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Beds of Hay at German Heuhotels

Both the New York Times and CNN have reported the rising popularity of hotels in Germany and other parts of Europe that offer a night's sleep on a bed of hay. While these heuhotels do have a certain ick-factor, the rustic simplicity of sleeping in a barn does have its appeal and who can say no to a good, old fashioned, roll in the hay?

 
 

Okay, plenty of people probably can. It’s a no frills kind of accommodation, where guests usually need to bring their own bedding and towels and sleep in close vicinity to each other (and possibly a few animals). But it is a step up from camping, it’s budget and eco-friendly, and we’re betting the milk in your morning coffee will be pretty darn fresh. A list of German heuhotels ca be found at www.heuhotels.de.


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travel, bedroom, green ideas, Germany, heuhotel

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Comments (28)

This is not a step up from camping in my estimation.

posted by kelleyk on September 16th 2009 at 10:47am
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Ahhhh CHOO!

posted by hyzen on September 16th 2009 at 11:04am
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The idea makes me sneeze. No thanks.

posted by MooPt on September 16th 2009 at 11:08am
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Why would I pay for a roll in the hay?


I know that was bad.

posted by LoriSF on September 16th 2009 at 11:24am
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Those are plain afwul, as far as style goes; and they're uncomfortable and dusty.

I don't get the point of this post. Is the "barn style" back ? When can I move to Mars ?

posted by Loora on September 16th 2009 at 11:30am
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I used to play in hay as a kid and I would definitely NOT pay money to sleep in it as an adult. Hay is dusty and it will poke you everywhere as you toss and turn.

posted by verily on September 16th 2009 at 11:39am
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On an 'adventure' management course I ended up sleeping (with permission) in a hay barn and had a very warm and comfortable night's sleep. Hay has a great smell - so I would give this a try for a night - as long as the hay is fresh.

posted by Finnifog on September 16th 2009 at 11:43am
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One word: Scratchy.

posted by maryman on September 16th 2009 at 11:44am
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Man, these are cheap. Why not? Going on vacation does mean trying new things.

posted by slowdown on September 16th 2009 at 11:45am
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sounds great...if you're a guinea pig.

posted by erinpeace on September 16th 2009 at 11:48am
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From a technical standpoint, it would be hard to bring your own linens if you were on vacation in Europe. Especially since they charge to even check a bag these days.

posted by everythingistaken on September 16th 2009 at 12:01pm
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I would rather sleep on my compost pile.

posted by PrettyKitty on September 16th 2009 at 12:13pm
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Um, I grew up on a farm and hay splinters are the WORST! No thanks.

posted by cassielynn on September 16th 2009 at 12:29pm
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This is an idea whose time has not yet -- and hopefully never will -- come.

posted by mirandabee on September 16th 2009 at 12:35pm
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I would have an asthma attack, no thanks.

posted by obdimples on September 16th 2009 at 12:42pm
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Would I try sleeping in the hay? Yes.
Would I want to pay for it? No.

This definately has a romantic, old-fashioned, caught in the rain feel to it. However, these things are usually more fun when they happen spontaneously. As a kitschy, touristy thing, I think it looses the appeal.

posted by amazonikon on September 16th 2009 at 12:42pm
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I also grew up on the farm and have to agree with the hay-nay-sayers. There is a reason we no longer use hay and straw ticks for bedding.

posted by Jen C on September 16th 2009 at 12:46pm
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I imagine there's some market for this in Germany-- probably among the people who would want to vacation on a farm anyway, and there are plenty-- but I can't imagine why you'd want to sleep hostel-style among so many other people. I'm a light sleeper, and the sounds of 10-12 other people would keep me from falling asleep, no matter how comfortable the bed.

posted by cuminafterall on September 16th 2009 at 1:49pm
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If I were on the type of trip where i already had my sleeping bag, and it was too rainy/chilly to make camping enjoyable, I'd be game. Then again- I'm not too hung up on privacy, am the type where once my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light, and I have pretty low standards for comfort (spent a couple of months sleeping on bare concrete in a gutted school building and it turned out to be the best sleep of my life- who'da thunk it!)

This setup will definitely only appeal to similarly inclined people- but it seems like fun if you happen to fit in that niche.

posted by talby on September 16th 2009 at 2:09pm
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As someone who has rolled in the hay(with my husband), let me say ichy oh man get off, ohhh. is that a ... OMG the horses are watching us. That's just the first 10 seconds. Rashes appear soon after. Hey. nothin like a dame!

posted by nothinlikeadame on September 16th 2009 at 6:06pm
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I remember sitting in the hayloft as a horsey kid, and that stuff itches more than grass! I might try it out for an hour, but the only hay I'm sleeping on is stuffed deep in a Hastens mattress with the mane of a dead horse!

posted by LittleEdie on September 16th 2009 at 7:24pm
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This gives me the creeps in the same way that episode of Bones about the fetish club for people who like to pretend they're horses during sex did. I guess those people go here for vacation.

posted by ridge_van_winkle on September 16th 2009 at 7:36pm
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But even when people used hay and straw in their mattresses, it was... IN THEIR MATRESSES. They didn't lie in it.

I am itching just thinking about that...

posted by Kaviare on September 16th 2009 at 9:09pm
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What's the *ick*-factor there ? The american fear of germs? The hay is changed every day.
And this is for a lot of families a good and cheap opportunity for vacation.
Also, i guess it can be very helpfull to go back to the source from time to time to learn to appreciate the comfort we have achieved in our everyday lifes.

posted by Jany on September 17th 2009 at 6:56am
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ridge_van_winkle -- Wow, another Bones watcher - I remember that episode. It was very weird.

On this, would I try it if it was free? Sure, why not. If I had to pay, hell no.

posted by ChrisGal on September 17th 2009 at 7:29am
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I'm German. I become itchy only looking at those photos. I'd not sleep on hay even if I was paid for it. Yikes!

posted by midmodfan on September 18th 2009 at 10:15am
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Looks like a fancy stable.

posted by junklover on September 19th 2009 at 12:23pm
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...as long as you know going in whether or not you have asthma/allergies...

posted by muirwoods08 on September 20th 2009 at 10:10pm
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