When Atipycap Capsule opened its doors in May 2021, with the effects of the pandemic on our backs, it was hard to imagine the possibility of being able to sleep inside a capsule, in the heart of the Cross port. Almost two years later, this accommodation alternative for the public, which offers affordable prices (between 25 and 40 euros per night) and more privacy than a hostel, has become a true tourist demand.
During this time, guests of up to 58 different nationalities from the five continents have passed through. Perhaps, because staying in the heart of the city is, for some people, priceless, being able to move easily, without having to rent a car or use public transport.
Located at number 22 Agustín de Betancourt street, in the old nursing home, it works like any hotel, with check-out and check-in times, different services, lockers, electric bicycle rental and common areas that are shared. with the attached cafeteria.
Access to the property is done by means of a contactless card, the same one that is used to enter each of the three areas (floors), differentiated by colours, and to the capsule, while the ticket offices open with the code chosen by each client .
Unlike a hostel, where the beds are bunk beds, these sci-fi bedroom types offer more privacy. In total, it has 66 capsules divided into singles and doubles. In the first, the bed measures one meter wide by 2 meters long and in the second, 1.60 by two meters.
They have a special disinfection process because their project manager and mentor, Fernando Constante Doménech, wanted the building to be very ecological. That is why no type of fuel is used – there is no oil or gas – and neither are detergent bottles or aggressive plastics that can end up in the ocean.
The cleaning staff uses specific products, formulated with water that are dissolved to avoid the use of plastics.
To organize tasks and communicate, employees use a children’s digital whiteboard, which is erased at the push of a button and a new sheet immediately appears on the screen. Thus, for example, when a capsule or area remains to be cleaned, they write it down, add the number, take a photo and send it to the person in charge of carrying out this task. The goal is for the CO2 footprint to be as low as possible.
Fernando comes to work on an electric bicycle, the same one he has bought for all the staff. The idea for Atypicap Capsule was his idea and that of his wife, María García. His father was a great lover and visitor to Japan because he worked with people of this nationality. Just like his mother, he was always told about the hotels “like boxes” that the Japanese had set up, which proliferated in the 1980s to house workers.
After getting to know the Japanese philosophy, working with them and looking for a tourist alternative in the city, the couple realized that something was missing “that had to be differentiating because Puerto de la Cruz is a completely different destination from the rest, with a wonderful climate, a fantastic gastronomy, the best people from all over the world, it is at the foot of nature, with a representation of Canarian architecture, a traditional flavor and at the same time, with a homogeneous and perfect mix of people”, emphasizes the manager.
In 2015, he left the hotels where he worked and began his “battle” with vacation homes. His investors recommended that he see the building on Betancourt street even though it was not suitable for vacation homes, but he liked it because it was ideal for what it is today.
“The light bulb came on, I designed it and left it in the drawer until in 2018, other investors I worked with told me they wanted to invest, they asked me what I had and I took the project out of them.
The meeting was very clear because they saw it and they called me 24 hours later”.
Obtaining the permits was very complicated because the tourist regulations of the Canary Islands do not contemplate this type of establishment and they had to qualify as a youth hostel. Contrary to popular belief, the municipality has a hostel tourist profile, “it is not true that it is a place for the elderly. Here we are in the area with the most nature, we have a coast, good gastronomy. You have to attract people and give them something they like”, says Fernando.
He qualifies that not only young people go to shelters, although Atypicap’s profile is that of a client with an age range of 18 to 35 years, many of them teleworkers. The oldest person who stayed there was 88 years old.
Excessive bureaucracy and COVID-19 prevented it from becoming the first Japanese capsule hostel in Spain. The Optimi Rooms in the city of Bilbao beat them hand in hand and came in second place, although this also made things easier for them.
The part of the cafeteria, located in the adjoining premises, is another company dedicated exclusively to the catering service and they strive together “creating synergies and coexisting”. Also with nearby businesses.
The philosophy of Atypicap Capsule is to enjoy the “wonder of Tenerife as an island and Puerto de la Cruz as a city, not staying in the hotel because it is not a hotel, but a hostel”.
For this reason, when there are clients who complain about noise, he reminds them that there are noise in all hostels. Or when they tell him that the capsule is not soundproof, he rebuts them by saying that “it’s not a fridge”, she jokes.
