Want to know what it's like to be homeless for a night? Faktum hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden is giving people the chance to live like a homeless person for a night for just $15.
"We have chosen ten of the places that they might spend the night and made it possible to book them just like any hotel," the Faktum hotels website says.
Faktum Hotel isn't an actual hotel. Guests don't get a comfortable bed and bedroom to sleep in. The homeless don't have that luxury, so this "hotel" gives guests the chance to see what it's like to be homeless. Guests are given an area to stay in a public place.
Some of the options include staying in a sleeping bag on a bed of leaves in Haga park, under a tram line, in an abandoned paper mill, under a bridge, on a park bench or underneath a football stadium.
While these accommodations are clearly not glamorous, the hotel website describes them in a manner that doesn't make them sound too terrible.
This is the description for the spot under the tram line Drottning Torget:
"With its bustle of people and tramcars, this is the nucleus of the city and the point of arrival by train. Stay here to make the most of Gothenburg's sophisticated selection of shops and restaurants, with the tranquility of its Garden Society just across the canal," the website says.
According to the site, Gotenburg has 3,400 homeless people. Some of the take refuge with friends or at a shelter, but many resort to sleeping outside. For 100 Sek ($15.60), guests can experience this too and the money goes towards supporting homeless and disadvantaged people in the city.
"Faktum Hotels is not a real hotel where you can book real hotel accommodation. It's a smart way to support Gothenburg's street newspaper, Faktum" the company says on its website. "We work to arouse debate and opinion about homelessness and isolation, but above all we provide those most in need with an occupation.
"This helps them to take a step towards a more structured life, as the work of a salesperson involves responsibility, routine and the opportunity for a positive social exchange. Things that are vitally important when trying to find somewhere to live. Or build a life, for that matter."
Accomodations can be booked for yourself or as a gift. To check out the accommodations or to book a "room," check out the Faktum Hotels website.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
