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    A Hotel Revolution: 10 Micro Hotels Challenging The Status Quo of Travel
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A Hotel Revolution: 10 Micro Hotels Challenging The Status Quo of Travel

By
Leah Gonzalez Angue
Leah Gonzalez Angue
Learn more about TheCoolist's Editorial Process
Published on April 21, 2015

Micro Hotels Travel Guide hero

Travel has gotten needlessly complicated over the decades. Sometimes, when you’re traveling or on a business trip, all you need is a place to rest your head. Even if you want some time to relax, hotel rooms often have more wasted space than used space. So hoteliers are getting smart. They’re building small, functional and visually exciting rooms that provide a big experience in a compact space. It’s the trend of micro hotels, and everybody’s getting involved. Boutiques, big brands and mom-and-pop retreats.

Here is a list of 10 micro hotels that are modern, hip, and created to make your stay both comfortable and unforgettable.

Nine Hours – Compact, Creepy Pod Hotels in Japan

Micro Hotels Pod Hotels - Nine Hours Pod Hotel Japan 1

Nine Hours is a compact urban hotel designed for business travel and quick overnight stays. This unusual pod hotel welcomes travelers for the absolute basics of overnight rest. The hotel offers capsule units that come with a comfortable mattress, pillow, comforter and sheets. Guests are also provided with towels and bathroom items for their stay. The hotel’s nameis based on the idea that the typical business traveler stays in a hotel for about nine hours on average. Of course, the hotel doesn’t stick to that timeframe as guests are welcome up to 24 hours. The design of this micro hotel is remarkable, but it might be unsettling to those with even a hint of claustrophobia.

Nine Hours Pod Hotels – Japan | Gallery

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The Dean Hotel Dublin – a Rock and Roll Micro Hotel

Microhotels Dean Hotel Dublin 3

The Dean Hotel in Dublin offers cool and comfortable rooms that are designed to make the guests feel like they’re staying over at a friend’s house. Aside from the requisite comfy bed and linens, the rooms are filled with items like Grafton Barber products, Marshall amps, a Rega turntable, classic vinyl records, original Irish artworks and more. The Dean offers 12.6 sqm pod rooms and bunk rooms, 26 sqm double and twin rooms, 26 sqm rooms with a view, 62 to 70 sqm suites and a 128.3 sqm penthouse.

Dean Hotel Dublin | Gallery

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New American Micro Hotels: Tommie Hotels NYC

Micro Hotels Travel Guide - Tommie Hotels New York 2

One of the most exciting names in micro hotels is also one of the newest: Tommie Hotels, a new concept that is about to bring 160 compact rooms to NYC. Each room includes RFID entry, expansive windows, an in-room private bath and shower, a flip-down desk, a peg board closet system and WiFi, of course. The hotel not only provides design-friendly rooms but also hip common spaces where guests can mingle. The first Tommie Hotel is scheduled to open in New York’s NoMad district in October. While the $250/night price tag may sound steep for micro hotels, it’s a steal for NoMad.

Tommie Hotels NYC | Gallery

Micro Hotels Travel Guide - Tommie Hotels New York 1 Micro Hotels Travel Guide - Tommie Hotels New York 2 Micro Hotels Travel Guide - Tommie Hotels New York 3

Tubohotel – Tropical Pod Hotel in Rural Mexico

Micro Hotels Tubohotel 3

Located near a national park in Mexico, Tubohotel is a peaceful orchard hotel where guests stay in concrete tubes that house a queen bed, a desk light, fan, and under-bed storage. There are two bathroom houses with private showers, toilets and hot water. It’s closer to camping than it is hotel travel, and that’s precisely what Tubohotel intends to offer. Guests are intrigued by the unique hotel stay, but they come for an exploration of rural, untouched Mexico.

