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In Japan we have long had 'coffin hotels' (or 'capsule hotels', pre-Neuromancer). We also have love hotels, which are expressly designed to be rented for two ho
by veidr 14y ago
In Japan we have long had 'coffin hotels' (or 'capsule hotels', pre-Neuromancer). We also have love hotels, which are expressly designed to be rented for two hours at a time to do whatever nasty, sticky business you can convince somebody to do with you.
The changing the linens and whatnot are solved problems. (Some businessman-oriented places have a sealed plastic bag of bedclothes hung in the room... you have to do the work of putting them on, but the upside is you know they're clean.)
Getting the price down to where I want to rent one to just take a decent nap during my layover (maybe $25? $40 at most?) is the key thing. As compared to 'my date and I need a space to get intimate for 2 hours' (~$85... okay fine $100... What! ARE YOU SERIOUS $175? THAT'S... OKAY FINE!)
I for one am rooting for them to succeed before my next international connecting flight, though.
- w1ntermute 14y agoThe problem is that you can't just implement the Japanese system in the US. The Japanese are much more respectful of other people's/business's property than Americans and are much less likely to be using drugs (and although prostitution is widespread, the prostitute/john won't trash the place). That's why completely automated vending machine-style systems, such as those used by capsule hotels and many love hotels, are feasible in Japan. The success of a similar system in the US will hinge on whether the increased costs from running it in America will keep things profitable. The best solution I can see at the moment is to accept only credit cards and then charge heavy fines/institute a ban for trashing the place.
- rabidsnail 14y agoHeavy fines get difficult when the buyer can deny the charges. Chargebacks are very expensive for the merchant; not only are there penalty charges on top of the refund ($25 seems to be typical) but credit card processors will refuse to do business with you if you get enough of them.
- w1ntermute 14y agoHow about a video camera inside the "box"? Or would that be too invasive for most people? Maybe you could just take "before" and "after" pictures?
- rabidsnail 14y agoBut once you have those pictures what do you do? Take them to court?
- w1ntermute 14y agoWould you have to go to court to dispute the chargeback? Couldn't you set up some kind of system to send them to the credit card company if a customer attempts a chargeback, so they can verify that the chargeback is invalid?
- dangrossman 14y agoIt doesn't matter. The chargebacks count against your limit whether you dispute them or not. You must get less than 1% of your monthly gross volume back in chargebacks if you hope to stay in business. If you're above that for several months in a row, 99% of MSPs will terminate your account immediately. As far as Visa and MasterCard are concerned, if you're generating chargebacks on a regular basis, something is wrong with your business model and you must either correct the business model or stop accepting credit cards as payment for it. It's not a question of whether you were legally owed the money or not; it's about protecting the card brands from whatever negative experience you're creating such that customers feel forced to go to their banks and complain about the charges.
- w1ntermute 14y agoIt's very unfortunate that credit card companies are willing/forced to take the side of the consumer even when they're clearly in the wrong. Maybe this will have to be revisited when/if a more impartial payment system becomes common. Edit: it seems like the endpoint of all this is the banks. If the credit card companies could send the pictures to them, maybe things could be resolved? But I doubt the banks would want to get involved in that. Either way, if I were running a bank, I would take Visa or MasterCard's word over that of any individual customer.
- wanderr 14y agoHave a membership system. Membership is free, but must be applied for and can be revoked. That combined with before/after pictures should prevent most abuse.
- xtracto 14y agoThat was my first thought when looking at the boxes. If they were implemented here in Mexico we would have the problem of the random guy wanting to piss but not wanting to get out of the pre-paid sleepbox. So, he decides to piss in a corner and continue sleeping until he gets out. Who is going to clean that?
- cstross 14y agoActually, Yotel already do this: http://www.yotel.com/ http://www.yotel.com/ I've used the Yotel inside the international transit area at Schiphol for jet lag purposes, during a 5-hour stopover on an intercontinental flight; it beats a recliner in a business lounge into a cocked hat for thouse 4-hour dead spots after a sleepless red-eye. I wish this idea would catch on at more hub airports!
- jrockway 14y agoI've done the same thing at LHR and agree completely.
- adrianhoward 14y agoThere's a Yotel at heathrow? Damn. Wish I'd known that last week :-)
- bergie 14y agoYotel is indeed great after a long flight. Guarulhos in Sao Paulo also had some semi-capsule accommodation. Here is a picture from the Schiphol Yotel: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bergie/5818894255/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bergie/5818894255/in/photostrea...
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y agoConsidering Yo! take a lot of inspiration from Japan for their products, I'm honestly not surprised. Look at Yo! Sushi, for instance.
- rogerbinns 14y agoIf you travel through a civilized airport such as Singapore (Changi) then they have a hotel airside (ie no going through immigration) and as a bonus the rooms include bathrooms. It is USD10/hr single and USD12/hr double. There are also budget rooms (shared bathrooms) for half that rate. Oh, and swimming pools, cinemas etc. http://www.changiairport.com/in-transit/transit-hotel http://www.changiairport.com/in-transit/transit-hotel
- ekianjo 14y agoThats pretty cheap. Thanks for the tip !
- megablast 14y agoMost if not all of these places only allow Japanese people in.