Tag: Sweden Hotels
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Rich Swedes are Mad About Plans for a Tiny, Seemingly Non-Posh Hotel in Their 'Hood
Engelbrekt Church, a Stockholm monument near the site of a proposed boutique hotel that has locals "up in arms"
Residents of one of Stockholm's most well-to-do neighborhoods are throwing a ritzy hissy fit over the construction of a new hotel, though it's unclear whether they take issue with the fact that the boutique property will require converting a historic building, because it won't live up to their posh standards, or a combination of both.
Sweden Hotels / Theme Hotels / Quirky Hotels / Weird Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel for Sourdough Bread Hits Sweden
Hotel Chatter admits a soft spot for Swedes, what with the bounty of pop culture gifts with which they've furnished the world (like, you know, Robyn, IKEA, and The Fun Theory campaign). The notably upbeat Scandinavians harbor a mutual love for aspects of American culture, such as…sourdough bread?
IKEA / Sweden Hotels / Hotel Furniture / New Yorker / → All Tags
At The Värdshuset Hotel, The Furniture is Proudly IKEA
Lots of unhappy hotel guests slam budget hotel furniture, or just ugly hotel furniture, by saying it's been store-bought from IKEA. So we're guessing they should probably never visit Vardshuset Hotell and Restaurang, the official IKEA Hotel, located next to the company's headquarters in Almhult, Sweden.
We learned about the existence of the hotel through the New Yorker's recent story on the IKEA culture, when the reporter, Lauren Collins, actually spent a night at the hotel. Here's what she said:
That night I stayed at the IKEA Hotel. Its web site promises, "Guests sleep well and wake up refreshed without art or frills." The lounge area was bright, like a scene from the IKEA catalogue. I sat on a candy-striped KARLSTAD chair and listened to supply managers discuss the respective turn-around times of China and Pakistan in global English. Swedish-speaking men with mustaches wore short-sleeved plaid shirts and drank Eriksberg beer...
Behind the reception desk was a series of candy jars filled with gummi bears and caramels. Why was the receptionist smiling so broadly? were the toasting salesmen bit players in some sort of Almhultian "Truman Show"?
Later that night, when she went up to her room for bed, there was a "pair of spartan single beds" and on top of the pine desk sat two books--the New Testament and the IKEA catalogue.
Hotel Sex / Love Hotels / Sweden Hotels / → All Tags
Where You Can 'Make Love for Three Days Like Indian Gods'
Where: Sweden
Hotels are not ones to shy away from sex what with all the sex kits we've seen in the minibars in the past years, but this hotel goes far above and beyond a black box full of condoms, lube and massage oil and even the porn offerings on the TV.
The Venusgarden Hotel near Malmo, Sweden offers a professional orgasm coach on staff. Actually the coach is Ylva Franzén, the proprietor of the three-bedroom farmhouse as well as the author of a best-selling book Orgasmera Mera (Orgasming More).
Each of the three "Rooms of Love" are sensually-named--Kamasutra, Tao, and Venus, and all feature "feathers, massage oils, perfumed candles, erotic illustrations, and a basket of love toys, along with a copy of Franzén’s book", of course.
But that's not all. Up in the Tao room (in the attic) there's a big round bed and a mirror on the ceiling to further get you in the mood. The Venus room promises a "magic pill" for him (Viagra?) and a swing above the bed. But the Kamasutra room might be where you want to spend your stay as the canopy bed in the center of the room is a place where "you can relax and make love for three days like the Indian gods." And don't forget, Franzén is on call to help you should any issues, um, arise.
Sweet Suites / Ice Hotels / Unusual Hotels / Sweden Hotels / → All Tags
The Icehotel Gets Even Cooler with a 'Tron'-Inspired Suite
The Swedish Icehotel attracts adventurous types with its all-ice accommodations 12 miles north of the Arctic Circle. But the sci-fi squad and design geeks will want to make reservations at the hotel to check out the new Tron-themed suite.
Inspired by a nightclub the upcoming Tron: Legacy flick, the "Legacy of the River" suite is pimped out with futuristic lights using technology the hotel's never used in its 20-year history.
Ice Hotels / Unusual Hotels / Odd Hotels / Sweden Hotels / → All Tags
Looking for a Wintry Getaway? Sweden's Icehotel Will Reopen Next Month
While we hate it when we walk into a hotel room and the A/C is blasting a below 72-degree temperature, we'll have to make an exception at The Icehotel, which is opening for the season early next month in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
The hotel is actually an 80-room hostel which is rebuilt annually from snow and crystal-clear ice.
The Icehotel is a spot where half the fun is in staying there. It begins from the moment that you open the main, reindeer-skin-clad doors and are greeted by a grand, ice-pillared hallway illuminated by a spectacular ice chandelier. The interior temperature, hovering around 23 degrees Fahrenheit, actually feels almost balmy, especially when compared to the outside temperature which can drop to minus 34 Fahrenheit.
Balmy? We'll see about that. Guests do get special gear to wear during their stay such as a one-piece thermal suit, mittens, hat and thermal waterproof boots. At night, you'll snuggle down into your thermal sleeping bags.
The room categories at the Icehotel start at a standard Snow Room and work up to an Ice Room (complete with actual ice "furniture") and the Art Suite (individually themed with ice art). Looking for a special getaway for your honeymoon? The Art Suite has lockable doors and double sleeping bags available. We're guessing that candles are out of the question though. (Incredibly, the hotel has a very popular Ice Chapel where several weddings are held each season.)
