This Tiny Hotel Room Is Smaller Than a Prison Cell

Stylish, compact capsule hotels are on the rise. But one hotel in London is making even airplane seats look downright palatial.

The UK-based product testing website Which? recently went undercover at the budget Corbigoe Hotel in London and, to the Internet’s delight, tweeted about it.

The room in question was marketed as a “Single Room” priced at £55.00 (about $71) during the high season and £30.00 ($39) during the low season. According to Which?, the bedroom measured just 32 square feet, making it smaller than an actual prison cell. For reference, the American Correctional Association says prison cells must be a minimum of 70 square feet, with 35 square feet reserved for open floor space.

Which? was quick to point out in their report that this bedroom (filled wall to wall with a narrow bed and a single window that opens into the stairwell), is even less spacious than a standard parking space. Including the bathroom, which brings the total square footage to 53 square feet, the entire room is only about the size of Singapore's new 50-square-foot A380 first class suite.

Sure, you get what you pay for, and this hotel room — especially by London standards — is dirt cheap. And guests probably won't want to spend too much time in the hotel anyway, as the Corbigoe Hotel is located just south of the Westminster neighborhood (home to Big Ben and Buckingham Palace). For serious budget travelers, having a $39 hotel room with an en suite bathroom in the heart of London may be hard to beat: even if you can probably wash your hands while sitting on the toilet.

Fortunately, the hotel does offer other rooms, which are notably larger. Plus, all room rates include complimentary breakfast, and guests receive a discounted parking rate (another valuable amenity when you’re close to downtown). That way, if you need to stretch out, you can always do so in a parking spot.

And whether you enjoy your stay or not, “I slept in a hotel room smaller than a prison cell” is quite the party conversation icebreaker.

Photo courtesy of the Corbigoe Hotel.