GRANADA – The world’s first 100% self-sufficient capsule hotel has been installed in Granada’s Gorafe Desert. The construction, ‘podtel’, forms part of a pilot for hotels in the most remote and beautiful corners of the world.
Initiators describe the construction as ‘Luxurious sanctuaries for recharging people amid beautiful idyllic landscapes’. Therefore, guests in a ‘podtel’ (a combination of Pod and Hotel) can enjoy total disconnection from their day-to-day issues.
Capsule hotel – “podtel”
The advantage of the movable module is that it can be placed on any terrain. Even if it is not allowed to be built on! The ‘podtel’ is simply brought to the site already fully fabricated and can be used a few hours later.
The design is encapsulated and has an elongated rectangular shape. It was designed by the Spanish studio MOHO Arquitectos from a multidisciplinary perspective for the company District Hive. Moreover, they want to offer trips that give the customer the possibility of complete disconnection.
Off-Grid
The project is characterised by its sustainability, ecology, and environmental responsibility. A podtel is completely off-grid and sustainable because it is able to extract its own water from the air, generate electricity through solar panels with enough energy for four days. In addition, the waste turns into ash, while greywater is filtered in two processes so that it can be used for irrigation.
Artificial Intelligence
The module measures 35 square metres and is divided into several rooms, a small room for technical equipment, and an open terrace for stargazing at night. Furthermore, guests can control almost every aspect of the hotel with an AI-based mobile application that provides information about energy levels, solar production, temperature, and water quality. As well as closing or opening doors, windows, turning on lights, sound, and even the purchase of food and drink.
Those who want to spend a night or more in the surreal landscape in Andalucia, full of craters, gullies, mountains, valleys, and canyons, where there is hardly any vegetation with wide views, can already rent it via the company’s website. However, a night podtel is of course not cheap: the price per night is from €500.
