London Taxi Driver Converts Black Cab into £50-a-Night Hotel Room
Facing Olympic restrictions and falling fares, David Weekes outfitted his black cab with a bed, iPad and fridge, offering overnight stays to tourists for £50.
With the 2012 London Olympics bringing road closures and restricted access for black cabs, London taxi driver David Weekes decided to diversify. He converted his traditional TX4 taxi into a makeshift hotel room, offering overnight stays for £50 a night in a bid to supplement his income during the summer influx of tourists and the clampdown on cab access to Olympic lanes.
A black cab with overnight amenities
Weekes equipped his cab with a memory foam mattress, Union Jack bedding, an iPad for entertainment, a solar-powered radio and a mini fridge. A teddy bear sits among the amenities. The idea, branded as the 'hail-a-hotel', is pitched as an authentic London experience for visitors unable to find or afford conventional accommodation during the Games.
The cab remains roadworthy and retains its original livery, but the rear compartment is now set up for sleeping. The price, £50 per night, undercuts most central London hotels, which were heavily booked and charging premium rates during the Olympics. At launch, Weekes had yet to secure his first guest.
Cabbies respond to Olympic restrictions
The move came as London cab drivers faced restricted access to newly created Olympic lanes, which were reserved for athletes, officials and VIPs. Hundreds of drivers protested in central London in July 2012, sounding their horns in frustration at the loss of key routes and the expected drop in fares. With around 500,000 extra tourists and tens of thousands of athletes and visitors in the capital, Weekes hoped his unconventional offer would attract attention from those caught out by the hotel shortage.
Weekes said his knowledge of London could offer guests an insider perspective, though the cab's primary draw was the novelty of spending a night in a working taxi. The move echoed other attempts by drivers and small operators to adapt to the exceptional circumstances of the 2012 Games, when demand for accommodation far outstripped supply.
Unusual taxis and adaptations
London's black cabs have long been a symbol of the city, but Weekes' 'hail-a-hotel' stood out for its attempt to turn a working vehicle into overnight accommodation. The idea joined a handful of other creative responses to the Olympic squeeze, as drivers sought ways to make up for lost fares and capitalise on the surge in visitors. For more on the evolution of the London taxi, see Geely's investment in black cab manufacturer Manganese Bronze.
