WebUrbanist » 7 of the Smallest Hotels and Hotel Rooms in the World: From Pipe Rooms to Capsule Hotels

7 of the Smallest Hotels and Hotel Rooms in the World: From Pipe Rooms to Capsule Hotels

Small German Pip Hotel

Think your last apartment or hotel room was small? Believe it or not, there are a lot of contenders for the dubious title of smallest hotel on the planet. Some claim it by number of rooms, others by size and all are quick to defend their position. However, you can judge for yourself after taking a look at this incredible collection of the tiniest hotels in the world!

Tiny Pipe Park Hotel Rooms

A few feet from the flowing Danube river in Germany, these cramped Das Park pipe hotel accommodations seem as cozy as they are tiny. Simplicity is the key word to these elegant designs, blank round pipes on the exterior and minimally finished rooms on the inside. Even better, guests get to stay in a lovely park setting and pay only what they want to.

Tiniest Airport Hotel in the World

The Yotel airport hotel is as cleverly designed as it was named, a slick luxury hotel room in a very small space. It is located incredibly close to the check-in counter at London’s Heathrow airport and comes with flat screen televisions, wireless internet and 24 hour room service. The basic idea is to blend luxury, convenience and reasonable pricing as well as clever and creative space solutions that maximize comfort and minimize space.

Smallest Hotel on the Ocean Front

On the island El Hierro, a part of the Canary archipelago, sits the strange little Punta Grande stone hotel that is the opposite of luxurious. It has no amenities to speak of and sits dangerously close to the waves, which often toss up over the rocks and hit the sides of the hotel itself. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful getaway for those seeking a full retreat from the typical bustle of urban living.

Amazing Single Room Luxury Hotel

This one room hotel in Cambodia is arguably the most luxurious guest room in the world, or the smallest, or maybe even both. Despite having only one room this hotel has everything a normal hotel would, including a reception area, doorman and ful services found in any respectable hotel setting. The single room can even be turned into a restaurant on demand.

Smallest Hotel in the World Netherlands

The town of Eernum, Hollad is perhaps too eager for the title of smallest hotel in the world. As their own modest one room hotel’s website itself points out: it is the town’s only claim to fame, alongside its three cafes, candle maker an mustard museum. Nonetheless, they do boast a Guinness Book of Records spot for their curious an quaint accommodations and a crown prince’s wedding night as well.

Bizarre Capsule Hotel Rooms

Though most people have heard of them by now, not mentioning capsule hotels in a list of the world’s tiniest hotel rooms would be impossible. Despite their almost unbelievably small size, capsule hotel rooms can cost as much as $40 a night and often feature surprising amenities including wireless internet access and television sets. Outside of the rooms themselves, vending machines, restaurants, pools and other communal spaces can also typically be found. On a more humorous note, thrill-seeking foreigners are sometimes discouraged from staying in these, while intoxicated local businessmen too drunk to go home are welcome.

CitizenM Small Modular Hotel Rooms

The Phillips so-called “One Star Is Born” high-tech hotel project may be the wave of the future, based as much on economic savings as on technological innovation. The Citizenm hotel in Amsterdam is a test version including ready-made rooms that are jacked into a grid when a customer arrives and set to their preset preferences. In theory, this will provide greater customization for the user while reducing costs.

Enjoy this one? Check out these great related articles:
The 10 Narrowest Houses in the World
Mobile Urban Architecture: Hotels and Homes
Transformable, Convertible and Collapsible Urban Furniture

Want More? Check Out These Great Related Articles:

Posted by Urbanist December 20th, 2007
Architecture, Travel, Urban, Urban Images, Urban Videos
Comments: 39

Comments

Comment from Lisa McGlaun
Time: December 20, 2007, 10:44 pm

I would love to stay at any of these destinations. It looks fun and interesting. Not your typical Holiday Inn. I’m so sick of those anyway.

In the US I seek out Bed and Breakfast establishments whenever I can. Those are alway surprising and I get to meet and talk with the owners.

Love your blog.

Lisa

Comment from Orhan Kahn
Time: December 21, 2007, 12:24 am

So small, yet so fancy.

