Spain opens first nap bar in Madrid

By being well rested during the day, employees are more creative, more energetic, and less likely to make mistakes.

While Spain may have given the world the siesta, the world repaid the favour with the office-bound 9-to-5, forcing workers to near-on burn themselves out from dawn until dusk in strip-lit open-plan offices where even resting one’s eyes is immediately frowned upon…

The siesta certainly has not died out in Spain – especially not in the nation’s more rural regions – but millions of Spaniards find it increasingly difficult to fit one in.

Which is why the opening of a new nap bar in Madrid is likely to be warmly embraced by a generation of Spaniards denied the pleasures of a mid-afternoon nap.

Siesta & Go is based on similar concepts already introduced in Tokyo, London and Dubai – three places where workers (and increasingly, employers) know the true value of being well rested.

Patrons can enjoy an hour’s sleep for just €12-€14 per head, with single and double rooms available. Now, of course such establishments could also be used by people looking to take their office flirtations to the next level, but the nap bar is intended first and foremost as a recharging zone for tired workers.

Located in Azca, in the financial heart of Madrid, Siesta & Go has 19 rooms available. Workers can either book ahead or walk in and enquire about vacancies.

The rooms are treated like hotels in that they are cleaned and given fresh bedding after every use, and staff are on hand to wake you up should you fail to rouse yourself once your allotted time has lapsed.

The centre also has a lounge with comfortable chairs, newspapers and coffee, offering walk-ins the chance to simply rest and shelter from the Spanish sun during the height of the day.