70s style spa hotel with great views in Skövde, Sweden located on a mountain covered in lush forests

Billingehus / Skövde / Västergötland / Sweden

Aren’t we lucky that there are people with visions. People with visions and also resources to make those come true. People who want to give something back to the society that helped to make them who they are. Arne Sandberg and his wife Maja are such people. Arne made his fortune building up a network of gas stations around Sweden which he eventually sold in 1967. Instead of investing in something as boring as stocks, his wife Maja suggested to do something fun instead and give something back to their home region. Which they did. They decided they wanted to create an outdoor paradise on the mountain Billingen, just next to the Swedish town of Skövde, 1,5 hours northeast of Gothenburg. The ambition was to create an inclusive outdoor paradise where exercise and relaxation went hand in hand. And this is how Billingehus was born.

The hotel opened in 1970 and to fulfill the brief, or their vision, it didn’t stop there. They decided to add a huge outdoor pool, tennis courts, a football pitch, downhill skiing and several tracks and trails for running and cross country skiing. All of this framed by the lush forests of Billingen. Basically an outdoor paradise, just like their brief said.

When the Sandbergs eventually stepped down, the hotel was run by Skövde municipality for many years until the property was sold to Lotus Hotel Group in 2022. They decided to start an extensive refurbishment. They enlisted one of my favorite architects, Gert Wingårdh to run the upgrade. He wanted to preserve the attractive 70s look and feel while adding some additional more modern structures. In 2023 the hotel re-opened with a brand new spa and a modern take on that atypical 70s vibe that is so easy to love.

The feel of Billingehus is relaxed and democratic. It is not a fancy hotel, but rather a place that is open to all. Some come to relax in the spa, some to push themselves in the trails around Billingen, some come for the food and some for all those reasons.

The facade is covered in the most time typical material from the 60:s/70:s. In Sweden it is called “mexi-tegel”. Basically it is calcium silicate brick. It got its name from the style Swedes on vacation in Spain saw, and a clever advertising agency branded it Mexitegel to make it sound exotic. And the name stuck.

I love this architecture. It is like an evolved version of the brutalist concrete style, where white rendered walls are combined with dark wood.

Next to the hotel there are a number of other buildings. This is the iconic pool building.

The hotel is sitting high up on a hill (or small mountain, don’t know what is the correct term for Billingen), overlooking the city of Skövde and beyond.

The hotel got a make over, led by Swedish architect/design juggernaut, Gert Wingårdh. The lobby area is a huge, bright space, made cozy by plush chairs and soft carpets.

Even though the rooms have been updated in the recent glow-up, the style still feels true to the 70:s, with structured wall paper and smokey glass lamps.

The bathroom is new and updated, but also here, the color scheme has a clear 70:s vibe.

Walking around the hotel, there is so much to see. This is the massive fire place next to the bar.

There is a mini golf course, where you can just grab some clubs and start playing.

The most impressive new addition to the hotel is the spa.

The spa is a huge space with floor to ceiling windows opening the room up to the view of Skövde.

There is an excellent gym on-site so if you want to burn off some of that delicious food, you can either do it indoors…

There are several trails taking you around the woods of Billingen. And come winter, you can do cross-country skiing here.

I had to stop towards the end of my run for a dip in Hållsdammen.

RG inside info

Date of RG stay:

June 2025

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking for a hotel that combines a beachy vibe with forward thinking design. If your thing is

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the truly unique design. Some color combinations I would have never considered combining. Mixing striped sofas with vintage surf boards. Oxblood tiles in the bathroom matched with vintage, pink phones. I love when hotels dare to leave the expected path and go a little crazy, tastefully crazy.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to take part in the local surfing scene, in the water if you are up for it. Otherwise it was great to also find a spot on dry land and watch the experts in action. There is an old lighthouse in front of the hotel and next to it is a bar with great views of the sunset. And finally, a 5 min walk from the hotel there is a bakery that offers the best almond croissants I have ever tasted. Must not be missed.

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