Japan's Capsule Hotel

Japan's Capsule Hotels

This particular Capsule Hotel is located near Kabukicho (red light district) in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. It allows only men. It cost Y3,800 for the "room" and bath. Massages are available for an additional Y3,300 for 40 minutes. It's on the 6th floor of a building and is called Big Lemon. It's open 24 hours and you can leave and come back as you wish.

They speak a little English and foreigners are welcome. You can store your luggage behind the counter. You pay at a vending machine and hand the ticket to the clerk. They give you a capsule number and locker key and wrist band. When you are in for the night, you change in the locker room and wear the small yukata around the facility. Upstairs is a shower and sento bath. There is a restaurant and small bar as well. Beside that is a TV room with several lazy boy chairs. Technically you could pay only Y1,200 for the sento and sleep in the lazy boy chairs as many people were doing.

Since most visitors to a Capsule hotel are Japanese business men who don't have time to go home, there are amenities there for people who didn't plan on staying away from home. You can shave, brush your teeth, take a bath, buy shirts, pants, belts, ties, undershirts. Not sure if there is overnight dry-cleaning, but I wouldn't doubt it. Check out was around 9 and starting at 7am they made public announcements reminding people to get up and get out. There were about 150 capsules in this facility. Some have 600+ in Shinjuku.

There are many buttons and knobs in the capsule. One turns on the light and a knob dims the light. One turns on the TV, another button flips through the channels. There is a big red button that costs Y300 to press. That's the porn button. There is a radio and an alarm clock built in. At the end of the capsule there is a screen you can pull down to "lock" yourself in. The entire capsule was about 6 to 6.5 feet long.

Inside view of the capsule.


Most capsules are stacked two up in columns of about 8-10.


A thin screen can be pulled down for privacy.


The Capsule Control Panel. You can control lights, TV, A/C, Alarm Clock, and do your taxes.





Set up of the capsule.

It actually gets pretty dark inside.

Buttons on the left control and set the alarm clock.
Left switch turns on the TV. Right turns on the light. Knob is dimmer.
Bottom knob is volume, black button beside it changes the channel.

Small little TV.

Jules Underwater Hotel

Have you slept underwater lately?

When guests visit Jules� Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, they discover that the name is no marketing gimmick. Just to enter the Lodge, one must actually scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea. Jules� really is underwater. Diving through the tropical mangrove habitat of the Emerald Lagoon and approaching the world�s only underwater hotel is quite an experience. Even from the outside, Jules� big 42 inch round windows cast a warm invitation to come in and stay a while, relax and get to know the underwater world that so few of us have even visited.

Entering through an opening in the bottom of the habitat, the feeling is much like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse. The cottage sized building isn�t short on creature comforts: hot showers, a well stocked kitchen (complete with refrigerator and microwave), books, music, and video movies. And of course there are cozy beds, where guests snuggle up and watch the fish visit the windows of their favorite underwater �terrarium�. Jules� Undersea Lodge manages to reach a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure.

Guests sometimes describe their visit to inner space as the most incredible experience of their lives. One couple decided on a career change after visiting Jules� Undersea Lodge, and they now operate Aquanauts� Dive Shop. Another couple named their baby after Jules�, when they later discovered their recently conceived child had accompanied them in their wonderful adventure in undersea living.

Although the underwater hotel may sound like the latest tourist fun spot, Jules' Undersea Lodge, actually began its existence as La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart from amusement parks and other similar attractions. The mangrove lagoon in which Jules' is located is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers peek in the windows of the habitat, while anemones, sponges, oysters and feather duster worms seem to cover every inch of this underwater world. Guests of the Lodge explore their marine environment with scuba gear provided by Jules' Undersea Lodge and are given an unlimited supply of tanks. Jules' Undersea Lodge may have a comfortable futuristic decor, but its sense of history is inescapable. It is the first and only underwater hotel, but is also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person.