Comment from Kaash, Ash & You
Time: December 21, 2007, 10:51 am

Well, i also like all these destinations and concept of hotels.
Please Someone sponsored me to travel and visit all these places.

Comment from TomT
Time: December 21, 2007, 11:46 pm

Mostly cute except for the capsule hotel. It looks too much like a community mausoleum, creepy!

Comment from pocobaroco
Time: December 22, 2007, 6:53 am

odli�?na i vrlo zabavna mjesta, u nekim od mojih slijedećih putovanja pokušat ću ih posjetiti

Comment from Blogerko
Time: December 22, 2007, 7:36 am

Yeah, really funny hotels

Comment from David
Time: December 22, 2007, 4:01 pm

The Urbanist did not list my favorite mini lodging, the Jules Underwater Lodge. I visited it once –it’s quite the interesting experience. Here’s the website for the lodge:
http://www.jul.com/

Comment from WebUrbanist
Time: December 22, 2007, 11:08 pm

That was actually featured in a previous article on underwater hotels, David, but it is a great one!

Comment from Lawrence
Time: December 23, 2007, 11:50 am

Interesting designs. I like the picture of the concrete tube! Very inspirational

Comment from Alana
Time: December 24, 2007, 1:32 am

Amazing

Comment from Rose
Time: December 24, 2007, 7:34 am

Very interesting places I would think many travelers would like to try. What they may lack in size, they more than make up for in uniqueness.

Comment from Randy Walburger
Time: December 25, 2007, 11:04 pm

Check my sleeping modules out. They are like the Japanese Capsul Hotel except they are for outdoor use.

Comment from Randy Walburger
Time: December 27, 2007, 4:03 pm

I have a US Patent 6981347 B1 entitled Modular Emergency Shelter System. These are like the Japanese Capsul Hotel modules but they are primarily for outdoor use. I developed this concept as emergency shelter for homeless people but have yet to convince enough people to try it. I am not trying to profit off homeless people I will not take royalties if used for the homeless in California but I retain developmental rights. Just keep in mind my patent and please contact me so hopefully you can showcase this humanitarian concept. 310-828-9328

Comment from Anonymous
Time: December 31, 2007, 4:14 pm

Rockford, Ohio….LOL……

Comment from Laurie
Time: January 1, 2008, 5:53 am

This website is remarkable. I love the concept of the mini hotel room. The capsule ones do disturb me though. Too sci-fi. They look like freezer rooms or microwaves.

Comment from Giselle
Time: January 2, 2008, 12:50 pm

Size really isn’t important in picking a hotel room- cleanliness is. I only wish you had done the dirty work and provided the relative prices for these tiny pads. Great story.

Comment from Bokep
Time: January 2, 2008, 5:35 pm

As long as the bed is really comfortable, the shower had good water pressure, the room is clean, and I can get the temperature down to about 65 degrees, I’d probably be happy in there.

Comment from TravelHQ
Time: January 2, 2008, 10:08 pm

I wonder how people with claustrophobia (like me) manage to get into those famous rectangular-box-hotels of tokyo !

Comment from Al Ebaster
Time: January 3, 2008, 2:51 pm

The capsule hotel reminds me of Neuromancer’s “coffin hotels,” though the former sounds slightly more hospitable. I guess all that old cyberpunk fiction is getting closer and closer to reality.

Comment from Chris Estes
Time: January 7, 2008, 11:01 pm

Where do I go to make reservations? Since they are so small what is the price like?

Comment from zeep
Time: January 22, 2008, 7:57 pm

Anyone here ever experience an Amtrak sleep car? Ok then.

Comment from Hoteles en Madrid
Time: February 7, 2008, 1:14 am

So small, yet so cool. I´d love to stay in one of those hotels :)

Comment from petnos
Time: February 24, 2008, 9:31 am

a different way…

Comment from Brad Ackerman
Time: March 14, 2008, 11:52 am

The website of the Cambodian hotel you mention has been pwned, so might want to take off that link. (The executable analysis is at http://www.virustotal.com/analisis/353754c09bfbd16accabeb328ff21f89)

Comment from Alison
Time: March 15, 2008, 8:48 am

the second one is my favorite!

Comment from Helen
Time: April 6, 2008, 5:25 am

It is amazing! I could never believe that there are so small hotel rooms!