhen, China, which combines minimalist hotel accommodation with a futuristic vibe similar to that of the Evangelion hotel rooms we’ve drooled over for so long, we could barely contain our excitement.
Join us after the jump for a photo tour of this awesome new capsule hotel!
With robots, neon and shiny surfaces as far as the eye can see, this is one hotel that tech fans will definitely not want to miss out on. Situated in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District, this robotastic micro hotel has become the talk of the town after being open for just three months, with many netizens even wondering whether there are any humans present in the building besides the guests themselves.
The Nanfang Insider reports that there is, in fact, a skeleton staff of humans overseeing operations, but that the vast majority of menial tasks within the hotel are carried out by machines–you can even order food and drinks from the lounge area using supplied tablet computers, your choices arriving via robot waiter just a few minutes later!
Best of all, however, is the price. A stay in the hotel costs a mere 70 yuan (US$11) per person, making it vastly more affordable than even Japan’s own reasonably priced capsule hotels. For that price you might not expect much, but take a look at some of the hotel’s facilities.
▼ It would be hard to miss this place with its robot doorman!
▼ The reception desk and lounge.
▼ “Your hot cocoa, sir.”
▼ Banks of PCs for web browsing and, we presume, online gaming.
The hotel also comes with all the expected facilities of a typical capsule hotel, with lockers for use after check-in, washrooms and – a rarity even in Japanese capsule hotels – a laundry room for those who find themselves without a change of clothes but needing to look, and smell, their best the following day.
▼ These are sinks, not space-age urinals. You have been warned.
▼ A neon-lit corridor leads to the bunks.
▼ Yup, even in space you can wash your dirty undies!
And finally there’s the capsules themselves. These look like something lifted right out of the 2009 sci-fi flick Moon, but we dare say that they’re pretty cosy and do a great job of helping big kids play out their childhood dreams of sleeping in a space station.
▼ We hope you like glowing blue lights!
▼ To your bunks, space marines!
Japan may well have invented this kind of bare-bones accommodation, but China’s futuristic incarnation blows most of Japan’s efforts out of the water. Sign us up for the next rocket to Shenzhen!
Source: The Nanfang Insider via Kotaku US
Photos: Pengheng Space Capsules Hotel