Bobobox Malioboro, Yogyakarta
Perhaps, it is an overstatement to say that an 8 meters square box will be the future of lodging. However, the fact that sleeping pods are now more accessible for people to try could be a marker that it will stay and be even more popular. More airports are also establishing and installing sleeping pods for travelers who will have a connecting flight which could be another indication that 2021 is only the beginning of this trend.
The novel experience of staying in an advanced sleeping pod sparks the curiosity of many. Though of course, there are some that raise such questions as “ is it safe?”, “ are we going to feel claustrophobic?”, “is it convenient?”. Now that I have stayed at one of those sleeping pods, I can answer some of the questions with certainty. If you have never been to a sleeping pod or even a hotel capsule,this article can be your consideration if you wish to try sleeping inside of it.
When we hear the word capsule and pod, the image of small would come to mind. If you are like me, you might associate it with a confined space or the shape of a pill. Though that’s not necessarily wrong, sleeping pods come in many sizes and shapes. Some come in the shape of a capsule, a box, or even a bullet-like shape. The place that I tried, came in the shape of a box, hence the name, bobobox.
Bobobox isn’t the first sleeping pod in Yogyakarta. However, its attractive location makes it stand out more than its competitor in the province. There aren’t that many of these boxes either in the country, only a few and are centered either at the capital of Indonesia or the western java where this hotel startup chain originally came from.
The bobobox in yogyakarta is located at the heart of malioboro, a bustling street and iconic place from the province. Next to it is a starbuck and a Polo Ralph Lauren store which make it easy to spot despite the small entrance to the lobby, though one could easily mistaken this place as just another high-end store around this area.
After getting onto a few stairs, the door will lead to a small lobby with a hostel-like accommodation. There are some cabinets that will make you curious, “ what is that for?”. And after the explanation from the staff, you will know that no shoes are allowed inside the sleeping pods area. Those cabinets is where to store your shoes and you will be given a pair of sleeping sandals.
Before even entering the sleeping pod area, you will be asked to install their application called bobobox which will give you the key access to your room and some futuristic options.However, I won't forget to mention that you have to present an antigen result or a vaccine certificat min 1st dose.
If you are concerned about your privacy, this might not be for you as you would be asked to take a KYC-like process before even entering the pods.
As soon as the registration process is done, only then we can have access to the pod area. Entering the pod area made me feel like I was in a spacecraft going for a space exploration. The alley fits around 3 people and the box is facing one another.
In this place they offer an earth and sky box which means, the sky is located at the top of the box and the earth is on the lower side of the box.
There is also an option to choose for a single and a double pod. I happened to choose the double pod. From what it looks at their application, the single pod is smaller without a table-chair setting. It looked simple and uncluttered. And the double pod is even more spacious and with a more comfortable table-chair setting.
To enter inside the pod, you will have to scan the QR code that is inside the app. Inside the app there will also be some settings such as the option to change the color of the light, adding background noise, locking and opening the room. However, there is no option to set your air conditioner which actually is very important.
If you are above 180 cm, this mattress is going to be a bit uncomfortable as with my height, I almost reached the end of the bed and there was only around 30cm left. Though once inside, it does not feel that claustrophobic. The room creates a spacious feeling despite the space between the bed and the ceiling being quite close. As per estimation, it is less than 60cm from the floor. So definitely watch out for your head.
In this room, there is a screen that has your name, the light color option, the brightness, the background noise and a bluetooth that you can connect to your phone. Through this bluetooth connection you can listen to music or watch a movie.
There are only two sockets which for a remote worker/digital nomad isn’t ideal as the location was also next to the bed rather than the chair and table section.
In terms of noise cancelling, you can still hear someone else's conversation especially those above you and also people's steps if you're choosing the earth pod. For those who are sensitive to sound, this is such an inconveniences. Perhaps, one day we could have more noise-cancelling pods.
And now, speaking for the amenities and other facilities outside the room, each floor has its own shared bathroom and toilet that is separated by gender. These days, you might not want to have a shared bathroom despite the hotel having quite a strict measure preventing the spread of covid-19. I hopped on a call with a few people and they told me that they don’t like that the bathroom is shared; It’s not convenient.
My Verdict
In my opinion, staying in this place is better for connecting flights if you are going to catch some z’s but it’s not for a long-term stay. This isn’t as futuristic as one would assume but perhaps, in the following year it will come with more features and more space-saving ideas as this place didn’t have proper shelves or even a wardrobe. And to answer if this is the future of lodging, it could be. There have been some tiny houses with AI integrated into it, so this could be a possibility that a short term vacation house or lodging will follow the trend. Not to mention with more need for housing and overpopulation, these designs could be the answer to it.
Would you want to stay in one of these sleeping pods?
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 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |