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Get seasick? Then this floating hotel room ‘pod’ is definitely not for you

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Huis Ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch

If even the mere thought of spending a night in a floating hotel room makes you feel seasick, then you might need to pop a travel pill before you continue reading.

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Guests heading to the Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch theme park in southwest Japan will soon have the chance to stay in the pod-like room, which was shown off for the first time this week.

The floating capsule can accommodate up to three guests though its design is a little different from the one shown in the picture above, released last year when the plan was first mooted. The final product (pictured below) has two floors, the first for sleeping and the second for relaxing and enjoying the passing scenery. There’s also a small outdoor deck where you can go to gaze dreamily at the star-filled sky as you bob up and down on the water. It looks cool, though it’s a shame they couldn’t stick the bedroom on the top as per the original design.

A video posted online by Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reveals a roomier interior than you might imagine, with a large, bright lounge area with seating, and a wooden staircase leading to the deck. And like any decent hotel room, you’ll also find a bathroom, complete with both a shower and a bath, and a separate toilet.

Guests staying in the sea pod will be gently towed overnight by a boat to a small island about four miles away where they can spend the following day enjoying various attractions, including a new one where visitors “can fight dinosaurs in an augmented reality game,” according to Kyodo.

A second night in the pod will return the guests to the main area of the theme park.

Of course, if rough weather creates choppy waters, it’s unlikely the guests will be allowed to make use of their booking. In that case, they’ll have the option to stay in one of the park’s other hotels, which include the Henna Hotel whose customer-facing staff consists entirely of robots.

A night in the pod is expected to cost around 35,000 yen (about $330), though as it appears to be a minimum two-night stay (unless you want to swim back), you’re obviously looking at double that.

Huis Ten Bosch plans to launch the quirky accommodation option this summer.

The sea pods are the latest in a growing number of unusual accommodation ideas offered by operators around the world. A collection of such places compiled by Digital Trends features everything from secluded treehouses and lighthouses to a “vintage van with a view” and even a cave.

Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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