I wondered about this idea years ago, and it turns out they have them in Japan: Capsule Hotels. I say, bring them stateside to make traveling more affordable around here. Place them off of highways outside major cities so your wanderlust is not limited by your finances.

Capsules cost $25 a night in Japan, but if they were off of a US highway, they could be under $10 a night. They would also be very handy for me when me and the missus have a fight and I am kicked out of the house for the night.

Consideration: The hotel should strictly enforce the one person per capsule rule or they are going to have a lot of horny teenagers and cheap johns making a mess and lots of noise.

Example: Ausukusa Riverside Hotel. I came across this via Trendhunter.com.