In pictures: New capsule hotel opens in Malaga city centre with prices from 35 euros a night
Located in the Soho district, the accommodation offers more than a hundred beds - single and double - with bathroom and kitchen facilities shared with other guests
In the middle of July, with tourists flocking to Malaga for a few days, it's almost a mission impossible to find cheap accommodation. If you want to sleep in the city centre, it will be difficult to spend less than 100 euros per night, unless you share a room.
But what if you could sleep for 35 euros a night? Quite a bargain, but there is some small print. For this offer, you need to have a bit of backpacker spirit, as a new capsule hotel has opened on Calle Alemania, in the Soho neighbourhood. Capsule hotels are becoming increasingly popular in Japan and, actually, all over the world, as they offer lower prices and are presumably more environmentally sustainable.
This type of accommodation consists of a bed capsule in a shared bedroom. The guest only has the bed entirely to themselves, with everything else, from the bathroom to the kitchen, shared with the rest of the guests. This makes it possible to accommodate many guests in a small space. More than hotels, they are closer to hostels that prioritise functionality and lower prices. However, they are not recommended for people who suffer from claustrophobia.
The new establishment in Malaga city centre - Literal - joins several other capsule hotels in operation in the city. Literal opened this month, with 120 beds, single and double, in shared rooms of 8 or 16 capsules. There are two types of rooms: entirely female or mixed. The capsules have a locker, a charging point and their own lighting. "Now, for example, we have a group of bachelorette parties that have rented a whole room to be all together," the hotel says. There are also other lockers, a small communal kitchen, 24-hour reception, wifi connection and a café where drinks are served by a professional barista.
The price? Basic offers start from 35 euros, but the price goes up on other portals such as Booking.com. The price then varies depending on the days booked. This coming weekend, there are beds from 45 euros, but this goes up to between 50 and 90 euros for some of the nights of the annual Feria de Málaga.
The hotel is perfect for those who don't mind sharing space with other people for a lower price, but would still like a central location. Already in the first ten days since the opening, the hotel has had an occupancy rate close to 100%. As expected, the first guests are mostly foreigners used to a backpacking way of travelling.
The hotel's website highlights the lower environmental impact of this type of accommodation, with "sustainable shared spaces", semi-enclosed capsules and longitudinal dormitories "where lighting, temperature and humidity are kept stable at optimal levels".
Capsule hotels are not new in Malaga - this type of accommodation has been appearing for some years now, both in the city centre and in areas such as La Trinidad, La Malagueta or Carretera de Cádiz.
