When you think of capsule hotels, what comes to mind might be a tiny, cramped and uncomfortable space shared with dozens of other weary salarymen who’ve missed the last train back. Not exactly the kind of place you’d dream of staying at while on vacation, right? But in Japan, where this concept originated, some capsule hotels aren’t just budget-friendly, they’re also a uniquely Japanese and wholly memorable experience. Stepping off the shinkansen at Tokyo Station, I could barely contain my excitement. We had one full night ahead of us at 9h ninehours, a capsule hotel chain established in 2009 that promised to take this revolutionary concept to a whole new level, and I’d been eagerly anticipating this moment since arriving in Osaka a few days earlier.

Finding a place for three people to stay in Japan isn’t easy when you’re not booking far ahead in advance, and it’s even harder when you’re on a budget. So throughout our time in Osaka and Kyoto, the three of us stayed in hostels. But for this night, our priority was convenience – we wanted to stay somewhere that was close enough to the Shinjuku bus station for us to catch our bus to Mount Fuji the next morning, so we booked three capsule pods for one night at the Shinjuku-North branch of ninehours.

Located just a short distance from the Shin-Okubo station, the gray building doesn’t look like much from the outside. It could easily pass off as an office building, if not for the white ‘9h’ on its facade. There’s no reception on the ground floor; you have to get into the lift and go up first, adding to the suspense. It even feels a little shady.

And then the lift doors open up, and it feels like you’ve just walked into a minimalistic art gallery, complete with floor to ceiling glass windows and long wooden tables. This capsule hotel believes in a simple idea – that there are only three basic needs that have to be met for a refreshing overnight stay, and they can all be met in nine hours, give or take. One hour for a hot shower, seven hours sleep for a good night’s rest, and another hour to get dressed for a new day. Suddenly, the plain facade makes sense. ninehours cuts away the unnecessary, going straight to the point and delivering well on its promise.

Nestled behind the reception area is the common lounge, where guests can hang out at the communal table, or use the individual desks to study. You pay for your stay when you check in, and you’re handed a smart key to your individual locker.  Then you take another lift to your designated floor, which has everything you need – your allocated lockers, designed with care to be large enough to fit an average-sized suitcase and more, well-designed bathrooms, and of course, the sleeping pods.

A nice little surprise is that your locker also comes with everything you need for the night – disposable slippers (that you’re supposed to change into), toiletries, luxuriously fluffy towels, and even clean, comfortable loungewear for you to change into – all neatly packed in a black mesh bag. You might not even need to crack open your luggage during your stay.

ninehours has some of the best communal toilets I’ve seen so far. There were more than enough toilet and shower cubicles in the gender-separated bathrooms for us to pick from during our stay. Everything was clean and well-maintained, and all the instructions were clear. After using the towels, we were told to place them in a large basket to be washed. There were even stools for each sink, so we could sit down and dry our hair with the hairdryers in front of the large mirrors. It was clear that every aspect of the capsule hotel had been planned with the guests’ needs in mind.

I don’t think I’d ever been as excited to go to bed as I was in the capsule hotel. It was easy to find our allocated sleeping pods because they were all clearly labeled on the floor and above each pod. While there was no lock, there was a privacy screen that you could pull down when you were in the pod to prevent others from looking in. The mattresses and pillows were basic – a little on the thin side, but still firm enough for a good night’s rest, and the brightness of the light can be adjusted to your preference. There were also built-in USB charging ports in each capsule pod, so you could easily use your phone while charging it.

The capsule pods were actually a lot more spacious inside than expected. At 110cm wide, there was enough space for three girls to lie side by side for a photo. When sitting upright, the capsule pods were just tall enough for you to stretch your arms. Length-wise, at 220cm, it shouldn’t be a problem for most people. Personally, it didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. In fact, it actually felt quite nice to be cocooned in a cozy little space that felt just right, although if I had to stay inside for an extended period of time, it might feel a little restrictive.

What I didn’t like so much was that because the pods aren’t totally soundproof, your quality of sleep could well depend on the graciousness of your fellow neighbors. If you’re a light sleeper, you might be woken up by muffled whispers in a different language and the sound of footsteps. The temperature within the pod is also centrally controlled, and as someone who loves sleeping huddled up under a thick duvet in arctic temperatures, it was just a bit too warm and stuffy for me to describe it as truly comfortable.

Another potential issue to consider is that all guests must check out by 10am the next day regardless of the duration of their stay so that the staff can clean the capsule hotel. While it wasn’t a problem for us because we were only staying for one night, it can be annoying if you’re planning to stay for a few days as you’ll have to keep checking in every day. We also couldn’t leave our luggage in the holding area after checking out because they didn’t have enough space.

After checking out the following day, we headed to the café a few blocks down to claim our free breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs with free-flow drinks using the coupons the staff had given us. A nice touch to end our short stay, since we weren’t expecting to have breakfast included.

All in all, I found that my first time staying at a capsule hotel was a really enjoyable one, and I’d definitely return again. It exceeded my expectations, and with its modern, high-tech aesthetic, turned an ordinary night in transit into something special and memorable. At 4,900 yen a night per person, I’d highly recommend it as a short one-night stay for solo travelers or odd-numbered groups looking for something that’s a little fancier than most hostels, but more wallet-friendly than the average hotel.

Planning a trip to Japan? You might also be interested in 7 Must-Do Things When In Osaka and 3 Days in Kyoto: What to Eat, See, and Do!