Krugger’s Secret
Hidden in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees, north of Barcelona, lies a place that has become legendary among horror fans and immersive escape room enthusiasts: the Insomnia Hotel in Berga. What Climent Vila and his team have created in this converted mountain lodge is far more than a game — it’s a complete overnight experience that gets under your skin.
While Insomnia’s first two games — Doctor’s Cocktail and La Casa — are more or less “traditional” escape rooms (albeit excellent ones, with La Casa defending its high TERPECA ranking for over five years now), its crown jewel, El Secreto de los Krugger (The Krugger’s Secret), is a six-hour, fully immersive experience that blends escape room, immersive theater, horror maze, and themed dinner into one unforgettable night. We were honored to be the first fully English-speaking group to play it — and it did not disappoint.
At the exact booked time, the doors open and you’re swept into the story. From the moment you step inside, the adventure begins. The hotel hosts no more than about a dozen guests at a time — and that’s intentional. The intensity of the experience thrives on intimacy, proximity, and the feeling that there’s no escape. You’ll dive into the dark and twisted history of the Krugger family, who inhabit the hotel and have filled it with puzzles, secrets, and disturbing details.
Check-in is handled by the master of the house himself, Sebastián — fully in character. Each guest room is its own escape game, dedicated to a Krugger family member and must be unlocked through puzzles by the guest staying in it: secret doors, barred bathrooms, locked coffin beds, mysterious contraptions — nothing is ordinary here. The décor ranges from morbid to bloody, the atmosphere from tense to downright terrifying.
The dinner is a culinary nightmare in the best possible way: creative, surprising, and perfectly tailored to the dark narrative. There are small tasks to complete — a questionnaire, tarot cards, private conversations. What they all mean is best left unspoiled. As you eat, the drama unfolds through short explanations and theatrical scenes — and it becomes clear: we are not welcome here. But it’s too late. The night begins.
With the arrival of the rest of the family, the first floor of the hotel opens — revealing a labyrinth of puzzles, secrets, and sinister figures. You’ll solve riddles, hide, flee, and complete tasks — all while avoiding capture. The puzzles are non-linear and spread throughout the hotel, allowing all guests to explore, solve, hide and sneak around simultaneously. Those brave enough will uncover hidden passages, secret laboratories, and deeper layers of the Krugger family’s story. A clever system tracks the progress of the guests, allowing the actors to balance the experience as game masters and ensure help is provided when needed.
As the night wears on, the family grows more hostile, and the tension steadily increases. We won’t spoil the ending — but if you’ve played Doctor’s Cocktail or La Casa, you might have an idea. And yes: you can actually sleep in your hotel room afterward and check out the next day. If you dare.
El Secreto de los Krugger is no ordinary escape room. Its extended duration makes it both slower-paced and more intense — with outstanding theming, strong acting, and a high scare factor. You eat together, bond as a group, live through a shared story, and leave with the feeling that you’ve been part of something truly special.
There’s room for improvement — albeit at a high level. The puzzles could be more tightly woven into the narrative to give them more meaning, which would elevate the experience even further, especially when compared to similar multi-person experiences like Phantom Peak. I understand why they chose this approach, though — the focus here is clearly on scares rather than a continuously evolving storyline, and it didn’t bother me. I did miss a more unified finale that you work toward as a group. Considering Insomnia has used similar abrupt “cut-off” techniques in its other games, a different climax would have been the cherry on top. Still, this doesn’t diminish the impact: this experience feels like a privilege. In a world full of similar horror escape rooms, Insomnia has created something truly, deeply special.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living your own Shining, love horror, and enjoy solving puzzles in a larger group, then a trip to the Pyrenees might be exactly what you’re looking for. And if you go, be sure to say hello to the receptionist Sebastián for us.
