Open now at a cinema near you: Lunchtime naps

Patrons who want a quick meal and shut-eye get just the ticket at Golden Village in Suntec

Recliners at Golden Village Suntec City Gold Class that patrons will sleep in. PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE

It may not be showing The Big Sleep, or even West Side Snore-y, but the Golden Village cinema in Suntec City is opening its doors for lunchtime patrons to go and have a snooze.

For $12, they can have a 90-minute nap on a signature GV Suntec City Gold Class recliner, a meal from the Gold Class menu and a sleep mask, along with discount vouchers. The promotion is available only on weekdays and movies will not be screened.

The cinema chain introduced the Executive Zen Zone sleep time promotion because it found many executives in the area wanted to grab a power nap during their lunch break but did not know where to go.

Since the promotion began on Thursday last week, the cinema's halls have been about two-thirds full.

Laboratory technician Nur Zahfirah Jamaldin, 24, is considering giving it a try. "It's really worth it because it comes with a meal and they have really nice seats," she said.

The idea of opening up cinema spaces during slow periods of the week is not new. Although rival chains Shaw and Cathay do not offer similar services, some cinema chains here have opened up their halls for corporate bookings for events and private screenings.

Meanwhile, there are at least three shops in the Central Business District offering power nap services.

Chop! Chop! Massage Express is a massage parlour at Chevron House that has branched out into offering nap services, complete with a bed. It charges $20 for a 30- minute afternoon nap session.

Virgin Active gym has sleep pods for its members to rest in after gym sessions. Game company Garena and tech giant Google also have nap pods for their employees in their Singapore offices.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 16, 2016, with the headline Open now at a cinema near you: Lunchtime naps. Subscribe