Pod hotels are not a new phenomenon. They have been around for many years, but most travelers have never heard of them. They had their beginnings in Japan as ?capsule hotels?, that were, and are still being used mainly by businessmen on stopovers. However, pod hotels are becoming more and more popular with vacation travelers as well, because they are convenient and cost less than regular hotels.

The pod hotel concept is just in its infancy in the U.S. and Europe, but is growing by leaps and bounds as more and more travelers demand this unique service. Entrepreneurs are responding by creating very small, pod-like hotel rooms that are usually rented by the hour, or number of hours.

Most of the pod hotel rooms are small in size, but comfortable and convenient, and they usually have all the amenities of a regular hotel room at a fraction of the cost. They can be a great choice for budget-conscious travelers and vacationers.

Some pod hotels are situated in airports such as the ones at Yotel.com, located in London, England's Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

EasyHotels.com have pod hotels in London, Zurich, Budapest, and Basal, GBIHotels.com have pod hotels located in Antwerp and Amsterdam. A New York City pod hotel is called the PickwickArms.com