Burning the Midnight Oil at $300 an Hour
It’s 3 AM in Singapore. While the city sleeps, a few professionals are wide awake in Suntec City’s futuristic “Zoom Rooms” – soundproof pods no bigger than a walk-in closet – paying $300 an hour for the privilege. Yes, you read that right: three hundred dollars per hour to rent a tiny office. And yet, most nights these pods are booked solid. Why? Because when it’s 3 AM here, it’s lunchtime in New York and the start of the workday in San Francisco. For stock traders, startup founders, and lawyers chasing deals, this is prime time to connect with colleagues and clients half a world away.
Despite the eye-popping price, demand is strong. Suntec City has just four Zoom Rooms, and they’re often reserved through the midnight-to-dawn window. One finance trader jokes that it’s like “surge pricing for office space” – expensive, but sometimes necessary. After all, waking your family or dealing with spotty home Wi-Fi is not an option when a big overseas deal is on the line.
High-Tech Hubs with Smart Pricing
Each Zoom Room is more than just a tiny office. Outfitted with high-speed internet, top-notch video conferencing gear, and an ergonomic chair, the pod has just enough desk space for a laptop. The soundproofing is so effective that someone could be belting out a celebratory cheer inside and nobody outside would hear a peep.
The pricing isn’t fixed – it fluctuates with demand. A smart booking algorithm adjusts the rate in real time. During regular hours the rooms cost much less, making them accessible for anyone needing a quick private call. But late at night, when every pod is occupied by a night owl, the rate hits the $300/hour peak. It’s the classic supply-and-demand story, and so far customers are willing to pay a premium for privacy and convenience.
Who Are the 3AM Users?
Finance traders: The most frequent late-night customers are stock and crypto traders who slip into the pods around midnight, just as U.S. markets open. For them, these pods serve as personal war rooms for playing the U.S. markets after hours. One trader shrugs off the steep fee, noting that one good trade can cover the cost of a night’s rental. At least he’s not yelling at his computer at home and waking the neighbors.
Biotech entrepreneurs: It’s not just finance folks burning the midnight oil. A biotech startup founder uses a pod for late-night meetings with her Boston-based team. With a 12-hour time difference, her “morning” meeting happens at 11 PM local time. “My team thinks I live in the office,” she says with a laugh. “Little do they know it’s literally a tiny pod in a mall.” The quiet, private space helps her focus during high-stakes discussions across time zones.
Lawyers and dealmakers: Corporate lawyers and investment bankers are also part of this after-hours club. It’s not unusual to find a bleary-eyed lawyer in a suit finalizing a cross-border deal via Zoom at 2 AM. One lawyer even closed a multi-million-dollar merger at 3:00 AM from inside a pod. He emerged exhausted but ecstatic.
Perks, Quirks, and Future Plans
At $300 an hour, users expect some perks. There’s free coffee, tea, and snacks nearby to keep these late-night warriors fueled. Even the climate control and lighting can be tuned to keep occupants comfortable yet alert.
The company behind the Zoom Rooms isn’t sitting still. Given the strong demand, they’re considering a membership plan – essentially a monthly subscription with discounted hours for frequent users. That could appeal to trading firms or law offices that rely on these pods. There’s also talk of adding more pods soon, so there’s less of a scramble at midnight to snag one.
In a city known for its “kiasu” (“fear of missing out”) culture, perhaps it’s no surprise that even office space can become a hot commodity after dark. Suntec City’s Zoom Rooms have turned working at ungodly hours into a first-class experience – at a first-class price. It’s a solution born of modern necessity: when duty calls (sometimes at 3 AM), you answer – preferably from a comfy chair in a silent pod, with a strong cup of kopi-o by your side.