Refrigerated semi-trailers transformed into hotel rooms on wheels

At the same time, more and more travelers are craving vacations in unconventional accommodations, whether in tiny homes or converted Airstreams, according to data from Airbnb.

Source: Airbnb

Today, in an effort to attract this increasingly popular niche, the Polish company Good Spot has launched its environmentally friendly hotel room on wheels.

According to Good Spot, it is the “first chain of mobile hotels in Poland”.

Source: Good place

Good Spot may operate in an isolated area, but it has already proven the concept’s success: This summer all rooms were booked, Good Spot founder Roman Sokolowski told Insider in an email interview. .

“The arrival of the pandemic had completely changed the perception of my project,” said Sokolowski. “He was recognized as innovative and timeless.”

The hotel rooms on wheels were designed by Polish architectural firm Znamy się.

Source: Znamy sit

In the past, some companies have used recycled empty shipping containers – which are currently facing a shortage – as the basis of their small homes.

Source: Initiated

But Good Spot and Znamy się take a slightly different approach, using retired refrigerated semi-trailers once used to deliver goods like food. These trailers then serve as the base for their tiny homes, making hotel rooms completely mobile (as opposed to just portable).

Semi-trailer hotel rooms have the same nostalgic appearance of an Airstream “silver bullet” trailer with an interior layout that mimics the functionality of a motorhome, according to its manufacturer.

Source: Znamy sit

But besides the flashy appearance and “little life” appeal, the use of semi-trailers has several functional purposes. On the one hand, the trailers are already insulated, which allows them to withstand temperatures below the freezing point.

It also cuts production time and costs while making hotel rooms more sustainable, Sokolowski said.

“While semi-trailer manufacturers have developed refrigerated trailers for the sole purpose of transporting goods, we have found a new use for them in the tourism industry, moving from a linear waste management system to a circular system, ”Sokolowski said.

And because the units are mobile, they can follow tourists through changing regional and seasonal demands, ensuring the units are always profitable.

“[Good Spot] meets the needs of a modern user who is constantly on the move, ”Znamy się told Insider in an email interview.

The trailer will likely crush the grass it was placed on, but other than that, hotel rooms won’t leave much of a physical impact on the environment, according to Sokolowski.

The team also wants the final model to be powered entirely by solar energy and collected rainwater, meaning the eco-friendly units won’t need any electrical or plumbing hookups.

Sourcing sea containers can be difficult amid the ongoing supply chain nightmare, but luckily for Good Spot, refrigerated semi-trailers have been easy for the Poland-based team to access.

The country has a robust road transport system, more so than other modes of freight transport, according to a 2019 report from Nippon Express.

Source: Nippon Express

As a result, “Poland’s share of freight turnover (excluding sea and air transport) has remained relatively stable… so the refrigerated trailer fleet is almost unlimited,” Sokolowski explained.