SAN FRANCISCO – A Bay Area startup bus company believes it has found a way to compete with planes, trains and automobiles by offering overnight trips on coaches equipped with beds.
They actually are more like pods – tiny cubicles with a firm solo mattress, a hypoallergenic comforter and a thick gray curtain you can draw for privacy.
The idea is to allow travelers to get a good night’s sleep and arrive at their destination rested.
The company, Cabin, describes itself as “the first hospitality transportation company on a mission to make the most of every waking and sleeping moment.”
It secured $3.3 million in seed financing and launched a “moving hotel” in June, offering service on double-decker buses between San Francisco and Los Angeles for $115 each way. It plans to expand to other areas of the country.
“Cabin’s one-of-a-kind overnight travel experience enables people to reclaim their time while saving money by consolidating both transportation and accommodation into one simple and delightful experience,” the company said in a press release.
“Cabin addresses Americas ‘500-mile problem,’ in which regional travel up to 500 miles from home requires sacrificing an entire day. By consolidating both transportation and accommodation into one simple and delightful experience, Cabin’s one-of-a-kind moving hotel experience enables people to travel without travel time.”
Initially run as a pilot called SleepBus in early 2016, Cabin sold out of tickets in three days and amassed a waitlist of more than 20,000 people seeking to be “teleported” to regional destinations up to 500 miles from home.
“By eliminating the travel time from traveling, Cabin is giving people the freedom to get where they need to be, without having to spend their precious time in transit,” said Tom Currier, CEO and co-founder of Cabin.
Currier said the company’s emphasis on providing passengers with a good night’s sleep separates Cabin from other forms of transportation.
He said the company targets a growing number of people who would rather avoid driving and find flying too expensive and crowded.
“We’re taking these 300-500 mile trips and turning them into an experience where you’re basically checking into a hotel in one city and then checking out of a hotel in another city,” Currier said. “And when you combine our service with Uber and Lyft in our destination cities, you’re replacing the need for having a car entirely.”
Here’s how Cabin works:
- Guests check into their private cabin at 11 p.m. while the bus is stationary at the designated point of departure.
- During travel, guests have access to their private cabin as well as a bathroom and communal lounge, while enjoying Wi-Fi and “luxurious, sleep-inducing amenities.”
- A certified attendant is onboard for the duration of the journey to assist all guests.
- Guests check out rested and refreshed in their arrival city at 7 a.m.
Several companies contributed to Cabin’s startup funding, led by Founders Fund’s FF Angel with participation from SV Angel, Floodgate, Box Group, Brainchild Holdings, Justin Rosenstein, StartX, FJ Labs, and 1517 Fund.
“Cabin will turn costly and draining regional trips into affordable, comfortable, enjoyable experiences,” said Luke Nosek, Partner at Founders Fund. “We’re excited to support Cabin as it re-imagines the future of transportation.”
