There’s Solely One Ikea Lodge within the World — and It is in a Swedish Small City You have By no means Heard Of

On a heat August day in 1964, a crowd gathered in a small city within the south of Sweden, as Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad stood atop the roof to make his announcement: Motell Ikea was formally open. But it surely wasn’t the lodging that had the gang so excited, it was the pool. The large glowing aquamarine swimming pool would grow to be the positioning of recreation and merriment in Älmhult — house to the primary Ikea retailer — for nearly 4 many years. 

Sadly, that pool not exists. Some 40 years after its debut, the prices to take care of the growing old infrastructure outweighed the advantages and the city’s beloved pool was crammed in. However the twice-renamed and thrice-expanded Ikea Hotell nonetheless stands — and it stays the social sizzling spot of Älmhult. It’s additionally a one-of-a-kind place to put your head: Despite the fact that Ikea has 460 shops throughout six continents, this 254-room property is the one Ikea resort on the planet. 

“Individuals are usually a bit shocked after they discover out about us,” Ida-Maria Rigoll, the vacation spot gross sales lead at Ikea Hotell, tells Journey + Leisure. “They know what Ikea is, however they don’t know that we have now a resort. After all, there are at all times individuals making enjoyable and asking, ‘Oh, do we have now to place our personal mattress collectively?’”

Jokes apart, Ikea Hotell is each a snug getaway and a dwelling showroom. Rooms are refreshed all year long to focus on new furnishings and decor and, sure, to maybe entice you right into a little bit of purchasing. When you see one thing you want throughout your resort keep, you may you should definitely discover it at an Ikea retailer.

“It’s necessary for us that we’re completely Ikea-decorated and that each one the inside furnishings are from Ikea. We now have designers are available and prepare all the things so we might be an inspiring place,” Rigoll says. Anybody who has ever walked by an Ikea showroom and marveled on the inventive use of house will perceive precisely what she means.

Ikea Hotell might have shape-shifted through the years, however the inspiration for its core idea is believed to have come from Kamprad’s travels by the U.S. in 1961. He discovered a sure appeal — and practicality — within the roadside motels dotting the American panorama. With their simple in-and-out entry, a spot to chill out (always remember the glistening waters of the Motell Ikea pool), and no-nonsense furnishings, such an institution made excellent sense subsequent to a busy showroom in Älmhult. It is also particularly becoming for a corporation with an ethos that has lengthy prioritized worth over revenue.

“We attempt to run this resort like an Ikea retailer,” Rigoll says. “We at all times put quantity over value. It’s our technique to supply a low value, so we don’t work with income in the identical means as common inns. We promote the primary room and the final room for a similar value. If I’ve two rooms left for right this moment, I don’t go in and enhance the worth; we wish to have a room for everyone.” 

You gained’t discover lavish suites or luxe minibars in your room at Ikea Hotell, however there’s a full-service restaurant (its well-known meatballs are on the menu, in fact), together with a health club and sauna. There are additionally an assortment of convention rooms and communal workspaces, and a backyard with an “insect resort” — the latter is cleverly referred to as “The Buggingham Palace.” Plus, the resort is extra of a gathering place than you would possibly anticipate from a small-town Swedish keep.

“It’s arduous to think about as a result of Älmhult is a small city in the course of the forest, however that is a global, vibrant place,” Rigoll says. “Ikea Hotell performs an necessary position in the neighborhood as properly as a result of there aren’t any different inns or massive eating places — that is the place you meet if you happen to’re a enterprise traveler.”

Whereas on-the-clock vacationers are positively a mainstay right here, Ikea Hotell welcomes loads of informal holidaymakers, too. Småland, the province surrounding Älmhult, is a haven of lakes and forests, attracting out of doors fans year-round for all the things from mountaineering and paddleboarding to cross-country snowboarding and moose safaris. And if you happen to merely should take a dip in a swimming pool as an alternative of the close by Lake Möckeln, you’ll discover a neighborhood pool simply minutes away in Älmhult.

The actual can’t-miss attraction of Ikea Hotell, although, is the Ikea Museum. It’s situated within the unique Ikea retailer from 1958, successfully transporting guests by the corporate’s historical past of furnishings and design. And it is only a two-minute stroll from the resort. 

Regardless of the lesser-known location, attending to Ikea Hotell is simpler than you would possibly suppose. Rigoll says most company touring from afar fly into Copenhagen after which take a snug, two-hour practice trip to Älmhult. The Ikea Hotell is a mere 4 minutes from the railway station. When you’re arriving by automobile, there’s loads of free parking. 

The glory days of Älmhult’s favourite occasion pool could also be behind us, however in the case of Ikea, there’s at all times one thing new to sit up for. With distant work on the rise, the resort staff is discussing choices for bigger rooms that invite longer stays. 

“We’re more and more being requested about long-term stays; even as much as a month,” Rigoll says. “Through the pandemic, individuals bought used to working from house and commuting in one other means. Now we’re seeing extra of the ‘workcationing’ development. We’ve modified our methods of working, and that is particularly good for small cities like Älmhult.”

It’s good for vacationers, too. Meatballs, museums, and extra alternatives to get exterior whereas working from stylish, inexpensive digs? Yep, Ikea Hotell has at all times identified the way to make a splash.

Nightly charges begin at $100. Study extra about Ikea Hotell and guide your keep at ikeahotell.se.