The Traveller's Magazine
If you thought the airline industry was fast-paced and ever-changing, take a look a the hotel industry. Hotels open and close everyday around the world, each with their own style and services, something different to offer their guests. Introducing, sleeping boxes.
It happens to the best of us, we meticulously plan a trip or our trip plan changes at the last minute and we are due to arrive in London within the hour and you have no place to stay. You quickly call all the nearby hotels in London you can think of but nothing, everyone is booked. Now what? The answer may be simpler than you think, the SLEEPBOX. These situations unfortunately can’t be avoided in some circumstances: cancelled or delayed flights, overbooked hotels because of conventions, unexpected plan changes… and these innovative boxes come at the perfect time.
These sleek designer boxes are the product of Arch Group, a design firm based in Moscow headed by two architects, Alexey Goryainov and Mikhail Krymov. The idea is to introduce them into hostels, train stations, airports, city centres and other public spaces when accommodations are scarce (during huge events and conventions like the World Cup, G20 Summits or the Olympic Games).
What’s inside
If you can imagine, these little boxes have everything a traveller could want in a hostel bed or a hotel room.
- 1 bed, 2m x 0.6m
- fresh bed linens
- free Wi-Fi
- LCD television
- small table for your laptop
- electrical outlets
- rechargeable phone
- internal ventilation system
- total space is 3.75m2
There is even space under the bed and inside the floor to stow your luggage for more space. Some even come with two beds inside, one up and one down, bunk-bed style.
The aim of the boxes, as defined by the designers, is to “…provide moments of quiet sleep and rest from the city without wasting time searching for a hotel.” (arch-group.org) Travellers can get an electric key from a main terminal to use for as little as 15 minutes or as many hours as they need.
Rumours are circulating that Dubai is the first to sign-up for these SLEEPBOX containers, 50-70 are expected to be found in the airport to give travellers cutting-edge accommodations.
Have you seen these revolutionary sleep boxes before? What is the coolest/strangest hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
Rumours are circulating that Dubai is the first to sign-up for these SLEEPBOX containers.
They look great, can imagine kids seeing them and wanting to stay in any hotel with the super futuristic bunk beds. Great post!
Thanks for the feedback. Please send me an example of what you would like to see.
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