China has followed Japan into the capsule hotel market, with travellers to Shanghai to be offered the chance to spend the night from just 68 yuan ($10).

Ahead of the Spring Festival holiday - when hundreds of millions of people crisscross the country to celebrate Lunar New Year with their families – the 68 room property has opened adjacent to Shanghai Railway Station.

The move comes at a time of rapidly increasing leisure travel in the country.

The hotel imported the miniature hotel rooms from Japan, where the concept originated. Each is complete with a power point, clock, light, television and wireless internet.

Prices start at 68 yuan ($10) for ten hours or 88 yuan for 24 hours.

Hotel owner Ta Zan explained: “This is a huge bargain compared with other budget hotels in Shanghai.”

The property is believed to be the first in China built to international standards and is just 300-metres square.

Each of the capsules is 1.1-meters high, 1.1-meters wide and 2.2-meters long.

The hotel also has a public lavatory, shower room, smoking room and shared guest room.

China’s booming tourism industry was expected to host 2.1 billion domestic and international travellers in 2010, an increase of 12 percent over the previous year, according to previous industry estimates.

The hotel is for men only.

Shanghai is one of the most popular destinations in China

City.Mobi

Also in Asia today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new city guide to Shanghai. 

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, London.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Shanghai.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.