A NEW ‘pod’ hotel has opened in a historical building the capital and it is super affordable.
Located inside the Grade-II Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus, London, Zedwell Capsule Hotel Piccadilly Circus is now the world’s largest pod hotel, with around 1,000 individual capsules.
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Guests can stay the night in one of the oak ‘cocoons’, which are soundproofed, windowless and feature soft, ambient lighting.
For an added bit of luxury, the bed sheets are Egyptian cotton and there is also a smart climate control and purified airflow in each pod.
Guests can opt to close their capsule thanks to a handy shutter, creating complete privacy.
Away from the pods, there are a number of shared bathrooms with private showers, laundry amenities and secure luggage facilities.
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There are also dormitories just for women and the hotel has several communal spaces as well.
Each capsule costs from just £30 per night.
In the coming months, the hotel aims to add more floors and amenities as well.
Before becoming the new Zedwell hotel, the London Pavilion at Piccadilly Circus served many different purposes.
Back in the 19th century, it started out as a music hall before it was rebuilt into a more lavish and ornate music hall, which is the building that still stands today.
Between 1900 and 1918, the theatre was then remodelled to improve the stage and seating to host more shows and musicals.
In 1934, it was then converted into a state-of-the-art 1,200-seat cinema, hosting a number of major film premiers.
Over 50 years later, the interior was gutted and the building was converted into a shopping and entertainment complex – though the historic facade remained untouched.
From 2000 onwards, the Pavilion housed several attractions including Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Despite now being a hotel with very different interiors to what would have been in the building originally, the Grade II facade from 1885 remains the same.
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Halima Aziz, head of hotels at Criterion, commented: “This is an exciting milestone for both Criterion and Zedwell.
“Our capsule concept introduces an entirely new way to stay in London – affordable, sustainable, and experience-driven.
“We’re proud to preserve the legacy of the London Pavilion, while opening a new chapter in its story – creating a space where guests can pause, recharge, and connect with the city, with others, and with themselves.
“Over the coming months, we look forward to unveiling new enhancements and bold ways we’re taking the space to the next level.”
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Zedwell is also set to open a new hotel with a rooftop bar in a former Debenhams, in Scotland.
The Edinburgh building has remained vacant since 2021 but will feature – if proposals are approved – a 300-room hotel with a shop on the ground level in the future.
Plans also include a rooftop bar with views across the city.
There is also a UK airport hotel with spaceship pod-like rooms – and it is right inside the terminal.
And have a look inside this Japanese-like hotel in the middle of London with reclining beds and cheap rooms.
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