A capsule at Zedwell Piccadilly Circus averages £42 a night. A Cocoon room at the same company’s Piccadilly Circus hotel averages £175. That is the whole case for capsule hotels in London in one comparison, from the same operator, in the same part of town: you are paying about a quarter of the price to give up a room.
Those averages are the operator’s own, calculated over six months and correct as of 13 April 2026. We read the current pages on 12 October 2026.
What you actually get
A Zedwell capsule is 1.2 square metres, which is about 13 square feet. It is a lockable sleeping space in natural oak with a sliding shutter, a Hypnos mattress, Egyptian cotton sheets, filtered air and free wi-fi. There are hooks for a small backpack, and the operator says plainly that the capsules are not built for large luggage.
Everything else is shared. The dormitories are shared, the showers are communal, and food has to be eaten in the common areas rather than in the dorm. A padlock, if you want to lock your capsule from the outside, costs £8 from a vending machine, or you can bring your own 38mm one.
The fees that close the gap
This is where a cheap night stops being cheap. At Leicester Place, early check-in costs £10 to £20, late checkout £20 to £30, and luggage storage £15 per piece, which the operator states is non-refundable.
Given the capsules cannot hold a suitcase, that £15 is not really optional for anyone arriving with luggage. A £42 capsule with a bag and a late checkout is closer to £87, which is about what you would pay for the Otherwander pod described below.
No under-18s
Zedwell’s capsule hotels are 18 and over. The Leicester Place page states that children under 18 are not allowed to stay. That rules capsules out as a budget option for families, which is the single most common reason people look them up.
The two Zedwell capsule sites
Piccadilly Circus is the big one, inside the landmark London Pavilion building, which the operator describes as holding 1,000 capsules. Leicester Place is the smaller one, at 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY, above the Prince Charles Cinema and a short walk from Leicester Square station, with 222 capsules.
One caution: Zedwell’s own hotel list page shows only the Piccadilly Circus capsule hotel, while Leicester Place has its own live page with booking and FAQs. Treat the individual property page as the current one.
The pod alternative
Otherwander Soho opened in 2026 at 92 Dean Street, an address confirmed on its own site, with 566 pods it calls nests, available at single or double occupancy. The hotel publishes nothing else: its website carries the address and a booking link and no rates, policies or room detail at all. Trade coverage gives the rate as about £70 a night. Each has upscale bedding, lighting and climate controls, blackout windows and built-in storage, with shared bathrooms the operator describes as spa quality, with rain showers.
The double occupancy option is the meaningful difference from a Zedwell capsule, which is a single sleeping space. For two people, a £70 pod beats two £42 capsules.
Which to pick
For one person, one night, travelling light, Zedwell Piccadilly Circus is the cheapest serious option in Zone 1. For two people, or anyone with a suitcase, the arithmetic moves to Otherwander or to an ordinary budget room, once storage and checkout fees are counted.
Capsule hotels in London
- Address
- Zedwell Capsule Hotel Leicester Place, 7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY. Zedwell Capsule Hotel Piccadilly Circus, in the London Pavilion. Otherwander Soho, 92 Dean Street
- Nearest
- Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus
- Hours
- Early check-in 10 to 20 pounds and late checkout 20 to 30 pounds at Zedwell Leicester Place
- Booking
- Direct with the operators. Zedwell offers up to 20 per cent off for free members and a best rate guarantee on direct bookings
- Price
- Zedwell capsules average 42 pounds a night against 175 for a Cocoon room at the same location, on operator averages correct at 13 April 2026. Otherwander Soho is reported at about 70 pounds a night. Luggage storage 15 pounds per piece, non-refundable. Padlocks 8 pounds
- Standing
- Zedwell runs two capsule hotels in the West End, with 1,000 capsules at Piccadilly Circus and 222 at Leicester Place, alongside Otherwander Soho with 566 pods at single or double occupancy
How to get in
Zedwell capsule hotels are 18 and over, and children under 18 are not allowed to stay. Capsules are 1.2 square metres and cannot hold large luggage, so storage is charged separately. Dormitories and showers are shared
Where to go next
Cheap eats and free things to do cover the rest of a budget trip.
Sea Containers and the Kimpton Fitzroy are at the other end of the scale.
Questions we get asked
How much is a capsule hotel in London?
Zedwell's capsules average £42 a night on the operator's own six month average, against £175 for a Cocoon room at the same Piccadilly Circus location. Otherwander Soho's pods are reported at about £70.
How big is a capsule at Zedwell?
1.2 square metres, about 13 square feet. It holds a Hypnos mattress, Egyptian cotton sheets, filtered air, a private lock and a sliding shutter, with hooks for a small backpack but no space for large luggage.
Can children stay in a London capsule hotel?
Not at Zedwell. Its capsule hotels are for guests aged 18 and over, and the Leicester Place page states that children under 18 are not allowed to stay.
Are there hidden costs at a capsule hotel?
There are extras that add up. At Zedwell Leicester Place, early check-in is £10 to £20, late checkout £20 to £30, and luggage storage £15 per piece and non-refundable. Since capsules cannot hold a suitcase, storage is effectively compulsory if you arrive with one.
Do capsule hotels have private bathrooms?
No. At Zedwell the dormitories and showers are shared, and food must be eaten in common areas. Otherwander Soho also has shared bathrooms, which it describes as spa quality with rain showers.
Can two people share a capsule?
Not at Zedwell, where a capsule is a single sleeping space. Otherwander Soho's pods are available at single or double occupancy, which makes them the better option for a couple.
Where are London's capsule hotels?
Zedwell has two in the West End: Piccadilly Circus, inside the London Pavilion with 1,000 capsules, and Leicester Place at 7 Leicester Place WC2H 7BY with 222. Otherwander Soho is at 92 Dean Street with 566 pods.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 454 in the guide.
Last checked 12 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
