Early this year, I flew to Singapore for 5 days and 4 nights for a quick family trip. In such a short span of time, I managed to check out and stay in two capsule hotels: Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Kampong Glam and The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel. A few weeks ago, I shared with you how valuable a property Cube Kampong Glam is. Join me in today’s hostel of the day feature as I share with you my experience with the second property, The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel at Beach Road.
In case you missed it, I flew with Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ budget subsidiary, to and from Singapore. I hope you can check out these two flight reports: Scoot Flight TR 397 Manila to Singapore and Scoot Flight TR 390 Singapore to Manila.
The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel
The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel is a capsule hotel along Beach Road, just outside Singapore’s Central Business District. It opened in 2013 with the unique concept of providing comfortable and fuss-free accommodation with a modern and minimalistic approach.
The capsule hotel has over 100 capsules across different pods and suites. It caters to business travelers who want comfort at an affordable price and to leisure travelers who do not mind paying extra for better comfort and privacy.
In case you do not know, I try to stay and review hostels anonymously during my trips. I have been to a lot of hostels around Asia, Australia and Europe. I hope you can check all of these hostel features under the Hostel of the Day category.
Location & Access
The POD is located at Level 3, 289 Beach Road, Singapore, 199552. The property is 200 meters by foot to Kampong Glam, 250 meters by foot to the Sultan Mosque, 300 meters by foot to the Malay Heritage Center, 350 meters by foot to Haji Lane, and 850 meters by foot to Bugis Street.
The POD is located within a busy retail and dining precinct with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and artisan shops. The nearest MRT station is Bugis Station in the East-West or Green Line, and the nearest bus stop is right in front of the hostel doors.
Major Singapore attractions such as Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay, and Orchard Road are all less than 30 minutes away by bus or train from the hostel. The property is 45 minutes to 1 hour away from Singapore Changi Airport.
Room Options
The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel offers five room options. They have 3 types of pods and 2 types of private suites.
The first pod type is the front-entry single pod. This is available in mixed shared rooms, male-only rooms, and female-only shared rooms. Each single pod features a personal locker under each pod, cotton sheets, a fluffy duvet with two pillows, a hanger and clothes rack, a personal power socket, a personal reading light, and privacy roller shades. The second pod type is the side-entry single pod. This pod type has the same features as the first type but differs in the entry area.
The last pod type is the queen pod. This pod type features a double mattress instead of a single-type one. It also has the same features as the single pods. Both the side entry and queen pods are only available in mixed shared rooms and female-only shared rooms.
The POD has two suite types: single pod suites and queen pod suites. These individually accessible suites are enclosed in a private room with a single bed and a double bed, respectively. In addition to all the amenities enjoyed in the shared pods, the suites feature a personal workspace with a small table and chair. All these pods, shared or private, are given clean bath towels, slippers, and a bottle of water. These pods also have access to shared, self-contained bathrooms found on every floor.
I booked my 1-night stay with Agoda and paid ₱3,323.43 for a single pod suite. I got a suite with an upper single bed and a workstation. I got a bed with two pillows and a comfortable duvet. I also got a bath towel, bottled water, and a pair of disposable slippers upon entering the room. I believe this accommodation is in the higher price range of value accommodations in Singapore.
Guest Facilities & Amenities
Complimentary High-Speed Wi-Fi – The Pod offers complimentary high-speed wi-fi to all guests. The connection is perfect for those who need to work remotely.
Communal Lounge Areas – The property has a few chairs and tables in the communal spaces where guests can chill and talk to other guests during their stay.
Complimentary Coffee & Tea – Coffee and tea are available in the common area free of charge at any time of the day.
Meeting Room – The property has a meeting room that guests can use in case they need to go into a meeting with some people during their stay.
Business Pods – Guests coming to Singapore for work or business can use the business pod for important meetings and quiet work hours.
Vending Machine – Guests can buy water or carbonated drinks at the vending machine found in the common area.
Self-Contained Bathrooms – The hostel has self-contained bathrooms on all floors. These bathrooms are clean and well-maintained.
Self-Help Laundromat – The Pod has a self-help laundromat that can be used for a small fee. Feel free to approach reception if you want to use this facility.
Express Check-In & Check-Out – The hostel has self-check-in and check-out machines that guests can use upon arrival or before leaving the hostel.
Air Conditioning Systems – The hostel premises are equipped with air conditioning systems. However, these systems are only opened at specific hours during the night.
Luggage Storage – The Pod offers luggage storage for all incoming and outgoing guests. Please approach the reception staff if you want your bags stored.
24-Hour Reception – The Pod’s reception is open 24 hours a day. There is no need to worry about arriving at the hostel late at night or leaving the property in the wee hours of the morning.
Multi-Lingual Staff – The hostel staff speaks several languages. They are also good at speaking the English language.
Lift Access – Guests traveling with large bags or suitcases do not need to worry about bringing their bags up to the property. The POD has lifts for guests to use.
Secured Room Access – Each guest is provided a key card that only works in the common doors and in the door of their assigned room.
Secured Hostel Premises – The hostel is equipped with surveillance cameras. Also, room areas can only be accessed using hostel keycards. These room areas are restricted to non-guests.
Hostel Experience
I had a brief but remarkable stay at The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel in Singapore. I enjoyed every single bit of my stay, even if I was only there for a night.
The amazing experience started with the quick and easy self-check-in process. I did everything through the check-in and check-out machines available in front of reception. The following day, I checked out of the property in seconds.
I was also impressed by the single-pod features and amenities. I got a pod with a quality single bed equipped with two pillows and a thick but comfortable duvet. I also got bottled water, a pair of slippers, and a bath towel upon check-in.
Another thing I liked about this capsule hotel is the meeting room and business pods available for guests who need to do some work during their stay.
There are also a few things that happened during my stay that will make me think twice about staying here again in the future. First, the air conditioning systems in the rooms and in the common areas only work during the night. These are turned off during the day. I am all for environment-friendly measures, but I hope they also add ventilation options inside the rooms.
Second, the lift stopped for a while during my stay. I took a shower on the higher floors, and I had to take the stairs down because the lift stopped working. Lastly, I believe the price is a little bit on the higher tier for a capsule hotel. There are other capsule accommodations in the same area that offer better value for money.
Putting these things aside, I still had a wonderful stay with The POD. The hostel itself is an experience. It is unique, modern, and futuristic. I highly recommend The POD to those who can splurge a bit more but stay within a budget while traveling around Singapore.
Curious about The POD at Beach Road? You may contact them directly on these platforms:
The POD Boutique Capsule Hotel
Address: Level 3, 289 Beach Road, Singapore, 199552
Phone Number: +65 6298 8505
Email Address: info@thepodcapsulehotel.com
Website: www.thepodcapsulehotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepodcapsulehotel
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thepodcapsulehotel
Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
In case you missed it, I wrote about a nearby capsule hotel – Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Kampong Glam in the last hostel of the day feature. Show some love by checking out that post.
Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You will find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in Paris, The Bed KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, The RomeHello in Rome & Z Hostel here in the Philippines. Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!
PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.