At first glance, the sleeping pod looks very out of place. Next to stacks of books with people working on homework around, I wondered how anyone was supposed to get sleep. After a quick issue regarding my reservation in which they weren’t sure if I even had one, the girl attending to the pod gave me a brief tour. It was very brief given that the pod is the size of a small half bathroom.
First I was told to take my shoes off before entering. This seemed understandable as no one wants shoes on the bed. However, I wondered whether or not you were required to wear socks. This seems like it might make the pod smell bad given everything is in such close proximity. I was also handed a sort of buzzer, the same kind you get when waiting to be notified of an open seat at a restaurant. The buzzer acts as an alarm clock to notify users when their time is up.
Much to my delight, I found that it was soundproof and the curtain blocked out anything from the outside. I looked over everything in the room which mostly consisted of a folding chair, a shelf with a plant on it, a mirror, a wall hanging to hold a jacket or purse, a trash can, a dehumidifier and an outlet to plug in your devices. They do not offer chargers so don’t make the same mistake I did and bring your phone with at eighteen percent battery.
As I took a quick tour for social media, I found myself reluctant to sit on the bed. Who has been here before? After a quick pep talk to myself, I pulled back the comforter. The stark white blankets and sheets did little to ease my discomfort. There weren’t any noticeable stains or discoloration but you still have no idea who enters before you do.
When I finally gathered the courage to sit on the bed, I was shocked out how nice the mattress was. It’s supposedly designed to make you feel weightless. It was quite an improvement from my dorm room mattress.
Turn on the fan. That’s my first bit of advice. It’s a small soundproof area that got overheated after the first twenty minutes. The most interesting thing about the pod, however, was the complete and total lack of advertisements. The soundproof walls were bare of any sort of poster. The bed was covered in white bedding with one gray pillow. The biggest splash of color was the small green area rug on the floor.
I couldn’t make myself actually lay down or get under the covers. The uncertainty of who had been there before was too much in my opinion. But it was a nice place to sit and write this article. The first thirty minutes went by quickly and with my phone dead, there wasn’t much left to do but sleep.
Overall, I see the appeal. It’s comfortable, small, quiet and dark if you want it to be. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it if you feel uncomfortable entering a strange bed without knowing when it had last been cleaned or who was in it.
