The welcome
I see purple flashing lights through a second-floor window, and a security guard directs me upstairs in Mandarin. When I arrive, there’s no lobby, but I hear music. I make my way down a staircase to a large room with flashing lights, loud music, a large TV screen and a front desk. I walk outside and am welcomed by a giant robot. I return to the lobby and check in.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is located in Tower B of the Economy Mansion in Shenzhen’s Bao’an district, one of the city’s 10 districts and far from most of its tourist attractions and commercial centres. Bao’an is an industrial district with many electronics factories and some large malls. The main streets are incredibly wide and lined with trees. There are a few parks and gardens. The hotel is 20 minutes from Bao’an International Airport by taxi or three stops on the Metro.
The room
There are 27 rooms with 150 capsules arranged in double-decker configuration. That means having to get down on your hands and knees or climb up a short ladder to gain access to your cubicle, which you can sit but not stand up in. Each has air conditioning, plus a flat-screen TV with earphones, and a universal electrical outlet. There are shared bathrooms, and each sink has its own hair drier and soap dispenser. There are also individual showers. The cubicles were far from sound proof. I could hear snoring. I could hear people arriving and leaving. And I was awakened by someone else’s alarm clock.
The scene
The majority of guests appear to be budget-minded domestic travellers, with a few foreign backpackers. I’m told that some foreign workers who don’t want to rent an apartment stay here on a long-term basis. There is a cafe, which turns into a nightclub after dark, and a German-style bar garden on the sidewalk, with barbecued meats costing from 3 Chinese yuan (Dh2) for a light snack to 168 yuan (Dh99) for a leg of lamb.
The service
There’s an area with computers in case you’ve left your laptop at home, and the Wi-Fi is very fast. Each room is assigned its own locker, which is accessed using the room card. Guests are given a little basket with towel and toothbrush etc at check-in. There are coin-operated washing machines; tours can be arranged at the front desk.
The food
I have dinner in the lobby. There are 12 instant rice and noodle dishes to choose from (18 yuan [Dh11] each). I order the surprisingly tasty Back to the Pot of Meat – a popular Northern Chinese dish. I place my order at a counter, but my meal is brought to me by the front-desk clerk rather than a robot, as was promised when I booked. Apparently the robots have gone on strike. Simpler breakfasts also cost 18 yuan (Dh11), and don’t include coffee or tea.
Loved
The space-age design, the cool lighting, the friendly staff and the bar garden.
Hated
The rooms gave new meaning to the word “tiny”, and the squat toilets would put off most Western travellers.
The verdict
Only consider if you’re seriously strapped for cash. For just a little more money, you could have a larger room that you could stand up in, at one of the many budget hostels and hotels that have sprung up in Chinese cities in recent years.
The bottom line
A single cubicle at Peng Heng Space Capsules Hotel, Shenzhen, China (www.phtkc.com; 0086 400 882 1511) costs from US$13 (Dh48) per night, including taxes. International credit cards are not accepted.