Hamster Villa Lets You Experience Life as a Small Rodent

According to French scenographer Yann Falquerho, sometimes people really do want to live like their caged pets. I’m not sure I do, but Falquerho must be right, because his creation – the Villa Hamster– is immensely popular. The hotel allows you to experience exactly what the life of a caged hamster is like.

42-year-old Falquerho had always felt that the hotel industry did not pay any attention to the animal transformation niche. So he decided to open his own hotel designed with a hamster theme. Villa Hamster opened in 2009 and has been very popular ever since then. Located in Nantes, western France, the hotel opened with a room tariff of $150 per night, but this was soon increased in accordance with the demand. “We have a lot of success with this little house. It is because of the concept to transform into an animal,” Falquerho told the press just a couple of weeks after the hotel was inaugurated.

Photo: Cédric Chassé

So what exactly do you get to experience at the Villa Hamster? Well, for starters, the place dates back to the 1700s and it has cages for rooms. Other features include hay stacks to sleep on (accessible only through step ladders) and human-sized running wheels. Organic hamster grains are served in little containers, while guests sip water through a tube. The people staying at Villa Hamster supposedly even scramble about on all fours.

Photo: Cédric Chassé

Falquerho is so pleased with the success of his venture that he is reported to have been considering expanding into replicating other animal habitats for humans. “Perhaps if we made a special house where you can transform into a dog or a cat, it might be popular,” he said. I myself find it quite surprising that so many people would want to experience living in a cage and eating hard grains, but Falquerho has heard only positive reviews of his hotel. “We always ask them, ‘Why do you want to come into our house?’ And every time they tell us, well, ‘it was so strange so we wanted to see this house. We’ve never seen a place where we can transform into a hamster.’” It’s interesting to note that the hotel appeals to both adults and children.

 Photo: Cédric Chassé

 

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