Hostel Momentum ‒ what an experience!

Pop-up Hostel Momentum furnished by cardboard and plywood ReHome furniture (ReHome 2023) opened its door for the first time on 5 May 2023 at Lahti M19 campus. Hostel served accommodation for a week to 27 international students participating a short-team exchange study program funded by Erasmus+.

Original idea of a hostel was based on an urge to provide an affordable short-term accommodation for a short-time exchange need. For Rehome furniture hostel offered a perfect change to collect user experience. The idea provided learning opportunities and possibility to create stronger bonding between intensive program participants.

Pop-up hostel offered a multicultural and multidisciplinary hands-on learning environment. Design, business administration, tourism and hospitality and technology knowledge were harnessed to meet a common objective.

Strong evolvement makes magic happen

ReHome furniture is originally designed for humanitarian aid purposes by LAB students of Design, and it was now tested in a hostel scene. ReHome plywood bunk bed was planned, and later mass produced by wood engineers as part of thesis work. Cardboards were cut outside due to restrictions of LAB machinery.

Tourism and hospitality students tested physical reception as well digital aspect DigitalGuest application to support experience throughout guest journey (DigitalGuest 2023.) Name of the hostel was created as an outcome of Business and Administration branding course.

Two classrooms were transformed into hostel rooms. Layout and partition walls were planned by Interior design architects. Mattresses, pillows, and blankets were bought whereas bed linen, partition walls and carpets were rented. Light adjustments and keycards were planned within. Hostel Momentum was built and later cleared out in total of four days by commitment staff and students.

Overall experience 4,5/5 

Guest experience survey was conducted between 17-23 May 2023. Feedback was received from 21 students out of 27. Experience was rated with 1-to-5-star scale in 10 topics including development proposals regarding all 10 topics.

Hostel rooms were rated 4/5. Development suggestions were stressing smaller rooms with different layout with lesser people, and less noise. Single cardboard beds were seen better than expected. Change to the design of bunk beds was proposed to get maximum functionality out on user perspective.

M19 campus was praised for its services and versatile facilities, which correlates to the results. Campus services and common areas were rated 4,8/5. Overall experience of Hostel Momentum was rated by the guests 4,5/5. Open comment section brought up strong bonding between students. Hostel was described as an experience of a lifetime.

Experimental culture creates outstanding possibilities

For organizers the top feeling of the outcome was a sense of pride. Hostel Momentum is a great example of the practicality of studies, and it shows strengths of multidisciplinary in context of bold experimental culture and competence in LAB community.

References 

DigitalGuest. 2023. The best digital guest experience. Cited 30 May 2023. Available at https://digitalguest.com/

Jaatinen, T. 2023. LAB pop-up Hostel. LUT pictures. Cited 2 Jun 2023. Available at https://lut.pictures.fi/i/krS8ZVTBNjvm973GaEPqUp2hX56CAcDW

ReHome. 2023. Cited 30 May 2023. Available at https://www.rehomefurniture.com/