When traveling I have found myself occasionally with a few hours to kill, the most useful use of which (due to lack of other things to do and level of fatigue) would have been to take a nap. Only, the only way to do this in almost all places is to sit on a bench or chair somewhere e.g. in a waiting area. Only, I can only fitfully doze in such a position, and have to worry about protecting my wallet etc.
What I have often wished in such a situation would be the opportunity to rent the use of a simple cubicle, with a couch (covered e.g. by a one-time paper covering), an alarm clock and a door to lock after myself and my possessions. Window not neccessary, soundproofing desirable, use of shower and toilet optional.
Like a hotel room rented by the hour, but for use alone…
Not mcuh of an answer, but I think I remember watching a travel program indicating that such a thing was available in Tokyo, catering to the busy business man.
I have often wished for such a setup, but the problem I see is that unless you can rent the same cube 4 or 5 times a day, you may as well just open a hotel (or charge pretty high rates per hour)
I think the problem with the idea is that they would be turned into places for “quickies” like the hourly-rate motels, so you will need maid service between visits, and the place will either be a complete dump where you won’t go, or be so expensive you won’t go…
In Tokyo they have this in the form of cubbies instead of rooms. It’s more like a private bunk on a naval ship the way they are stacked and in terms of size. I do not know if these are widely available in other cities.
Many decent hotels / motels have a “day rate” for arriving in late morning & leaving before evening. It’s usually 50-60% of the rate for the overnight stay.
No, it’s not $5/hour, but when you need 4-6 hours of sleep & a shower at a non-traditonal time of day, it can be a real nice option.
The problem comes in if you need transportation from, say, the airport to/from the hotel; paying a cab will really jack your costs.
I would think that such a system, if widespread, would quickly be overwhelmed by horny folks, drug addicts, and the homeless. Nobody would want to use them after a week or so.
Then only let in one person at a time and have constant video surveillance. Only accept credit cards and require a deposit. I think it would be feasible in large airports and/or major metropolitan downtown areas. Maybe as part of a convention center?
I have used American Airlines Admirals Clubs for this purpose, but since 9/11/01 no non-ticketed people can access the concourses, so now it only helps to relieve a long layover.
Some Admirals Clubs are really nice-you can eat, drink, shower and nap.
I thought of this idea when I was a kid and my parents would go on marathon all day shopping trips at the mall in a nearby big city (there is only so much time you could spend at Waldenbooks without going insane). I thought of having the mall run it like a low cost to customer perk in one of their empty store spaces using soundproof mostly clear cubicles that had a recliner and a tv that had video and an Atari 2600. To play Yar’s Revenge all day would have been heaven.
Yeah. The only way I can see this working without the drugs/hookers/sleaze appearing as if by magic within a week, is to run these things as part of a frequent flyer lounge. This doesn’t necessarily restrict them to airports either - BA, Lufthansa, Qantas or whomever could start downtown ones.