Originally published 2019-05-29.
Yes, there really is a Swiss cinema where you can watch a film from a double bed. When Pathé opened its new multiplex in Spreitenbach, in the canton of Aargau just west of Zurich, in May 2019, one of its auditoriums was a "VIP Bed" screen fitted with eleven double beds instead of rows of seats. The rest of the cinema kept ordinary seating, so the headlines claiming it had replaced all of its seats with beds were an exaggeration. Here is what the bed screen offered, what it cost at the time, and why cinemas experiment with ideas like this.
The VIP Bed auditorium at Pathé Spreitenbach. Each double bed is made of two adjustable halves, with grey and beige bedding and two pillows.
Where the bed cinema is
Spreitenbach is a town of about 12,000 people in the Limmat Valley, between Baden and Zurich. It is best known for its large shopping centres, Shoppi and Tivoli, and an IKEA store, and the new Pathé complex was built next to the malls. Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten reported the official opening for the second week of May 2019, with an open day for visitors that weekend.
Some international reports placed the town "near the German border". It is in northern Switzerland, but its real neighbour is Zurich, not Germany, and visitors usually arrive from the Zurich area.
Steps run between the tiers of beds so that every row has a clear view. Each bed has a small reading light and a padded, curved headboard that doubles as a privacy screen.
Inside the cinema's foyer: food trucks selling popcorn, waffles, crêpes and hot dogs replace a traditional snack counter.
What the VIP bed screen includes
According to the Swiss press coverage at the opening, the bed hall had eleven double beds. Each came with electronically adjustable headrests, two pillows, a bedside table, wine glasses and slippers. The beds are raised on stepped tiers, like stadium seating, so heads in front do not block the screen.
Hygiene was the first worry most people raised, and the operator addressed it directly. Pathé Switzerland's chief executive, Venanzio Di Bacco, said the beds would be freshly made after every screening, and told 20 Minuten: "The hygiene aspect is very important to us." That is the operator's own commitment rather than an independent inspection, but it shows the company expected the question.
A closer look at the beds from the front row. The headrests tilt so viewers can sit up or lie back.
Prices at opening
In 2019 a VIP ticket cost 49 Swiss francs, roughly the same in US dollars at the time. That price applied not only to the bed hall but also to the IMAX screen and a sofa hall, and it included free snacks and soft drinks plus priority service so VIP guests could skip the queue. A standard ticket for the six regular auditoriums cost 19.50 francs, and children's tickets for the kids' cinema were 14.50 francs. For the first two weeks there was an introductory offer on regular tickets.
These prices are a snapshot from the opening. Cinema pricing changes often, so check Pathé's own Swiss website before planning a visit.
The other unusual screens
The bed hall was only one of several premium formats in the building. There was an IMAX auditorium with more than 350 seats, a hall with single and double sofas, and a dedicated children's cinema.
The sofa hall, with patterned and velvet loveseats arranged in tiers, each with its own side table and lamp.
The Kids Cinema: beanbags instead of seats, a ball pit at the front and a yellow slide that children can use instead of the stairs.
The entrance to the new building, with a large "Willkommen im Pathé Spreitenbach" sign. Willkommen is German for "welcome"; Spreitenbach is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
Why cinemas are trying beds and sofas
Cinema chains have spent years competing with streaming services and large televisions at home. One of their answers has been comfort: reclining seats, sofas, waiter service and, in a few places, beds. Di Bacco framed the Spreitenbach concept as a way to offer both regular and new audiences something innovative and said a similar format had already been tried abroad without problems.
Bed and lounge auditoriums usually mean far fewer places per room, so they only make sense when tickets cost more. That is why they tend to appear as one or two premium screens in a larger complex rather than across a whole cinema.
How people reacted online
When photos of the bed hall spread on social media, the comments were mostly jokes. The screenshots below, from a public Facebook thread, capture the main themes: worries about sheets and bed bugs, doubts about staying awake, and plenty of teasing about couples.
A commenter wonders how fresh the bed would feel after another viewer and predicts a lot of snoring. The sheet-changing promise was the cinema's answer to exactly this concern.
The most-liked joke of the thread: a prediction of a new generation of "cinema babies".
A worry many people share: falling asleep and missing a film you have paid for.
A two-word comment about bed bugs. Regular laundering and inspection are the standard defence in hotels and, by the same logic, in a bed cinema.
One reader said reclining seats were fine but beds went too far, citing concerns about public behaviour. Pathé told the Swiss press it was not worried about this.
Another joke about a baby boom, this time tied to a blockbuster release.
A final comment combining the two most common worries: falling asleep and bed bugs.
Would you book one?
A bed in a cinema sounds like a gimmick, and for many people it will be one. Yet the idea answers a real question about why anyone should leave the house to watch a film. A screen the size of a wall, proper sound and a bed you do not have to make yourself is a strong offer for a special night out. Whether the format lasts depends less on the novelty than on the details: clean bedding, good sightlines and staff who keep the experience feeling special.
Sources: 20 Minuten, "In diesem Kino schaut man Filme im Bett" (May 2019); Wikipedia: Spreitenbach; photos from Pathé Schweiz; reader comments from a public Facebook thread.
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