The latest trend in portable, eco-friendly, and very location-specific pop-hotels have been gaining ground over the past two years. Above all, these seemingly lackluster hotels in shipping containers and tents make up for what they lack in plaster with a new level of accessibility to locations formerly prohibited to traditional hotels.
Temporary hotels made out of shipping containers and/or tents have been appearing in Belgium, China, the United States, France, and Sri Lanka most recently. These kinds of establishments are also called 'pop-up hotels', highlighting their transportability. In this sense, a shipping container can go places for which a traditional hotel just can't get the rights. One can see how a guest might find this concept alluring; landing on an airstrip and walking a few steps to your accommodations, waking up on the lawn of that special site at which you want to spend most of your vacation... the possibilities propose an entirely new frontier to the hospitality scene, but after the adventurous daydreams, reality sets in: how do you market a shipping container as a luxury establishment?The idea for pop-up hotels originated with UK-based The Pop-Up Hotel in 2011. The purpose was to provide temporary lodging at the Glastonbury music festival. The concept has been gaining traction since then, having grown from offering 20 rooms to 130 fully booked rooms today. Generally speaking, the concept has been generating numerous groups in different countries, each with unique spins off of the original concept, including but not limited to Belgian Sleeping Around, English Snoozebox, and the Danish Pink Cloud creation.These kinds of establishments pose their own unique conundrums to hoteliers, especially in the realm of marketing. Intuition generally does not rank shipping containers, tents, yurts, shepherd huts and mobile homes among luxury accommodations, but pop-up hotel groups do. The Pop-Up Hotel began rates for tents at the four-day Glastonbury festival at €1,146. With Sleeping Around, containers start at €149, and an expected €100 for Pink Cloud. Although prices in the 100s might not be at the highest end of the spectrum, these shipping container hotels are not in the hostel price-range either. This raises the question of how pop-up hoteliers are compensating for canvas, plastic, and bare metal walls.Where no hotel has gone beforeFor Mark Sorrill, founder of the Pop-Up Hotel, temporary hotels are not too far from the concept of traditional hotels to begin with, as "they are effectively a series of boxes stacked on top of each other, insulating guests from the environment". In this sense, it is perfectly reasonable to stack a different kind of box for shelter and still offer concierge and porter service, and even restaurant, bar and spa tents. In fact, Sorrill points out that pop-ups offer even greater value to the luxury experience by bringing the boutique concept to a whole new level. A pop-up hotel "can really connect with the environment where it is positioned", says Sorrill, giving guests the added value of an entirely different experience any time they stay with The Pop-Up Hotel. In partnership with Heritage England, Sorrill has been able to include such past locations as the grounds of the Osborne Estate, a 19th century summer residence for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Therefore, services and excellent location seem to be the factors that justify the luxury status of The Pop-Up Hotel.Riding the environmental currentSleeping Around is the Belgian evolution of the concept, also focusing on shipping containers as opposed to the Pop-Up Hotel, yet staying within the ultra-boutique niche. The concept has a much lower capacity than The Pop-Up Hotel, consisting of only six containers - four for sleeping, one breakfast/lounge container, and a sauna container. In addition to its lounge and spa frills, mandatorily with breathtaking views, the concept adds an eco-friendly aspect. The company claims that only environmentally friendly materials are used to build its establishment. Currently, Sleeping Around sits in front of a pier in Antwerp location. Its next location will be anywhere that is 400 square meters large with a great view, drinking water and electricity, and truck accessibility. This company again relies on individuality, a diverse guest experience, and unique views for customer retention, in addition to the environmental aspect. As Mark Sorrill sums it up, these types of establishments merge with the trend of environmental closeness through camping: "The pop-up hotel combines all the romance and fun of camping with the services and amenities of a great boutique hotel". Environment is a plus to the luxury segment, bringing in and highlighting green elements to a higher extent than otherwise possible.Tailored for your townDenmark's architectural firm Pink Cloud has the latest pop-up specific concept. This company plans to move temporary hotels into vacated office buildings, helping the market to balance supply with demand and bringing some rent to the building owner. According to Eric Tan, partner in Pink Cloud with Leon Lai and Nico Schlapps, a new hotel could rise in two to four weeks rather than five to six years, and all fitting into 36 boxes within one truck, including elements for night clubs, restaurants, and even a pool. According to Lai, this concept corners the ultra-boutique market by giving the ability to tailor each pop-up to its surroundings, like adding an indoor pool in Miami versus a temporary boxing ring in Manhattan. "It all depends on the city and the public", says Lai. The group is currently eyeing New York's fashion week for its debut with a trendy marketing stunt like a Prada or Diesel branded pop-up.Although shipping container guestrooms might at first seem more suited to a hostel rather than a luxury hotel, this new concept in fact offers more value than a traditional brick-and-mortar establishment. They are capable of maintaining ground with other establishments by still offering luxury services like concierge and porter services, and luxury facilities like spas, restaurants, lounges, and swimming pools. What brings pop-up hotels over the standard is the location specificity they can offer by tailoring each new embodiment to local culture, and even accessing unique locations which would be impossible to a traditional establishment. The pop-up's allure is its hyper-conformity to boutique and eco-friendly trends that guarantee guests a unique experience unobtainable in any other place at any other time. After all, "It is all about experience", proclaims Mr. Sorrill. "Really special hotels are all about the experience that you can offer - not just a nice bed for the night".
