Capsule Hotels

This is the classic Japanese capsule format, without design-hotel styling. Guests sleep in stacked pods on dedicated floors. Each pod has its own light and alarm, and luggage goes to storage or lockers.

The location is the main draw. Daimon subway station is close by, and Hamamatsucho has the monorail to Haneda Airport. That makes it a practical first or last night in Tokyo. Zōjō-ji temple and Tokyo Tower are within walking distance.

Facilities are simple: a front desk, shared washrooms and a bathing area. Which floors are open to which guests is decided by the property, so check its current policy before arriving.

• Minato, Tokyo
• Traditional pod floors
• Monorail to Haneda
• Near Zōjō-ji

LX Factory was an industrial complex in Alcântara. Today it is a cluster of studios, bookshops and restaurants, and this hostel is part of it. The 25 de Abril Bridge passes almost overhead.

Its dorm beds are built as cubicles. Each one is closed on the sides, has a curtain at the front, and comes with its own locker and ventilation. It is a capsule layout set inside a European hostel, with a few private rooms as well.

Shared spaces do the rest: a full kitchen, a large lounge and a rooftop terrace looking over the bridge. The interior mixes vintage furniture with the building's industrial shell.

• LX Factory, Alcântara
• Curtained cubicle beds
• Rooftop terrace
• Shared kitchen

Hossegor is one of the best-known surf towns in Europe, on the Landes coast. Jo&Joe opened its first property here in 2017. The brand belongs to Accor.

Strictly speaking, this is a hostel-hotel hybrid rather than a pod hotel. Shared rooms use built-in bunks, and private rooms sit alongside them. It is included because it applies the same idea as a capsule hotel: a small private bed and generous shared space.

Surfing shapes the place. The opening was a partnership with Quiksilver and Roxy, and the bar spreads out under the pines. The beaches and the lake are a short ride away.

• Landes coast
• Shared bunks and private rooms
• Surf town
• Accor brand