‍‍A good friend of mine, who runs several hotels, once shared that he always tries to stay in hostels to gather inspiration.

About eight years ago, I decided to follow his advice, and just recently, I visited the '9 Hours' capsule hotel in Tokyo.

‍It was, without a doubt, the best hostel experience I’ve ever had.

Three things stood out for me:

1. 🤳 QR codes for lockers – cheaper, more reliable (no more trips to the front desk to reset cards!), flexible and safer (your RFID card can be hacked by anyone in a minute)
   
2. ↪️ Minimalist visual navigation – simple signs made it easy to get around without interfering with the sleek design.
   
3. 👣 Free slippers – if a $30-a-night capsule hotel can offer them, any hotel can (I’ve only seen this in upscale 4-5* hotels before).

Trips like these remind me how even the smallest details can spark big ideas. Simple, thoughtful touches make a huge difference in guest experience and can easily be applied in any hotel setting.

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