With the average cost of a hotel room in London costing around £250 a night – and not showing any signs of getting lower, either – most might think that a stay in the capital is a rarefied activity. However, the news that the Zedwell group of budget-conscious hotels have opened a mega-budget establishment in Piccadilly, the Zedwell Capsule Hotel, promises to be a game-changer. Hooray for anyone who wants an evening out in London and can’t face either the last train back or spending a week’s salary on a hotel.
The idea behind the Zedwell Capsule Hotel is that it maximises space while promising not to skimp on the basics. It draws on the pile-‘em-high ethos of Japanese capsule hotels by offering nearly a thousand beds, all of which are contained in vaguely dystopian-looking pods which have access to communal showers and loos. For a cost of between £30 and £65 per night, depending on how busy the hotel is, guests are given a single bed, basic bedding and free wifi. They are ‘windowless by design’, as the website boasts, and aim to be a 21st-century spin on the traditional youth hostel, offering greater privacy but still at a price that virtually anyone can afford.
Will it work? You might not go as far as the Zedwell marketing team, who shout that ‘this is London’s most exciting way to stay and connect’. As a veteran guest of the windowless, subterranean Zedwell Underground Hotel just off Tottenham Court Road, I can attest to the slightly surreal experience of spending a night in a converted underground car park. The idea of being surrounded by hundreds of somnolent strangers – many of whom are using the pods as a drunken crash pad after an evening out – is not exactly exciting. Nor is there any possibility that these pods could fit more than one; space is at a premium and couples, whether established or opportunistic, will be separated with all the determined rigour of a Victorian workhouse.
Still, there is no doubt that the Zedwell group are on to something here. If it’s a success, you can bet similar capsule establishments will be opening across the country in abandoned department stores. Anyone who has suffered somewhere that makes Fawlty Towers look like the Ritz will be grateful for a reliable, affordable option. At a time when the Premier Inn and Travelodge chains operate dynamic pricing that can often see their prices spiral well into the three-figure bracket, the chance to save money is extremely welcome.
I’ll be only too happy to pay my £30 and curl up in my sleep pod
Reading about the new capsule hotel, I thought there was something familiar about it, and then I realised what it reminded me of. The Wetherspoon pub chain has often been sneered at by the self-appointed cognoscenti for being vulgar, cheap and dedicated to giving its budget-conscious clientele what they want. And yet it continues to be a great British success story, grossing billions each year and making a handsome profit. Understanding what people want is the key to successful business acumen, and I think that Zedwell have nailed a similar formula.
Will I be hurrying to stay there? Possibly not. But on those (rare) evenings where one too many sherries have been consumed, and where the last train has been cancelled because of leaves on the line, I’ll be only too happy to pay my £30 and curl up in my sleep pod, deeply grateful that the next morning’s hangover won’t be accompanied by a similar ache in the credit card statement.
Comments