Capsule Hotel

Day 18 – Da Nang, Vietnam

So after spending a few hours killing time in my favorite park in Ho Chi Minh City, with more young people asking to speak English with me, I headed to the airport to get my plane. (I was dropped off by the taxi at the international departures when the hotel checked that I wanted the domestic departures, but well.)

My plane left an hour late (nothing like seeing the updated time of departure pass and wonder if maybe, par mistake, it left from another gate from the one announced, near which I am seated, and for which there hasn’t been a boarding call yet, but you never know and…), my window seat was taken by a child, so I graciously offered to take the aisle seat, the flight was quick and my taxi was waiting at the arrival gate. So I got to see Da Nang by night, night falls around 6:30 pm and it was 9:30 by this time.

So, I got to my famous capsule hotel.

Each bunk is enclosed in a futuristic-looking capsule, with internal commands such as light, air-con, TV or sound. Outside, a panel shows where to tap a card to open and close the door.

There are stacked two high, three across, in two rows in the room.

Once inside and the door closed, it’s like a nice cocoon. You can choose white or blue lighting, to have light only on the “head” side for reading, or in the whole capsule; there is a large mirror on one wall, and a folding table on the other. At the foot of the bunk, there is a TV screen, at the head, the wall is padded to offer a backrest. The door can be locked electronically, but there is in addition a security chain.

The stairs to get up and down -I had an upper bunk- are comfortable, which is not always the case in hostel where you often have to use a ladder with narrow rungs to get to your bed! Though I had been lucky until now to get only lower bunks.

After the excitement of this high-tech-looking bed, the bathroom was nice, functional, but devoid of any particular gadget.

Anyway, Da Nang was just a way station for me, as I made my way the next morning to Hoi An.