I stayed in a tiny airport hotel for $57 after a 12-hour flight to Korea. The windowless room was exactly what I needed to fight the jet lag.
Taylor Rains
- Last month, I stayed at a $57 airport hotel in Seoul after a 12-hour flight from the US.
- The room included a twin bed and a shower, but I had to share a bathroom with other guests.
When I fly to Asia from the US, I try to choose flights that get me to my destination in the morning so I can power through the day and get over the jet lag quickly.
Most times, I arrive after sunrise when cities are already up and moving — perfect timing for me.
My recent 12-hour flight to Seoul, however, was different. Our scheduled landing time was 4:00 a.m., and we ended up arriving even earlier than planned.
Considering the early hour, I looked into a few nap options that didn't involve sleeping on an airport floor. One was to pay for the previous night at my hotel so I could just check in that morning, which would be costly.
Korea's Incheon International Airport had a better solution — a $57 capsule hotel. Take a look inside the tiny room, which I found perfect for beating jet lag.
Seoul has two capsule hotels at Incheon airport, both named "Darakhyu."
Incheon's Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 each has one Darakhyu capsule hotel, the former becoming the first of its kind in Korea when it opened in 2017.
One important note about the capsule hotels is that they are both landside, so passengers have to clear customs to use them.
Passengers landing in either terminal can use the two capsule hotels, which are located in each one's respective transportation centers. Buses connect the terminals and my ride to Terminal 2 took about 15 minutes.
Travelers will have to reclear security to reenter the airport if using one of the hotels during a long layover.
The Darakhyu hotels are inspired by traditional Korean guesthouses built to provide a "private place with comfortability to take care of your weary body."
The hotel was designed by the hotel chain Walkerhill, which also operates an hourly-basis transit hotel inside the terminal where travelers can stay without having to clear customs.
It is different from the Darakhyu capsule hotels.
For my trip, I booked an early-morning stay in Terminal 2 as it was the only capsule hotel with availability.
The Terminal 1 Darakhyu was sold out for overnight rooms when I booked in July for my September flight.
I recommend booking early if you know you'll need a room as the hotel is likely to be sold out if you wait until the last minute.
What makes a capsule hotel differ from a traditional one is that guests pay by the hour rather than the night.
There were two booking options: day use between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and overnight use for the opposite 12-hour block.
Daytime stays can be booked in blocks between three and 12 hours, with all travelers checking out by 8:00 p.m. Nighttime stays get the full overnight.
Because I estimated myself to arrive around 5:00 a.m., I chose the overnight slot.
I was surprised to find when I got there that my time slot didn't actually end at 8:00 a.m. like the website makes it seem.
Instead, I was told by hotel staff that I get the full 12 hours, so I could've left at 5:00 p.m. if I wanted to.
For the room, I opted for a single capsule with a private shower for $57.
There are a few room options available: a single room with or without a shower, and a double room with or without a shower. And, the rooms specify how many people can use the pod.
The price at the time of writing differs by about $20 between the cheapest single and the most expensive double.
When I opened the door to room 114, I was surprised to see it wasn't as small as I expected.
The room was much bigger than what I envisioned a capsule hotel to offer.
It actually reminded me of some of the city hotel rooms I stayed in on a recent trip to Tokyo, and Incheon's capsule wasn't much smaller than those, either.
Inside, I found a twin bed tucked away on the right side of the room, a shower on the left, and a vanity with a sink and mirror across the back wall.
The walkspace inside the room was perfectly fine for one person, and I had plenty of space to organize my things.
The room wasn't short of stoage space, either.
The bed was raised, so I could store my suitcase underneath, and the vanity proved helpful for any random clutter.
Meanwhile, there was a closet cutout on the left wall with a hangar inside.
Among the amenities was a hairdryer, slippers, a stool, a towel, and power ports — though there was no window or television.
I had my laptop if I needed entertainment, so the lack of TV didn't both me.
There was also a panel next to the bed that controlled the lighting and temperature.
The main thing missing though was a toilet, which was shared among all the guests — making the setup more hostel-style than hotel.
As a regular hostel-goer, I didn't mind sharing a bathroom with other guests — and I ended up not even seeing another person during my stay anyway.
Those guests who do not book a room with a shower will have to use the communal ones.
Reserving a room with a shower will only add about $10 to the stay, so I recommend upgrading if its available and in the budget.
Once I got settled, I took a much-needed shower after ther 12-hour journey across the Pacific.
The shower was impressively large and clean, and I was happy there was provided toiletries — including shampoo, conditioner, and body wash — so I didn't have to use my own.
I used the provided bathmat and towel, too.
I finally settled into bed around 5:30 a.m., and I slept like a rock for about four hours.
The bed was cozy with warn, fluffy linens — it was easily much more comfortable than even some hotels I've stayed in.
And, the windowless room made the space pitch black with all the lights turned off, so I didn't have to deal with any sunlight keeping me awake.
The nap helped me immediately start battling the jet lag.
While I did sleep for several hours on the flight from Los Angeles, I was still groggy getting off the plane.
And, with it still being dark when I got to the capsule hotel, my body was telling me to sleep. The nap helped me avoid the jet lag I'm used to feeling.
I've only ever used a capsule-like hotel in a few other places, but the one in Seoul was easily the best.
I've stayed in Minute Suites in the US, which can have beds, desks, TVs, and armchairs. I also spent the day in a pod-style hotel in Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport in 2018.
Both options, however, were smaller and much less comfortable.
I particuarly loved the privacy, which shines over the sometimes narrow side-by-side pods that have just enough room for one person.
In April, Insider's Monica Humphries tried a $50 capsule hotel at Tokyo's Narita International Airport and it was so small that travelers had to store their luggage in lockers outside the pods.
I actually experienced something similar in Moscow, so I was happy to find Incheon's "capsule" was more of a glorified hostel.
While I had to share a bathroom during my stay at Darakhyu, I had zero complaints.
So, for just $57, it'd be my easy go-to the next time I need a place to crash during an overnight in Seoul.
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