Hay Hotels: Count Your Sheep—and Sleep Like Them, Too

Travel Blog  •  Elyse Franko  •  07.22.08 | 9:03 AM ET

hayhotelPhoto by Victor Greere via Flickr (Creative Commons)


Eco-conscious travelers might be pleased by the new accommodation trend that’s spreading through Europe: the hay hotel, which, as far as I can tell, is just an old barn that’s been freshened up a bit and (hopefully) doesn’t smell strongly of manure. Travelers sleep in a dormitory setting atop piles of hay. No pillows. No blankets. Just hay.

According to Intelligent Life magazine: “By offering accommodation of medieval simplicity (but with better bathrooms), they tick a lot of eco-boxes: no new construction, not much laundry (you can hire sleeping bags or bring your own), rural employment, and low-impact tourism (they tend to attract hikers and cyclists).”

Tags: Eco Travel, Hotels, News and Briefs

Elyse Franko is a Long Island native, a graduate of the American University School of Communication in Washington, D.C., and a former World Hum intern. During her time at university, she wrote and edited for several campus publications and fostered her love for traveling by spending time abroad in Istanbul, Turkey, and Berlin, Germany. She currently works as a teaching assistant in Vienna, Austria.


2 Comments for Hay Hotels: Count Your Sheep—and Sleep Like Them, Too

Dave 07.22.08 | 2:11 PM ET

I’ve never heard of something like this before but I would definitely try it out sometime.  I’m all about the out doors and ruffing it.  This reminds me of the ice motel in Alaska.

Rachel 07.22.08 | 9:02 PM ET

sounds a little itchy, but i like the conservation angle

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.