TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Capsule hotel startup Bobobox has opened two new outlets—adding to its current 13 locations—in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, both located in the capital city’s Juanda Station and Yogya’s Mal Malioboro.

“The trend of capsule hotels will certainly grow in Indonesia,” said Bobobox CEO Indra Gunawan during Friday’s virtual press conference.

Indra mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the country’s economy. He predicted that during the economic recovery period travelers would still limit their spending on hotels. “Capsule hotels can be an alternative revenue,” said the Bobobox CEO.

He explained that the broadening of the pod’s market in Jakarta and Yogyakarta was driven by strategic decisions regarding the two major cities’ attraction in the eyes of tourists, which in the "new normal" phase prioritizes domestic tourists.

The Bobobox internal data recorded 90,000 users throughout 2019 prior to the pandemic and predicted that the current occupancy levels may reach pre-pandemic numbers. The firm’s leader, Antonius Bong, estimated occupancy rates could return to 80 percent in July and August.

Antonius revealed that pods were mainly attractive to two major markets: business travelers and millennials aged between 25 years old up to 40 years old.

Read: Hotel Occupancy Rate in West Java Starts to Climb

BRAM SETIAWAN