Thursday Salute to Originals: Forget the Sleeping Bag…Try a Sleepbox
Have you ever gotten back from a well-deserved trip, and after all the traveling, felt like you needed a vacation from your vacation? With all the rushing, the waiting, the droves of travelers, and the cramped personal space, getting from point A to point B can seem more like cruel and unusual punishment than a plane ride. If you have ever experienced this feeling, or plan on doing some extensive sightseeing in the near future, the travel gods have answered your prayers. Meet your new travel buddy – the Sleepbox.
Understanding that travel time can be exhausting, Russian designers at Arch Group developed the Sleepbox to give travelers a safe and peaceful resting place amongst the hustle and bustle. Standing at 6.5 feet wide x 4.5 feet deep x 7.5 feet tall (a total of 219 cubic feet), the Sleepbox can be easily located inside airports, train stations, and convention centers where masses of commuters and travelers congregate. Large enough for one person and his or her luggage (or 2 people in the larger model), these small pods act like mini-hotel rooms in the middle of these bustling traveling hubs.
Once inside the Sleepbox, a weary traveler can find the essentials needed to get a few minutes of rest and relaxation. There is a bed, a folding table, an HD TV, and Wi-Fi internet, allowing travelers to work, watch a movie, or simply rest. And if getting a few minutes of peace and quiet isn’t enough of a reason for you to rent one of these, the added piece of mind is another benefit. Much safer than resting unguarded in airport terminal chair, in the Sleepbox, you and your luggage are privately tucked away. No more trying to hoard all of your luggage on an empty seat or under your legs while you nap. You can safely stow your belongings and stretch out comfortably, without leaving yourself a vulnerable target for pickpockets and thieves.
Along with the physical amenities and piece of mind that make staying in a Sleepbox a more enjoyable and relaxing alternative, this little pod also has some other unique elements that make it technologically savvy. Each Sleepbox is equipped with its own ventilation system to circulate clean, fresh air. There is also an automatic system that changes the bed linens as soon as a client leaves, and it also has automatic sound alerts, electrical outlets, and interior lighting further enhancing the experience.
–> But probably most importantly, the Sleepbox addresses the flexibility and convenience issues that hotel rooms fail to recognize. With traditional hotel rooms, clients must spend time finding a hotel, booking a room, and then traveling to that location. Not so with the Sleepbox. With this option, clients don’t even have to leave their current venue to waste time searching for lodging. If they desire a more private area to rest, it’s only a few steps away to the nearest Sleepbox. Furthermore, the Sleepbox can be rented anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours, making it easy to tailor your stay to your degree of exhaustion or your budget. No need to book a hotel room for an entire day just to get in a 30 minute catnap. The Sleepbox allows you to choose your stay time, making it a very convenient choice for busy travelers.
Though the Sleepbox was invented almost two years ago, these little pods are just now starting to catch on. They are already available in several major airports throughout Europe, and are even scheduled to head to New York sometime in 2011. So the next time you’re planning on doing some extensive traveling, keep your eyes peeled for the Sleepbox. You just might catch us resting our eyes in one soon!
Image credits: Arch-Group.Org