�Marine life is actually enhanced by the presence of an underwater structure�, explains Ian Koblick, owner and co-developer of the Lodge. �Jules� Undersea Lodge serves as an artificial reef, providing shelter and substrate for marine animals. And the flow of air to the Lodge constantly adds oxygen to the entire surrounding body of water, creating a symbiotic relationship between the technology of man and the beauty of nature.�

The entire structure of Jules� Undersea Lodge is underwater, sitting up on legs approximately five feet off the bottom of the protected lagoon. The Lodge is filled with compressed air, which prevents the water from rising and flooding the rooms. A five by seven foot �moon pool� entrance in the floor of the building makes entering the hotel much like surfacing through a small swimming pool. Divers find themselves in the wet room, the center of three compartments that make up the underwater living quarters. The wet room, as the name implies, is where divers leave their gear, enjoy a quick hot shower and towel-off before entering the rest of the living area. Designed for comfort, the air conditioned living space has two private bed rooms and a common room. The eight by twenty foot common room is a multi-purpose room providing the galley, dining and entertainment areas. Each of the bedrooms and the common room is equipped with telephone, intercom, VCR/DVD and our latest addition of the, "i home", so you can enjoy your own choice of music from home. But the main focus of attention is the big 42 inch round window that graces each room. �Waking up to view a pair of angelfish looking in your bedroom window is a moment you'll never forget�, states Koblick.

Habitat operations are monitored by the Mission Director from the land-based �Command Center�, located at the edge of the Emerald Lagoon. The control center is connected to Jules� Undersea Lodge by an umbilical cable which delivers fresh air, water, power, and communications. �The entire facility is monitored 24 hours a day by our staff�, says Koblick, �the Lodge has independent support systems as well as redundant backup systems. We�ve taken every step to ensure a safe yet exciting adventure for our guests�.

Credit for developing this venture must go to both Neil Monney and Ian Koblick. With over 50 years of combined ocean research and industry experience the two principal developers named their undersea retreat in honor of Jules Verne, author of �Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea�. Jules� Undersea Lodge is a tribute to the human quest for exploration and adventure. In the Early 70�s, lan Koblick, president of Marine Resources Development Foundation, developed and operated La Chalupa research laboratory, which was the largest and most technologically advanced underwater habitat of its time. Koblick , who has continued his work as a pioneer in developing advanced undersea programs for ocean science and education, as the co-author of the book �Living and Working in the Sea�, is considered one of the foremost authorities on undersea habitation. Co-developer Neil Monney formerly served as Professor and Director of Ocean Engineering at the US Naval Academy. Monney has extensive experience as a research scientist, aquanaut, and designer of underwater habitats. Together, the two men have developed and managed undersea habitats that have produced more aquanauts than all of the other undersea habitats in the world combined. Their combined expertise is evident in the careful attention to detail in Jules� Undersea Lodge.

Jules� Undersea Lodge is a dream come true for dive enthusiasts who are looking to log a seemingly limitless dive. Guests who complete one of the luxury packages can log 22 hours in one night, and there is no limit to the number of nights they can stay. Even at 21 feet, dive times like these are not covered by the dive tables. Guests actually complete a �saturation� dive, which permits divers to spend extended time underwater as long as proper surfacing intervals are followed. For the shallow water saturation dives of Jules� Undersea Lodge, guests are required to abstain from flying and must adhere to restrictions on further diving for 24 hours after they surface. Some packages at Jules� offer the opportunity to earn an Aquanaut Certificate, which qualifies certified divers for an optional Underwater Habitat / Aquanaut dive specialty certification.

Although the experience of a habitat saturation dive is definitely high tech diving, even guests who have never scuba dived before can stay in Jules� Undersea Lodge. A pleasant three hour class acquaints non-certified divers with the equipment and simple procedures necessary to comfortably dive in the company of the Lodge�s dive instructors. The Lodge also offers complete dive certification in just three days, as well as a full complement of advanced and specialty dive training. Both certified and non-certified divers enjoy their exploration of the Emerald Lagoon. Since the mangrove habitat is a nursery area for many reef fish, divers see juvenile fish and invertebrate animals that are not normally seen on the reef. It is an excellent opportunity for divers to explore the diversity and inter-relationship of habitats and to gain an understanding of why it is important to protect our natural mangrove shorelines. Divers also see some amazing technology in the lagoon, including Marine Lab, an underwater laboratory devoted exclusively to research and education. A recreation of a Spanish galleon wreck provides a wonderful opportunity to study the techniques of marine archaeology. The wreck site is a replica of the San Pedro, set up by world renowned archaeologist R. Duncan Matthewson, III, who was instrumental in locating the famous wreck of the Atocha.