Treehouse Hotels / Hotel Openings / Sweden Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Design / → All Tags
Is It a Hotel or a Treehouse? In Sweden, It's Both
If you haven't had your daily dose of caffeine yet, load up now. What you're looking at is one of the newest hotels in Sweden. No, we haven't lost our marbles. This is the Mirrored Cube room, part of the Treehotel which opens this Saturday in the village of Harads, just south of the Arctic Circle.
We're all for high-concept hotel design, but this has to be one of the wackiest rooms we've seen yet. And lest you think this is as out-there as it gets at the Treehotel, you should know that other rooms have names such as The Bird's Nest, The Cabin and The Blue Cone. These four will be ready for the grand opening, and another 20 will be designed and unveiled over the next five years.
Hotel Spas / Stockholm Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Sweden Hotels / → All Tags
No More Birch Beatings At Grand Hotel Stockholm's New Spa
OK so normally we wouldn’t be so excited by the idea of a “Nordic spa”. In our heads, Scandi beauty treatments scream naked saunas, self-flagellation with birch sticks and lots of snow. But we’re making an exception for the Grand Hotel in Stockholm which opened a subtly different “Nordic-inspired spa”, Raison d’Etre, yesterday.
Yes, they have the birch – harvested from local forests, don’t you know – but they do far more exciting stuff than beat you with it. The Be Rested package is a massage ad “hot birch pack” to make you sleep, while the Be Balanced treatment claims to “gently realign” your bones through the power of, um, mung bean pillows.
They’re pretty pricey – 2190 Kronor, or $318, apiece, but last two hours. And the website – which asks you questions like “How do you want to be today? Like a raindrop falling from the sky?” and “If you were a tree, what would you be?” – is really calling to us. And how idyllic does that pool look for a winter soak. Gimmicky, us? Never.
Floating Hotels / Sweden Hotels / Hotel Openings / Odd Hotels / → All Tags
Floating Hotel in Sweden Just A Bit Fishy
AmandaK lets us know about the latest Floating Hotel on the scene.
This sounds just like something those functional-but-hip (think Ikea) Swedes would: start up a floating hotel just because there was no more land left on the island. It’s really happened at Klädesholmen on Sweden’s west coast where the Salt & Sill Hotel opened this month.
A Guardian reviewer who’s already spent the night at the salt & Sill was impressed with the sleek design, but we’re a bit worried about the wobbliness; he mentioned feeling drunk while going to the bathroom but it was a feeling caused by the undercurrent rocking the hotel boat.
The other thing that is a bit of a turn-off is the thought of herring for breakfast. The nearby restaurant that inspired this hotel has made a name for itself with herring dishes but serving them up as our first meal is not something we’re keen on. But they say “normal” breakfast is available too.
The Salt & Sill has an opening special running through 'til the end of February, with doubles for 1,490 Swedish krona (US$190). It’s not right on the beaten track but it’s something a bit different. And if you know any big herring lovers then it is definitely the right spot.
Odd Hotels / Airport Hotels / Airplane Hotels / Hostels / Sweden Hotels / → All Tags
Swedish Hosteler Converts Jumbo Jet into an 85-Bed Hostel
We've all salivated over those fancy first class airplane seats up front that fold down into a bed, but unless we come into an inheritance soon, we'll never get out of the back of the plane.
However, there is a novel way of sleeping on a 747--by spending a night at the Jumbo Hostel.
Gizmodo reports that Oscar Diös--a hostel owner in Sweden--managed to purchase a grounded Boeing 747, finagle all the necessary red tape, and convert the plane into a hostel anchored at the entrance to Arlanda airport (north of Stockholm, in case you're wondering).
If you're headed to Sweden in December or later, you should book one of the 25 rooms. WiFi and flat screens (showing departure times) are included in the 6-square-meter rooms. Private facilities, for the most part, aren't.
If you're feeling splurgey though, you should definitely try to nab the pilot's digs -- the luxury suite in the converted cockpit with a panoramic view of the airport.
We hope Oscar has better luck with his hostel than the plane's last owner, the bankrupt Transjet.
[Photo: Gizmodo]
Stockholm Hotel Guide / Sweden Hotels / Monica Guy / Boutique Hotels / Celebrity Hotels / → All Tags
Stockholm Hotel Scene: Thank You For The Rival Hotel
Once again, our roaming correspondent Monica Guy is summing up a hotel scene for us. This time, she's checking out hotels in Stockholm. Got a question or suggestion about Swedish hotels? Send it our way.
We can't talk about hotels in Stockholm without talking about the hotel everyone's talking about - the Hotel Rival.
The first thing everyone will tell you is that the Hotel Rival's owned by former Abba star Benny Andersson. He's not the only celebrity to own a hotel - Clint Eastwood owns the Mission Ranch in California, Bono owns the Clarence in Dublin and Cliff Richard has the Arora in Manchester, complete with, er, Cliff-themed rooms. But by all accounts Benny seems to be doing the best job of it.
Anyone who's anyone has stayed at the Rival....we're the exception that proves the rule, although we did peer in through the window.
Sweden Hotels / Stockholm Hotel Guide / Monica Guy / Design Hotels / Hotel Websites / → All Tags
Stockholm Hotel Scene: Clarion versus Clarion Sign
Once again, our roaming correspondent Monica Guy is summing up a hotel scene for us. This time, she's checking out hotels in Stockholm. Got a question or suggestion about Swedish hotels? Send it our way.
Family strife in Stockholm, where the Clarion Hotel Stockholm (pictured above) competes in arty pretentions with the brand new just-opened (last week) Clarion Hotel Sign.
The two Clarions look fairly similar on the outside, and they both cost a packet. But whatever you do, you mustn't ever confuse the two. Here's why:
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