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Eng
23 Jan 2020

Monotel: space hotel

Instead of standard rooms - "space" capsules. Instead of cabinets - lockers that open with a fingerprint. Technology, environmental friendliness and silent service are the foundation of everything. This is the new format for Ukraine's futuristic capsule hotel Monotel, which opened in early October in Kyiv.

The Capsule Hotel is an institution with small dormitories that has everything you need to relax: a comfortable berth, a TV, a USB port for charging mobile devices, and more. It was invented by Japanese architect Kisho Kurakawa. Its first brainchild opened on February 1, 1979 in Osaka, and was intended to provide a place to stay for the hard-working hard-working people. 40 years later, in February 2019, in a tandem of two charming women - Anna Osypenko and Ksenia Chigarkina - the idea was born to open the first futuristic hotel in Ukraine with capsules that look like astronauts' sleeping places. And in early October, at the Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, not far from Bessarabka, such an institution called Monotel received its first clients.

Dynamic Birth

"It took only 8 months from the idea to create the first hotel," says Monotel founder Anna Osypenko. - In February 2019 we met with my partner Ksenia Chigarkina to discuss a future project. And already in October our capsule hotel near Bessarabka started operating and was half ready to start the second institution with coworking area and capsules on the street. Bohdan Khmelnytsky. The plans - to open in the capital and the third, near the metro "Golden Gate". There will be 25 seats."

The first Monotel, built on an area of 150 m2, has three zones: for men, women and couples. Each zone is divided into units, which have 2 capsules - upper and lower tier. In the "male" zone there are 6 units (12 places), in the "female" zone - 5 units (10 places), in the "steam room" - 4 double capsules. The hotel has 30 seats in total. There is also a shower and a kitchen where you can cook or snack.

Conceptual

Anna calls her institution a place where people get some experience and impressions. “Our project was not intended as a standard hotel or hostel. Monotel is a community of people who share the same values: they care about their own comfort, make good use of money, planet resources and space. We give them the opportunity to make new experiences - in technology capsules they can feel like real astronauts. We also offer silent service - keeping quiet is rule # 1. Guests can lock themselves in their capsules and work, watch in headphones, or relax, ”explains Anna Osypenko.

“The Monotel concept is based on the principle of prudence: meeting its basic needs without undue luxury, economical use of space, natural resources and more. For example: we sort garbage, some doors we have from recyclables. These moments are also important for our guests, ”- said the interlocutor.

There is also a Monoshop where you can buy everything from an adapter and a selfie stick to a silicone water bottle and umbrella.

From the door to the capsule

Today, a seat at Monotel can be booked at any online booking site. The capsule is booked just like the hotel room. There are several tariffs: renting a single capsule without breakfast - 600 UAH on weekdays and 750 UAH on weekends, in a steam capsule this option will cost respectively 1000 UAH and 1300 UAH. A breakfast option at one of Dima Borisov's restaurants - Lyubchik or Chicken Kiev - will cost UAH 150 per person.

While entering the hotel, everyone gets shoe covers: to keep clean, Monotel is not allowed to move without them. After registration, they go to the locker area, where there are cabinets, safes, which can store things. There are also large cabinets for oversized suitcases. They are opened at the fingerprint of the owner, so you can not worry about security.

Each guest receives a set of guests during check-in: removable disposable shoes, pajamas (they are cleaned in a dry cleaner), two towels - a bath and a small one for the face, as well as headphones that you can use to watch TV, a movie on the Internet and more. The guests are then escorted to their capsules. They are opened by an individual card, which is programmed specifically for the client. This card is in one copy, so no one other than its owner has access to the "place of residence". All capsules are equipped with USB charging, light, TV, mirror and also have a ventilation mode. They are not allowed to eat, drink or make noise.

Financial issue

“We built the first hotel at our own expense. The biggest expense item is equipment purchase and repair. The average cost of investments is 1300-1500 dollars per square meter. The very room where Monotel is located is for rent. The second institution is being built with the involvement of private investors. It is nice that capsule hotels are of great interest to investors. And not only from Ukraine. We are currently preparing a franchise package. In this way, we plan to open establishments in Odessa, Lviv, work on the perspective of Kharkiv and Dnieper. We already have 15 franchise applications. The following hotels will work on a different model: we will buy capsules and lease the premises - shares Anna Osypenko's plans. - Our second institution will be co-working and will operate 24/7. There you can rent an office for a long period and capsules for rest employees. We also focus on business travel services: guests who come to work on business will be able to use the business desk. We plan several tariffs - for 12, 24 and 36 hours. At this time, guests will have access to all hotel services. In six months we want to open a small bar."

The owners are optimistic about the profitability of the business: the plans are to return the investment and go “plus” in 2.5-3 years. Anna explains: “The service business is not high-margin. There is very high competition here. Although we are unique among capsule hotels in Ukraine, there are many establishments that offer interesting impressions. Monotel is currently new to our country. We are just shaping this business niche.”

The main item of profit - renting capsules. But there is another business line in the company - selling baby capsules. They come in different modifications: single - 2.20 x 1.50 x 1 m. You can sit comfortably there. There are also double bikes, which are 1.8 m long. TV, internet, etc. can be installed in the capsules. This is a good solution for creating separate children's "rooms" in small apartments.

All capsules are imported from China, where two factories are operating.

Customers

“Our target audience is the Y / Z generation under 27. These are innovative people who love to travel and learn from new experiences. It is important for them to be involved in a particular culture. These are mostly introverts. For the most part, our guests are representatives of the IT or technology sectors, ”says Anna Osypenko, Monotel customer porter.

Although the hotel has only been in operation since October, visitors from Belarus, Israel, Turkey, Canada and the USA have managed to visit it. There are also permanent residents. “We currently have a client who has been living for two weeks. Previously, the employer rented her a corporate apartment. But she was too big for her, and the girl used only the bedroom and the bathroom. So she decided to try Monotel. It will stay here for two more weeks. Then he will take a short break, and then plans to visit our new hotel in Khmelnytskyi - to live in a capsule and work in coworking, ”- said the interlocutor.

Pitfalls

“As Monotel is a futuristic project and capsules are a high-tech product, there were some difficulties with the architectural and design parts when setting up the hotel. So we decided not to rush this in the next projects. Another nuance is the supply of capsules. We bring them from China, so they must take into account the difference in culture, approaches to certain issues, etc. In addition, the capsule must be serviced. This is a new product, so we need to train our own technical staff who are close by and able to quickly resolve any technical issues. After all, a broken capsule is minus one number and revenue. And, of course, the human factor: how many customers are as many as thoughts, ”Anna explains.

Personnel

Much of the success of any service business depends on the staff. According to the founder of Monotel, interest in working in a hotel on the market is considerable. Therefore, the management was able to find people who share the brand values and can cope well with the dynamic pace of work.

Tips from Anna Osypenko for those who want to open a capsule hotel:
- Forget about fear
- Ask yourself if you are really ready for the risk. It takes a lot of courage to do something new in our country
- Be prepared to make a lot of effort to make the capsule the product the market needs