If you’re planning a trip to Japan this Christmas season, why not stay a night at the newest and hottest capsule hotel?

Opening this December in Kyoto, 9h is a futuristic place to stay the night. I avoid the word “hotel” because it’s not your everyday hotel—9h is a capsule hotel, where basically each patron is provided with his or her own capsule or sleeping pod for the duration of their stay. In this case, although it’s called 9hours, you’re checked in for up to 17 hours.

Usually used by people too tired to take a long trip home or simply too drunk, these hotels have been a part of Japanese culture for a while. However, 9h is noted for its luxurious facilities. The hotel’s designer envisioned sleekness and elegance and achieved that with the very chic interior and minimalist color palette. The establishment will have a lounge area, locker and shower rooms, and 125 sleeping pods throughout 9 levels. Each capsule is dressed with plush white sheets worthy of regular four-star hotels. A control panel automatically dims the lights to allow the occupant to sleep soundly, and also wakes you up by brightening the room.

The hotel gets its name from a simple formula: 1 hour to shower, 7 hours to sleep, and 1 hour to rest. For the affordable price of ¥4900 a night (or around 2500php), 9h is definitely a classy alternative to the typical old hotel. -GIO DIONISIO

via designboom and 9hours.jp