These high-tech sleep pods are a thrifty traveller’s dream

The hostel

Tokyo’s The Millennials Shibuya

Check-in

The pod hotel is a step up from basic hostel accommodation.

At the reception desk on level four, the hostel’s name suddenly clicked: Millennials. Hand up here, that’s me. This capsule hostel appeals to those wanting to graduate from basic bunk-bed lodging or keen to try the shared accommodation thing in style, with perks and without lowering standards.

It’s a sleek spot to retreat in one of Tokyo’s most pulsating districts, Shibuya. It offers affordable accommodation in an in-demand area but I can’t imagine spending too much time here. There’s a bounty of entertainment, restaurants and bars on my doorstep.

Instead of a personal hostel tour, I am given an iPad to watch a tutorial on operating my “bed”, a first for this self-proclaimed hostel veteran. The minutes-long video explains how to “work” my high-tech “Smart Pod” sleeping pod, controlled with a re-engineered iPod Touch – peak Millennial nostalgia.

The look

Vibrant colours and vogueish art in the communal areas.

The 120-bed hostel is a thrifty traveller’s dream. Everything under its communal area’s exposed ceiling is clean, orderly and worth a feature in an interior design mag. The space has floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist furniture – an L-shaped lounge, coffee tables and chairs – and a wall displaying vogueish objects. The marble-look breakfast bar kitchen gives the room a chic feel, and the coffee machine (free to use) is undoubtedly the hardest worker here.

There’s no escaping Tokyo’s brightly lit animations with three high-top co-working tables displaying moving patterned graphics reminiscent of ′80s arcade games. But that’s where the colour stops, with the rooms anything but vibrant and fun.

The room

Peas in their three-square-metre pods.

Technically, I’m in a mixed dorm on level nine, but I don’t expect to have too much interaction or see anyone. The dimly lit hallways feel reminiscent of entering a cinema, with beds shielded by partitions.

My Smart Pod is three square metres, fitted with a wall-to-wall 120-centimetre wide bed that has a 25-centimetre coil mattress. Under my bed is sliding storage, although not suitable for overpacked suitcases. Two plump pillows lie at the bedhead, above it a shelf for extra storage. A duffel bag with towels, a toothbrush, and a vanity kit is hanging on the wall for my use.

Thanks to the iPod Touch remote control, the pod’s functionality is at my fingertips. The bed’s electric reclining function can turn it into a sofa in seconds. I can also set the mood in the pod with three lighting levels. I’m a big fan of the alarm setting. Once sounded, the pod becomes softly lit, and then moments later, the bed gently tilts to lift the head slightly. I can shut the world out, pulling my partition down to give my pod privacy; it also serves as a projector screen, but who has time to Netflix and chill when in Tokyo?

The partition becomes a projector screen.

The communal bathroom block would excite those with plenty of hostel experience. The shower blocks are spacious with hooks, one with a bench, and free shampoos, conditioner and soap.

Food + drink

Enjoy cheap breakfasts in the morning and free beer in the afternoon.

Basic breakfast – scrambled eggs, Frankfurt-style sausages, yoghurt, bread and fresh fruit – is offered at the hostel for an additional ¥1000 ($10) and served in the communal kitchen until 9.30am. Coffee and tea are available free 24/7.

You know you have moved up in hostel world with free beer at happy hour. Mingle with hops in hand at 5.30pm daily. The reception desk also sells drinks, but for a greater selection, nip over to the Family Mart convenience store across the road.

Out + about

The Millennials Shibuya is right in the thick of the action, only a six-minute walk from Shibuya Station on the JR Lines. It is less than 10 minutes from here to catch a train to Tokyo’s other neon-lit, concrete playground, Shinjuku. For travellers who need to work on the go, level three features a co-working space with private phone booths.

The verdict

The Millennials Shibuya is the perfect go-between for solo travellers who want to avoid sharing a bunk bed with strangers and splurging on a clean, modern hotel room.

Essentials

The Millennials Shibuya, 1 Chome-20-13 Jinnan, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan. Phone [phone]. Pods from ¥9900 ($102) a night. See livelyhotels.com/en/themillennialsshibuya

Our score out of five

★★★½

Highlight

The reclining bed and having the comforts of a hotel room at hostel prices.

Lowlight

The much-revered Japanese luxury of having a heated toilet seat is missing. Are my expectations for high-end hostel living too high?

The writer travelled as a guest of JTB Australia.