I napped in a 7-foot pod in Bangkok's airport. It was the perfect way to recharge after nearly 24 hours of travel.

I had a few hours to kill before I could check in to my hostel in the city, and had been dealing with a migraine since I left New York, so I knew I would need a nap — it was just a matter of where I would crash.

Enter: a capsule hotel.

Capsule hotels were invented in the 1970s as a way for Japanese businessmen to avoid their commute home. They became a hot topic again in the mid-2010s, and now, the tiny, budget-friendly pods have popped up everywhere from Kuala Lumpur to Russia, offering travelers a bare-bones way to recharge.

I'd been hearing about the hotels for years and was excited to test one out, but for all the hype surrounding them, I've also read some negative reviews, including that they can be noisy and dirty.

I had booked my stay at the hotel a couple nights in advance. For $20, I got access to one pod for seven hours, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Those seeking a longer sleep can pay $51 to stay in the hotel for 15 hours overnight, from 6 p.m. until 9 a.m. The pods are all exactly the same, with no options for fancier rooms.

The Avagard Capsule Hotel is located in the airport, but it's after immigration, customs, and baggage claim, so it took me an hour to get to the hotel after I got off the plane. There were signs throughout the airport offering clear directions to the hotel, so it was easy to find.

Insider paid for my stay in full.

I had imagined that the capsule hotel would bear a little more resemblance to a hotel — perhaps it would be in its own room, or at least its own corridor, set apart from the commotion of the airport.

Instead, the cluster of pods are in the middle of a walkway, where everyone can see. While there's privacy once you get into the pod, you can expect to have an onlooker or two watch you clamor in and out of the capsule; and because the pod is just a tiny bedroom, it can feel a lot like having strangers watching you crawl into bed.

The hotel is a collection of eight pods stacked on top of each other. I rented out one of the top pods.

A hotel employee helped me check in, and had me choose a four-digit password that would lock both my pod and a locker.

The locker was big enough to fit a regular-sized suitcase and a carry-on. It had more than enough room for my carry-on and a backpack.

With my luggage locked up, it was time to climb into the sleeping pod for a nap.

On one wall, a control center filled with knobs and buttons controlled the pod's air conditioning and light sources.

The pod had no windows, but it had lots of lighting options: There were overhead lights, reading lights, and lights behind the mirror, as well as a button for "sleep mode," which turned off all the lights at once.

The sheets were clean and tidy, the room smelled nice, and there was no dust, dirt, or suspicious stains.

There wasn't a TV in the room, but the WiFi was strong enough that I could stream Netflix on my phone.

The width of the pod was shorter than my wingspan, but I could sit up straight without my head touching the ceiling, and my toes didn't touch the wall when I was fully lying down.

Each pod is only slightly larger than a twin bed, making the rooms about three feet wide and less than seven feet long. The hotel makes it clear that only one person is allowed in each room at a time.

Inside my capsule, I found a small package containing earplugs, but I didn't have to use them. Because the hotel is located in a fairly quiet corner of the airport, I only heard a few murmurs from passing travelers.

I didn't hear any movement or conversations from neighboring capsules. I fell asleep within minutes and didn't wake up to anything except the sound of my alarm a few hours later.

The "slippers" were men's size 11 flip-flops that appeared to have been used by many guests before me.

I love a good nap, and for $20, this capsule hotel provided me with one of the best naps I've ever had. The pod was clean, comfortable, and convenient.

The pod had everything I needed to recharge, including a water bottle, WiFi, power outlets, and air conditioning. It beat paying more money for a traditional airport hotel, and it was definitely better than taking a free nap on the airport floor.