On an average evening Jules� Undersea Lodge is shared by two different couples, but it can accommodate a group of six friends in the gracious living quarters designed by the award winning firm of Richard F. Geary Interior Designers. Exclusive use of the hotel can also be arranged for couples who want to be the only lovers in the world spending the night alone in inner space - a pretty romantic thought. The Lodge is even available for underwater weddings, with a wedding package that includes flowers and the world�s only underwater wedding cake. The unique setting is perfect for couples who plan to start their married life with a touch of the outrageous, but still enjoy traditional sentiments.

Guests of the Lodge have included many celebrities, including former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; rock stars Steve Tyler of �Aerosmith� and Jon Fishman of Phish.

The staff of Jules� Undersea Lodge remains on duty 24 hours a day to provide whatever services the quests may need. The Lodge�s luxury packages include the services of a �mer-chef" who scuba dives down to the hotel to prepare and serve a gourmet dinner for the guests. Birthday or anniversary celebrations often include surprise bouquets of flowers and cakes. Late night snacks can even include the underwater delivery of a pizza from a local shop.

 

 

Treetops Hotel

Treetops Hotel (2006)

Treetops Hotel is a hotel in Aberdare National Park in Kenya near the township of Nyeri, 1,966 m (6,450 ft) above sea level on the Aberdare Range and in sight of Mount Kenya. First opened in 1932 by Eric Sherbrooke Walker, it was literally built into the tops of the trees of Aberdare National Park as a treehouse, offering the guests a close view of the local wildlife in complete safety. The idea was to provide a machan (hunting platform on a tree during shikar in India) experience in relative safety and comfort. From the original modest two room tree house, it has grown into 50 rooms. The original structure was burned down by African guerrillas during the 1954 Mau Mau Uprising, but the hotel was rebuilt near the same waterhole and has become fashionable for many of the rich and famous. It includes observation lounges and ground level photographic hides from which guests can observe the local wildlife which come to the nearby waterholes. It is probably best known as the place where Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne on the death of her father George VI during a visit in 1952.

Beginnings 

   The view of the waterholes from the Treetops Hotel

The initial idea of Major Eric Sherbrooke Walker, who owned land in the Aberdare Range, was to build a treehouse for his wife "Lady Bettie", who liked them. The idea grew, and ultimately the couple oversaw the construction of a two-room treehouse in a huge, 300-year-old fig tree as an adjunct facility to the Outspan Hotel (which they built and owned) in 1932. Initial construction was hampered by the presence of wild animals, as the treehouse was purposely built beside animal trails leading to a nearby waterhole. Laborers and supervisors were often chased away by wild animals, which led to increased labor costs.

While originally two rooms, and open only on Wednesday nights to overnight guests as a night-viewing platform, rising demand forced the Walkers to accommodate more visitors. The visit of Princess Elizabeth, and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh to Kenya in 1952 led to their visit to the Treetops as personal guests of the Walkers. The Treetops was reinforced, and its capacity was increased to four rooms (one being for a resident hunter).

Present day

The Treetops was rebuilt in 1957 on a nearby chestnut tree overlooking the same waterhole and salt lick near the elephant migration pathway to Mount Kenya, and has grown to about 50 rooms, with the hotel being built on additional stilt support. It rises straight out of the ground on stilts and has four decks and a roof top viewing platform. The accommodation is compact and cozy comprising of 50 rooms.

The rise in popularity of the Treetops is partially due to Elizabeth II's visit and accession in 1952, but also partially due to their no see, no pay policy during their early years — a common business policy on safaris, where guests were not charged for services if they failed to see any big game.

