Capsule Hotels

Tubohotel is in Tepoztlán, a mountain town south of Mexico City known for its cliffs and its hilltop pyramid.

The rooms are concrete drainage pipes. Each one is fitted with a bed, lighting and a round opening to the garden, and the pipes are stacked in low rows. Bathrooms are shared and set apart.

The idea is simple and slightly cheeky. You get privacy, a view of the Tepozteco ridge and very little else. That turns out to be enough.

Sleep 'n Fly runs sleep lounges on the airside of Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs for connecting flights.

Guests book by the hour. Choices range from open pods in a quiet lounge to small private cabins with a door. Lighting is low, noise is kept down, and showers are available.

The point is timing. A long layover becomes a proper rest, with no need to pass through immigration or leave the terminal.

De Bedstee Boutique Capsules takes its name from the bedstee, the enclosed cupboard bed once built into the walls of Dutch homes.

The capsules follow that tradition. Each is a small closed sleeping space with its own light and power, stacked two high. Washrooms are shared, and a lounge with a bar gives guests somewhere to sit.

It sits in central Amsterdam, so most of the city is walkable. Few places to sleep there are this affordable and still have a sense of design.