What do you get when you marry up a refurbished shipping container with an articulated lorry and a high class event site? Why an opportunity to make money from a rather clever hospitality concept. Founded in 2012, Snoozebox is a portable hotel, which is delivered on the back of a truck, and yet contains all the mod-cons your average guest needs like WiFi, air conditioning and comfortable sleeping.

The idea was dreamed up by the late Robert Breare, a former Cambridge University rowing blue and serial entrepreneur. Fed up with the primitive camping conditions at a Grand Prix in France, he dreamed up the idea of a mobile hotel with en suite bathrooms, wireless Internet, television and all the trimmings. The genius in the idea is the fact that events can hire anything from a 40 to 400 room hotel to be delivered when needed, for a minimum period of 3 days.

The Snoozebox hotel features secure card access, a safe in each room and secure lockers with 24 hour access, and because they can be transported by road, rail, or air, they can be delivered anywhere in the world and once on site, they can be stacked to make the most of limited space availability.

Another stroke of genius is to offer the mobile hotel either on a fixed price per room, or via a percentage of room revenues, so venues and events can select whichever option gives them the best deal for their circumstances. The containers are ahem completely self contained in that there’s no need for the site to have electricity, water or sewerage facilities in place, which again is great for more remote or ad hoc locations.

The idea is simple, but it’s clear that it’s really the combination of the use of redundant refurbished shipping containers and the application of some high class event psychology that will make the whole business work. There will always be people who are happy to pay a little extra for the privilege of a little more comfort when away from home. Especially as they get older.