5m 32s: Lenght

(17 Apr 2016) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4030483 LEAD IN: Tokyo's hotel scene is dominated by high-end luxury or reasonably-priced business hotels, usually offering minimal service and small rooms. Now, a recently-opened hotel - named 'Book and Bed' - is trying to change all that by offering a unique and novel way to spend a night away from home. STORY-LINE: At Book and Bed hotel, it's not just the bed visitors can enjoy during their stay, it's a good read too. This recently-opened hotel is trying to stand out in the crowd not by the amenities it offers, but through the experience it provides. That's by offering this selection of almost 2,000 books which guests can enjoy browsing and reading at their leisure. "Our concept is not to try to differentiate ourselves from other hotels through the amenities we offer," says Book and Bed owner, Kei Asai. "Rather, what's special about our hotel is how guests can spend their time getting all the way up to when they fall asleep. In our case, what we offer is the possibility to fall asleep while enjoying reading a book. That's the kind of environment we wanted to create here." The actual sleeping quarters are like capsules found in other capsule-style hotels in Tokyo. The only difference is half of the 30 capsules available here are actually located behind the long bookshelf itself. Guests climb into their sleeping quarters through small openings between the shelves. If they're not after privacy, guests can also relax in this large common area, mainly furnished with sofas and other basic amenities. Kei Asai says most guests don't use the hotel like a library. They chat, eat, relax and hang out. "All our customers really enjoy the atmosphere they find here," he says. "Considering that most people come here for the first time, they really make great use of what we have to offer. They don't spend their time nervously and quietly as if they were in a library. Rather they chat amongst each other, eat and so on. It works really well." Kei Asai says guests are mainly tourists - both foreign and domestic - but also locals keen to come and enjoy the experience. The ratio of guests is 60 percent men to 40 percent women. Accommodation ranges from JPY3,500 ($30 USD) to JPY4,500 ($39 USD) depending on the size of the capsule. Around 70 percent of guests are in their 20s and 30s. "We have three main types of customers. We have lots of foreign tourists, domestic travellers, and then we have local residents who come and enjoy this space," says Kei Asai. "I have to say though, that we've had many more locals come and stay with us, than we could have ever expected. That was a pleasant surprise." Around 20 percent of books available are in English, but Book and Bed plan to offer other languages in the near future. "It's nice to see how, for example, foreigners who stay here end up leaving their guidebooks, and then other guests can make use of them," says Kei Asai. "That's one of the things that has worked really well. This kind of continuity." The hotel has 30 capsules, all on one floor. Since opening, the hotel reached an occupancy rate of 100 percent. So much so, they decided to introduce a waiting list for staying here. Social media seems to have played a role in the hotel's successful marketing. Guest, Yayoi Nango says she often uses social media to research interesting hotels. She chose Book and Bed because of posts she'd seen online. "I didn't expect there to be this many books. Also, I was worried the accommodation might feel small, but it actually feels like a room, so I'm enjoying my stay here," she says. First time visitor, Yuki Ideo says she saw pictures of the hotel on picture-sharing social network Instagram. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/810e91b93da1869c78f768be53dd06ac Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork