Mérida Gets Its First Super-Cheap Capsule Hotel

Mérida now has a place to stay that skips the usual hotel room altogether.

Kapsul Express bills itself as the only capsule hotel in Mérida. Instead of a standard room, guests book a private sleeping pod, a format that started in Japan decades ago and has slowly made its way into a few Mexican cities.

According to the hotel’s own promotional materials, rates start at $399 pesos, or about $20, per night. That price point puts it well below most hostels and budget hotels in the historic center, where a private room often runs two or three times as much.

Each capsule comes with air conditioning, a bed, and a locker for personal items. Breakfast is included with the stay, based on the hotel’s marketing, though the specific menu isn’t listed. Bathrooms are shared.

Guest reviews on booking sites describe the capsules as compact but private, with sliding doors, personal lighting, and outlets with USB ports. Some reviewers have noted that not all capsules take credit cards, so cash may be needed at check-in.

The concept isn’t brand new to Mexico, but it has mostly stuck to airports and the country’s biggest cities. Mexico City got its first capsule hotel in 2017, when a company called Izzzleep opened one inside the capital’s international airport for travelers who wanted a shower and a few hours of sleep between flights rather than a full night nearby. That business has since added a second location, and similar setups have opened in Mexico City’s downtown and in Cancún.

Kapsul Express takes that same idea and drops it into a residential and commercial stretch of Mérida, far from any airport terminal. The bet is that budget travelers, students, and workers passing through the city will take a smaller space in exchange for a lower price.

That’s a different pitch than most of what’s opened in Mérida over the past few years. The city has added a steady stream of small boutique hotels built around restored colonial buildings, aimed at travelers looking for an intimate stay rather than a bargain. Kapsul Express goes the other direction, cutting a night’s stay down to its basics.

It’s too early to say whether the format will spread beyond this one property. But with more flights and bus routes serving Mérida each year, a cheap, no-frills option could find its own audience alongside the boutique hotels getting most of the attention.

In brief

• Address: Calle 59 626 por 78 y 80, Col. Centro, Mérida
• Rates: From $399 pesos (about $20) per night, per the hotel’s promotions
• Includes: Breakfast, air conditioning, locker, shared bathrooms
• Distance: About 15 minutes from Las Américas, per the hotel; exact location unconfirmed
• Payment: Cash recommended; card acceptance varies
• Contact: +52 999-150-8543