bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Mandy Zuo

From bicycles to brollies, China’s flourishing sharing economy has a new entrant – capsule hotels for office workers looking for a place to snooze.
White sleeping pods that look like they belong on a spacecraft can be hired for 10 yuan (US$1.47) per 30 minutes during the lunchtime peak by scanning a barcode with your smartphone.
China’s sharing economy charges, pedals and bounces into overdrive – and it’ll even keep you dry if it rains
The company behind the capsules – which also have recharge facilities, a fan and a reading light – is Beijing-based start-up Xiangshui Space.
It’s opened 15 of the capsule hotels in office buildings, internet cafes and workspaces for start-ups in the city since it launched in mid-May, with two to eight beds in each.

Chinese are embracing the sharing economy, from bike-sharing start-ups to smartphone power banks, umbrellas and more – all of which can be conveniently borrowed with the use of a phone. Some 600 million people used services created under the sharing economy last year, a market worth 3.45 trillion yuan (US$508 billion) in 2016 – up 103 per cent on 2015, according to the State Council Information Office.
Look East, young entrepreneurs, for your next big idea


To use one of the capsule beds, customers must register with the company using their mobile phone number via social media platform WeChat and pay through the app.
Unlike bicycle-sharing firm Mobike, no deposit is required. Between 11am and 2pm, the rates are 10 yuan for the first 30 minutes and 0.33 yuan per minute after that. At other times, it costs 6 yuan for the first 30 minutes and 0.33 yuan per minute after that.
Why won’t Hong Kong embrace sharing economy?
Disposable sheets, pillowcases, blankets and earplugs are available and routine checks are carried out every day, an employee with the company’s marketing department, who declined to be named, said.

At its flagship hotel, located in the Chaoyangmen business district, all eight beds were usually occupied during rush hour, she said.
The company recently opened three more hotels in Shanghai and one in Chengdu.
“We target white-collar workers, who are mostly quite well-behaved. So far we haven’t seen any damage to the facilities,” the employee said.
Chinese umbrella-sharing firm remains upbeat despite losing most of its 300,000 brollies
The hotel doesn’t record ID information during the registration process but it has installed cameras in the areas outside the capsules to monitor for damage or other problems, she said.
“Anyone who causes trouble will be put on a blacklist,” she said, without elaborating.
Although the company is gaining media attention, it is trying to keep a low profile – the marketing department would not even divulge the name of its founder.

But for some, the idea of trying to get some kip in an enclosed capsule unit was not appealing. “I don’t think I could fall asleep there – and over 20 yuan for a nap in such a place is not cheap,” one person wrote on Weibo, China’s Twitter.


Bed-sharing comes to China ... now office workers can check in for a power nap

One of the capsule beds on offer for tired office workers at a Xiangshui Space hotel in Beijing. Photo: Handout

Xiangshui Space, a Beijing-based bed-sharing services – cheap capsule hotels are now available for office workers who need a place for a nap. By scanning a barcode with their smart phones, customers can take a rest in a white capsule-shaped sleeping quarter for 10 yuan every 30 minutes, which has recharging facilities, a fan, and a reading light. PHOTO : HANDOUT

News

China

People & Culture

Capsule hotels at 10 yuan for a half-hour snooze are the latest offering in China’s flourishing sharing economy


Bed-sharing comes to China ... now office workers can check in for a power nap

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Capsule hotels at 10 yuan for a half-hour snooze are the latest offering in China’s flourishing sharing economy

Capsule hotels at 10 yuan for a half-hour snooze are the latest offering in China’s flourishing sharing economy