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Capsule hotels head for Swiss roadsides

Tuesday, 9 December 2025 06:30

(c) Roatel

A German start-up that turns shipping containers into compact hotel rooms is setting its sights on Switzerland.

Roatel - originally created in 2019 to give truck drivers an affordable, legal place to sleep after an EU cab-sleeping ban - now finds most of its guests are regular travelers. 

With rooms priced from 49 to 99 euros, the company says demand is strong enough to fuel a major expansion push.

Company head Marc Theisen confirms Roatel is preparing an eight-figure financing round and plans to move into Switzerland as part of its next growth phase, aiming to build a capsule hotel every 50 kilometers.

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