Tubohotel Pod Hotel Gallery – Photos by Luis Gordoa | Gallery

Micro Hotels Tubohotel 1 Micro Hotels Tubohotel 2 Micro Hotels Tubohotel 3

The Pod Hotel – New York’s Original Micro Hotels

Micro Hotels Travel Guide - Pod Hotels New York 1

As the name implies, the rooms in The Pod Hotel are small enough to be considered pods, but come with different bed types. Guests can choose to book a pod with a single bed, full bed, queen bed, bunk bed, two full beds, a queen and a bunk, a mini bunk, or two bunk beds – depending on which Pod Hotel location they are at. Single pods usually have shared bathrooms on their floor while the other, slightly bigger room types have private bathrooms. All rooms come with free WiFi, too. There are currently two Pod Hotels, both located in New York.

Pod Hotels NYC | Gallery

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These Rolling Huts Micro Hotels Create a Tiny House Campground

Micro Hotels Tiny House Hotels - Rolling Huts 3

Designed as a new take on lodge-style camping, the Rolling Huts complex in Washington consists of huts grouped together in herds. The huts come with WiFi, a sleeping platform for two, a fireplace, a microwave, a small refrigerator, and modular furniture that can be used as additional sleeping area. Each hut has a portable toilet outside and a separate barn houses full bathrooms and showers for all guests to use. They’re also the design project of one of America’s greatest architectural firms, the Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects.

Rolling Huts Campground – Washington | Gallery

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citizenM Features Micro Hotels in Six International Cities

Micro Hotels Citizen M 2

The mission of citizenM Hotel is to provide “affordable luxury” to the “mobile citizens” of the world. That means a lobby that is designed like a living room and rooms that are small but with wall-to-wall windows, soft XL size beds, rain showers and free WiFi. The hotel does away with traditional elements like a concierge or room service. Guests can check themselves in via a kiosk in the lobby and get food and drinks from a canteen if they’re hungry. Of course there are hotel personnel to help with anything guests need, but guests are mostly left alone. The hotel has locations in Amsterdam, Glasgow, London, Paris, Rotterdam, and New York.

citizenM Micro Hotels | Gallery

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Koyasan Guest House Kokuu Feels like a Historic Micro Hotel

Micro Hotels Japan Koyasan Guest House 3

Run by a husband and wife team, Koyasan Guest House Kokuu is a modern yet simple establishment in Koyasan, Japan. The guesthouse offers capsule-style rooms that are spacious, lock from the inside, and come with a reading light, electric sockets, and space for the guest’s luggage. The unique hotel also offers double bed rooms and a bed and loft room. Guests can have breakfast, dinner and drinks in a common area. It feels almost like a chapel given its soft white interior, a place that feels immensely peaceful to its guests.

Koyasan Guest House Kokuu | Gallery

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YOTEL Hotels is a Compact and Contemporary Micro Hotel Chain

Micro Hotels Yotel New York 2

YOTEL is known for their small but comfortable and affordable rooms. The key features of a YOTEL hotel includes automated check in and check out, free WiFi, monsoon showers, and workstations with multiple power points. YOTEL has airport hotels that offer bunk style cabins, double cabins and twin cabins. YOTEL’s city hotels offer cabins with different-sized beds, some rooms with private terraces, and VIP suites. This budding group of micro hotels has locations in New York City, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Amsterdam Schiphol.

YOTEL Micro Hotels | Gallery

Micro Hotels Yotel New York 1 Micro Hotels Yotel New York 3 Micro Hotels Yotel New York 2

Snoozebox Offers Mobile Luxury Micro Hotels

Micro Hotels Mobile Hotel Snoozebox Hotel 2

Out of all the cool micro hotels on this list, Snoozebox is something very different– it’s designed to be portable, to set up on the site of your choice. This mobile micro hotel is designed to provide luxury accommodations during events and festivals in the UK and Europe. A Snoozebox room includes a comfortable bed, air-conditioning, free WiFi, a flat screen TV, and a personal safe. Each room also comes with a wet room with shower, basin, toilet, towels, and toiletries.

Snoozebox | Gallery

Micro Hotels Mobile Hotel Snoozebox Hotel 1 Micro Hotels Mobile Hotel Snoozebox Hotel 2 Micro Hotels Mobile Hotel Snoozebox Hotel 3

– – – – – – – – – – –

These amazing micro hotels can make anyone want to travel just for a chance to spend a night in one of these places. Can you think of other micro hotels that should be on this list? Give us a clue in the comments below or let us know via Facebook or Twitter.

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