Visitors can observe the wildlife from the top deck, the viewing windows in the communal space, or from ground level hides. They can also take motor tours from the Treetops. The Treetops remains an overnight destination, with only overnight luggage being allowed, and visitors being driven in from the Outspan for the night. Other facilities include a thousand watt artificial moon used to illuminate animals at the waterhole during dark nights. Another unusual restriction at the Treetops is a low decibel level restriction due to the hearing sensitivity of many animals, including a ban on all hard-soled footwear.

Currently, the Treetops is run by the Aberdare Safari Hotels which acquired the two properties, Outspan and Treetops in 1978. Following the success of Treetops, another treetop lodge — the Shimba, was opened by the Aberdare Safari Hotels group in the Shimba Hills National Reserve.

Aberdare Safari Hotels have embarked on an initiative dubbed “Return the Bush” in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service. The initiative involves the rehabilitation of 125 Ha of Aberdare National park that has been degraded by the toll the fenced-in Elephant population has exerted on the ecosystem. The electric fencing for the paddock covering an area of 16.5 Ha around the lodge was completed. The paddocking enables reforestation as well as the natural regeneration of the local flora within the paddock.

 

Ice Hotel, Sweden

Ice Hotel, Sweden

              The world's first ice hotel,  is in the village of Jukkasjarvi in Swedish Lapland. Each year, 10,000 tons of crystal-clear ice from the nearby Torne river and 30,000 tons of snow are used to build the hotel from scratch. With temperatures hovering between -4C and -9C, guests can snuggle under custom-made sleeping bags and reindeer skins on their ice beds while a pre-breakfast sauna and glass of hot lingonberry juice gets the circulation going in the morning. Guests can take a snowmobile tour and moose safaris, prop up the Absolut ice bar or watch performances and concerts in an open-air venue inspired by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. For those who can't brave the freezing temperatures, the hotel also offers the more comfortable wooden Aurora chalets.

  

About ICE HOTEL

                  What is ICE HOTEL? A hotel built of ice and snow. The first and the largest in the world, someone might add. But we have more thrilling stories to tell. Lean closer to your computer screen and we'll whisper them in your ear.

                  Like most companies, the ICE HOTEL have a history and a business concept. The ideas of building the hotel originate from the place Jukkasjärvi. The river Torne that flows, the cold arctic climate, The Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun.

                  Every season allow the hotel to get inspired by the river, whether it is crystal clear ice, rapids shooting on a riverboat or a magnificent, recently caught grayling.

                  This is what the hotel have promised to offer the rest of the world; with Jukkasjärvi and Torne River as a starting point, develop and offer sensuous, inspiring and unique experiences within art, nature, accommodation and gastronomy. That reflects all seasons of the year.

                  So it is not a only a hotel build each winter, it is an ephemeral art project. And it is not a menu create for every season, it cultivate the many flavours of Swedish Lapland.

                 Each year, the hotel attract visitors from all over the world to a little village in Lapland, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Many of them were take further north, explore the high mountains, all the way to the northern Norway to visit the fjords.

                 Others encounter the hotel and the Torne River ice in world cities such as London and Tokyo, or at a trade fair in Chicago or Barcelona. See, the river is not only the most well-traveled one - it is also famous all over the world.  

How it all started

                 If you can build a hotel of snow and ice in a village 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, which strikes the world with amazement - nothing is impossible.  Listen to Yngve Bergqvist, the founder of ICE HOTEL, tell his story.

                I started working for the company in the 1970’s. It all began under the direction of the local folklore society. Love and the close vicinity to nature and the clean water is what made me stay in Jukkasjärvi.

                In the 1980’s the local folklore society started a joint-stock company. This company however was later owned by “Kaamos” – a group of employees that were intent on tourism in Jukkasjärvi. We’re still here.
                The summer was a fortunate tourist season throughout the 1980’s and in the beginning of the 1990’s. Our most popular product was white water rafting, at the same time we developed other products such as survival training, fishing and canoeing. Everybody visited Jukkasjärvi - conference groups, leisure travelers and guests flying up for one night just to see the midnight sun. But we had no guest wintertime.

