London Evening Standard/London

 

 

A woman tries out the new Podtime sleeping pods for tired city workers at Canary Wharf
Party-loving bankers have been known to sleep on the floors of loos, offices and even lifts after a heavy night out. Now a former City worker claims to have come up with the perfect solution for revellers in need of a nap.

For the first time, tired staff at Canary Wharf will be able to hire a “pod” where they can recharge after the previous night’s excesses. The cylindrical spaces, just over two metres long and a little more than one metre in diameter, contain a mattress, pillow and clock. Users of the service, called Podtime, must abide by house rules.

Anyone who does not wake up in time can expect a polite tap on the door. Only one person at a time is allowed in each pod and mobile phones are banned. Snoozers can remove their coat and shoes but not any other clothing.

Pods will open between 8.30am and 6pm and cost £5.99 to hire for 30 minutes, or £9.99 for an hour, on Floor 33 of the Citigroup building. Jon Gray, 29, came up with the idea during his time at Merrill Lynch, where he worked in project management, after noticing there was nowhere for bankers to recover from a night out.

He said: “We’ve had lots of excellent feedback from people. It’s something that’s been a bit unspoken in the City until now. If people need a recharge then you do find people sleeping under desks or in toilets. I am expecting a lot of Essex boys who are hungover.

“While there are health benefits for energy and working capacity, let’s face it, in the City people work hard and play hard so I’m expecting to get a lot of young people who have been out the night before.”

The former engineering student from Battersea gave up his job two weeks ago to set up the service and build six wooden pods. He added: “I always wanted to run my own business, and it was working in the City that made me come up with the idea.”

He hopes to expand to other sites around Canary Wharf and the Square Mile, and said he had received an enquiry from RBS about opening in their headquarters. Last week the Evening Standard reported how seven traders and brokers slept in a Canary Wharf lift after it broke down between floors. The men had spent the evening eating and drinking at Japanese restaurant Roka.

Gray’s business is the latest in the capital to be inspired by Japanese capsule hotels. One is set to open at Piccadilly Circus next year. The Trocadero is building 495 pod bedrooms across seven floors. Rates are expected to be between £20 and £40 a night.