A trailer is a non-motorized vehicle, designed and equipped to carry people, goods, and tow another vehicle. On the road, semi-trailers are more commonly used because of their versatility, and as a result, more and more old, broken, and unusable semi-trailers are being dumped into the environment. Good Spot has partnered with a Polish architectural firm - Znamy się - to buy old semi-trailers that were once used to transport food or goods that need to be frozen, and then turn them into hotel rooms for rent. Unlike large, bulky mobile homes, these small houses can be easily moved, much like a motorhome or Airstream (except without an engine), and not simply sitting still on four wheels.
Semi-trailer truck before renovation
Hotel car compartment after renovation
Roman Sokolowski, founder of Good Spot, said that each refrigerated semi-trailer costs about $80,000 to convert into hotel rooms. The project has been a huge success, with all the rooms booked this summer.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed my perception of this project," Sokolowski said. "This is truly a timeless creation."
There are some companies that also use containers and unused trailers to make houses, motels or hotels, but they have difficulty sourcing containers for conversion. Meanwhile, Good Spot has easy access to semi-trailers in Poland. According to a 2019 report, the country has a more developed road network than other modes of freight transport, and semi-trailers are among the most used vehicles.
Inside a Good Spot mobile hotel room
According to the company, the exterior design of these hotel rooms is inspired by the famous “silver bullet” Airstream – an American caravan brand with a distinctive shape with a “rounded corner” and polished aluminum body. But besides the flashy look and unique resort style, Good Spot’s use of semi-trailers has many other purposes.
Firstly, these semi-trailers were originally refrigerated vehicles, their outer shells were designed to be effectively insulated, capable of withstanding sub-freezing temperatures. In addition, utilizing old railcars also cut down on production time and costs, while building a sustainable, environmentally friendly hotel model.
The special heat-resistant shell of the refrigerated truck is kept intact.
...and converted into thermal hotel rooms
“Trailer manufacturers only create refrigerated semi-trailers for the sole purpose of transporting goods,” Mr. Sokolowski shared. “But we found another way to apply them in the tourism industry, instead of leaving the old trailers unused and wasting, we can now turn the process around and reuse them.”
And because hotel rooms are portable, they can accommodate the needs of a wide range of travelers as the region and season change, ensuring the company stays profitable.
The trailers may crush the lawns where they land, but other than that, the hotel rooms won’t have much of an environmental impact, Sokolowski said. The company’s research team is also working on a prototype trailer-hotel that uses solar power and rainwater harvesting, so the sustainable in-room facilities wouldn’t need to be hooked up to electricity or any conventional plumbing.
After the renovation, Good Spot classified the carriages into four different hotel models: single cabin, double cabin, low-cost standard cabin and disabled cabin.
The double cabin has two single beds or one double bed, and is also the smallest cabin, measuring only about 17 m.2compared to 33 m2of other compartments. Until now, the twin-bed model of the double compartment has been the most popular choice when choosing Good Spot, mostly young couples coming from big cities for experiential travel.
Unlike the double cabin, a standard cabin can accommodate up to about 6 people, suitable for families or groups of friends. To maximize space, this cabin has two folding beds in the living room, the bedroom has two single beds or a double bed. The single cabin can accommodate four people, with enough space for 2 beds. Finally, the disabled cabin can accommodate 5 people, also has two bedrooms and an additional folding bed.
Each compartment has a different number of bedrooms, but all include a bathroom, smart TV, wardrobe, air conditioning, kitchen area with full appliances such as refrigerator, stove, etc. In addition, the company also has a "restaurant" model that is also renovated from semi-trailers located in the same hotel area, as a common space serving all guests staying.
In the future, the company plans to resell the renovated apartments to private clients who want to experience both living and traveling. Currently, Good Spot has two locations in Poland, with plans to continue expanding. A night's stay at this unique hotel costs between $50 and $150, depending on the location and room type.
"We know this model is working, and many people see it as a potential replacement for fixed hotels," said Mr. Sokolowski. "Developed countries with a mobile travel trend like the US are really the perfect market for this model. But we don't think Good Spot-style hotels will completely dominate traditional hotels."
“Mobile hotels and traditional hotels will coexist side by side,” Znamy się affirmed.
