Luxury Capsule Hotel

Photo: Design Boom

In 1979, Japan built its first capsule hotel -- an inn with rooms consisting of little more than a bed, and certainly not enough room to stand up. Now developers in Kyoto are contrasting that minimalist approach with luxury furnishings at the 9h Hotel, which will open in December. It's called 9h because users are expected to shower, sleep for seven hours, and then rest in a nine-hour period -- although you can rent your room for up to seventeen hours at a time. Each pod comes with customizable lighting to help lull you to sleep and then gently wake you.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8111/9-h-nine-hours-capsule-hotel-in-kyoto.html via Fast Company (where there are pictures of a similar endeavor in Manhattan)