The ones that we tried to lure up here defended themselves by saying - What’s there for us to do in all that cold and darkness? We might come for the summer when it’s warm and we get to see the midnight sun. Only our own tracks could be spotted in the snow.

                In 1989 I sat out on a journey to frostbitten destinations, to see how they succeeded to attract guests. I went to Japan, among other places, and visited the town of Sapporo during their annual snow and ice festival. And I established the fact that we had the entire Torne River full of ice, but not using it.

In November 1989 we arranged the first ice seminar together with the society for snow and ice sculptors in Kiruna. It was a two week course in Jukkasjärvi. I invited two Japanese chefs and ice artists to teach us the craft of working in ice. We built the first snow building the year after, in February – a 60 square meter arched building where we hosted an art exhibition.
                 The first guests stayed overnight in 1992 and the story goes: One of my clients wanted to visit us with his company. But our lodging had run out of availability that particular week. I solved the problem by suggesting that they would overnight in the snow house.
                 We arranged sleeping bags and held survival training with detailed instructions before the guests headed for their lodging. Some staff members worried about how the guests would handle toilet visits and feel about the comfort of the room – everyone was in the same room.
                  The following morning we anxiously awaited the guests’ reactions. After a morning sauna and breakfast we handed out diplomas as proof of that the guests had survived a night in -5 C. They were fascinated by the experience and their faces lit up with joy. That’s how ICEHOTEL came about.
                 There are still many things left to do - most is undone and many exciting challenges are waiting. We will dig where we stand.

Yngve Bergqvist, CEO and founder of ICEHOTEL. Photo by Fredric Alm.

Restaurants at ICE HOTEL

At ICE HOTEL you'll find two different restaurants. ICE HOTEL Resturant has a modern Scandinavian style and the Old Homestead Restaurant is a charming, historical log building. We also recommend staying over at one of our wilderness camps, which are fully equipped to serve delicious meals.

ICE HOTEL Restaurant offers a gastronomic adventure and a high-end a la carte menu in a bright and modern atmosphere. The cuisine of ICEHOTEL Restaurant has been featured in gourmet magazines around the world and has been awarded the prestigious Werner Vögeli Statuette. In October 2007, the Nordic Council of Ministers awarded ICEHOTEL the honorary New Nordic Food diploma.

Opening hours winter
Breakfast 7-10 am.
Lunch 11.30 am-2 pm.
Dinner 6 pm and 9 pm.

Overlooking the Torne River, you'll find the authentic, charming Old Homestead Restaurant. In this timber building, built in 1768, you can enjoy a rustic á la carte menu during winter at 6 PM and 9 PM. A popular hang-out in summertime where guests gather on the veranda, have a cold beer and watch the river flow by.

Opening hours winter
Dinner buffet 6 pm and 9 pm.

The dress code at our restaurants is casual but well-dressed. You don't have to wear your fanciest frock, but we prefer you don't dine in your outerwear, snow boots or long-johns.

Bar and lounge

When you feel the cold nip your cheeks, it might be nice to peal off the winter overall and get yourself a cup of steaming coffee or a glass of full-bodied red wine. 

In ABSOLUT ICEBAR JUKKASJÄRVI your can mingle with the other guests into the small hours and sip on colorful ice drinks. The bar opens at 1 PM every day and stays open until 1 AM, all winter.

There are also warmer options available. In the lounge you can relax, have a drink and chat with the other guests. Or why not just curl up in a comfortable couch with a good book? The lounge is open between 11 AM and 1 AM and serves sandwiches, coffee drinks, wine and beer.

The dressing room, a warm buildning connected to ICEHOTEL where you store you clothes when staying the night in the cold accommodation, is also pleasent to sit down and take a break. Next to the crackling fire, perhaps?

Bars and lounge are only open during winter, but there is a bar in ICEHOTEL Restaurant that is open during every day during summer season until 10 pm.

