Niche travel

HOW WEALTHY DO you have to be to take over an entire five-star hotel for a night? Not very, it turns out. That is, if you’re willing to book The Eh’häusl, the world’s smallest five-star property.

The German hotel is so tiny there isn’t even room for a receptionist, let alone a reception. Indeed, so teenchy is it that it can only accommodate one couple at a time. Once you get the keys, the entire place is yours. Situated in the Bavarian town of Amberg, the hotel, whose name translates as The Wedding House, was built in 1728. Five years ago it was refurbished by its current owner and marketed as the world’s tiniest hotel.

It has good reason to be small. Back in 1728 the town council ruled that couples could only marry if they owned property, which put married life beyond the means of many a youngster. Spotting a gap in the market – a 2.5m wide one, in fact – a wily local merchant decided to build a tiny house in the space between two existing houses which he could “sell” to couples looking to get married, and which they could “sell” back to him afterwards.

The property runs to 53 sq m in total, is beautifully furnished and contains every mod con you’d expect from a luxury hotel, including flat screen TVs, open fires and even, despite its modest proportions, its own spa. And the cost of booking out an entire hotel? Just €240 a night.

Of course, there’s just one problem with a hotel that can only take one couple at a time – it books out months in advance.

See ehehaeusl.de