Guest house: Hotel mixes design with heritage

Stockholm – A hotel is updating its heritage for a modern, design-savvy guest.

The building that is now Hotel Skeppsholmen, situated on an island in the heart of the city, dates from 1699. It used to house Karl XII’s personal elite force and is known to locals as The Long Row. Barracks that used to accommodate six soldiers have been transformed into stylish rooms for paying guests, with names such as the Admiral’s suite and the General’s suite.

The hotel has been designed by Swedish architecture firm Claesson Koivisto Rune and Erséus Architects and features traditional and local materials such as a reception desk in solid, brushed aluminum as well as linseed oil-based paint on timber.

‘We have moved away from ‘gloss and shine’ as we want to focus on traditional Swedish heritage,’ Joachim Olausson, managing director of Hotel Skeppsholmen tells LS:N Global. ‘We serve Swedish classics such as meatballs in the restaurant, our staff wears Swedish designs by Acne, and Byredo Parfums has created a unique fragrance for the hotel as well as providing the toiletries.’

Brands are increasingly moving away from excess to focus on craftsmanship and heritage – see our Alphalux trend report for more on this shift to an emotional engagement with design.