Art & Design

The dropping of the temperature to several degrees below zero in Jukkasjärvi marks the start of an ephemeral art endeavour.

Using only frozen water form the Torne River, artists from all over the world gather in this small Swedish village, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, to create an exclusive art exhibition: ICE HOTEL.

The art is created with imagination and hard work, only to melt away under the unforgiving rays of the sun come springtime. All that remains are our impressions, our memories - and photographs.

ICE HOTEL Shop

Quality of life is empowered by the wonders of nature. We want quality to be an integral part in the products we have to offer in our ICEHOTEL shop in Jukkasjärvi.

We offer a selection of products for sale online from our shop.

ICE HOTEL Collection

Specially designed products for ICEHOTEL. 

	Iceglass Inspired by the ice glasses where chilled drinks in ICEBAR are served, ICEHOTEL Artistic Director Arne Bergh & ICEHOTEL Architect Åke Larsson replicated their design in glass. Material: Glass Weight: 0,8 kg Price: 270 SEK each, including VAT, excluding freight.
	Iceglass candle lantern Design by Arne Bergh & Åke Larsson Material: Glass Weight: 0,8 kg Price: 325 SEK each, including VAT, excluding freight.
	ICEHOTEL candle lantern Made by Nybro Glasbruk Design by Tord Kjellström Material: Glass Weight: 1 kg Size: 14x12 cm Price: 295 SEK each, including VAT, excluding freight.

Clothes and backpacks

Functional clothes for a cold climate. When visiting us, remember to dress warm.Functional clothes and practical backpacks in a light material.

	Microfleece set ICEHOTEL Material: 100% polyester microfleece Weight: 180 gr/m2 Color: black Sizes: XXXS–XXXXL Price: SEK 369 excl. freight
	Woolsocks Material: 80% wool, 15% polyamid, 5 elastan. Color: gray Sizes: 37–48 Price: SEK 85 excl. freight
	Fleece cap Material: 100 % polyester fleece Color: black or white Sizes: 57, 61 Price: 99 SEK excl. freight
	Backpack 25 liters Material: softnylon 600D Color: gray/svart Size: 25 liter Price: SEK 230 excl. freight
	Backpack 45 liters Material: softnylon 600D Color: gray/svart Size: 45 liter Price: SEK 330 excl. freight

Ice Hotel, Sweden

Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic

Nicholas James Vujicic was born on 4^th December 1982. Nick Vujicic was born in Brisbane, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and legless but with two small feet, one of which has two toes. Initially, his parents were devastated. Nick was otherwise healthy.

            His life was filled with difficulties and hardships. He was being prohibited by Victoria state law from attending a mainstream school because of his physical disability, even though he was not mentally impaired. During his schooling, the laws were changed, and Nick was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a mainstream school. He learned to write using the two toes on his left foot, and a special device that slid onto his big toe which he uses to grip. He also learned to use a computer and type using the "heel and toe" method, throw tennis balls, play drum pedals, comb his hair, brush his teeth, answer the phone, shave and get himself a glass of water.

            Being bullied at his school, Nick grew extremely depressed, and by the age of 8, started contemplating suicide. At age 10, he tried to drown himself in 4 inches of water, but did not go through with it out of love for his parents. A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability. This led him to realize he wasn't the only one with major struggles. As time went by Nick began to embrace his situation and achieve greater things. He started to give talks at his prayer group, and eventually started his non-profit-organization, Life Without Limbs. In 2005 Nick was nominated for the "Young Australian of the Year" Award.

              

                 Nick graduated from university at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on the topics that today's teenagers face. His aim is to become an international inspirational speaker, in both Christian and non-Christian venues. He regularly travels internationally to speak to Christian congregations, schools, and corporate meetings. Nick promotes his work through television shows as well as by writing.

This man has the encouragement in life like many people today don't. He never gives up. I am truely humbling to know such an amazing person spends his time helping to inspire others. My courage and determination grows when I hear his inspirational stories. I am so glad to see him spreading his words of hope and encouraging people.