Sleep as a Hobo at Sweden’s Homeless Experience Hotel

Original article on OddityCentral.com – a blog on oddities and wacky news http://www.odditycentral.com/

It costs money to be homeless in Sweden. Well, only for a night though, at the Faktum Hotels. Located in Gothenburg, the hotel has no rooms but instead offers the complete homeless experience. Once you make a booking online, the hotel will lead you to a pre-determined place where the real homeless might spend their nights, one of 10 extraordinary locations they’ve handpicked for their guests.

A ‘room’ at the Faktum Hotels costs $10 a night and customers are free to choose their location from 10 options, including a spot under a bridge, in a derelict factory, a park bench, in forests, or even under seats at a football stadium. High quality images of all these places are available on the hotel website that actually make the experience look tempting. The descriptions accompanying the images are quite enticing and entertaining to read as well. Where else would you find an underpass described as: “Feel the city’s pulse from dawn to dusk at Gullbergsvass. This delightful dwelling is just a stroll from the romantic Dreamer’s Quay: a source of inspiration to musicians and artists alike. And all under the noble eye of the Skansen Lion from his centuries old fortress.”

Photo: Faktum Hotels

But guests can take a look at the location and then choose whether to spend the night there or not. Either way, they do have to pay up and the revenues earned by Faktum Hotels are used to support the charity works of Faktum Magazine, a publication sold by people without a home. The actual purpose of the hotel project is to raise awareness about the plight of the 3400-odd homeless people of Gothenburg, who are often forced to face harsh Scandinavian winters out in the open.

Photo: Faktum Hotels

Overall, I’d say the folks at Faktum have done a great job making use of technology and photography to create a cause for the homeless that’s so simple to participate in. I watched their promo video and knew instantly that I’d book a space for the night too if I was in Sweden right now. What’s even better is that they’ve made it possible to gift a booking too, like for a friend on Facebook. Whether you do live in Sweden or not, their website is certainly worth a visit.

Sleep as a Hobo at Sweden’s Homeless Experience Hotel was originally posted at OddityCentral.com