Modern wood hotel in Västervik with ABBA ownership and memorabilia
Slottsholmen Hotel / Västervik / Sweden
On the east coast of Sweden there is a cute little town called Västervik. The biggest claim to fame is a beautiful archipelago, the old town with cute wooden houses and the yearly folklore music festival. And now this hotel, Björn Ulvaeus, yes that Bjorn. One of the B:s of Swedish music sensation ABBA.
The hotel opened in 2020 and is located on a small island just outside the central part of Västervik. It is made up of two different buildings, one on land and one on water, surrounded by water in all directions. All in all there are 33 rooms on the water and 10 suites in the main building. Since I am one of those people that (almost) become seasick just by being water from land, we decided to splurge on one of the suites, safely placed on dry land. If you want to go really big there is a Mama Mia suite, 140 square meters on two floors and three balconies with amazing views of the surroundings.
The food in the restaurant is inspired by Björn’s trips around the world, both from his years touring with Abba and when working with Mama Mia, Chess and Kristina from Duvemåla. One thing I think it is great is that they deliver food directly to your boat if you have moored at one of the hotel’s docking places.
Our room was very warm and cosy, most of it in different kinds of wood. I especially liked the wooden feature wall behind the four poster bed of our room. Feels very typical Scandinavian and fits well with the theme of the hotel.
The Slottsholmen Hotel sits right on the water. A giant wooden staircase connects the hotel to the harbor and the part of the hotel that is actually floating on water.
The floating part of the hotel. For someone like me that gets seasick when I take a bath, these rooms where not an option. We decided for one in the main building.
Our room was so homey. Actually, since we opted for a suite, it was more of an apartment than a room. Fully equipped with a kitchen and a proper dining area.
The cosy four poster bed of our room. There is something magical about sleeping in one of these beds, especially when you close the drapes.
A solid collection of records in our room. And of course there was a turn table where we could listen to them. And of course there was an ABBA album in there.
There were a lot of details that enhanced the homey feeling of our room/apartment.
The corridor leading to our room where filled with original photos of Swedish and International music celebrities that have visited the Västervik Music Festival.
The lounge area of the hotel with plenty of seating to hang out in.
The old part of Västervik with the traditional Swedish wooden houses. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t the best when we were here but the colors of the houses still shines through.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…want to stay close to water and go to a hotel off the beaten track where you can still expect a very high quality standard when it comes to design and experience.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the cosy design. Yes, we stayed here during the winter months and considering the weather in this part of the world at that time of the year, any given hut would be considered cosy. But this hotel really is. They have done a great job to create homey rooms that feel warm and welcoming, very Scandi traditional.
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to explore the islands outside Västervik. You can hop on a boat close to the hotel and experience one of the most beautiful areas of Sweden. Maybe save this activity to the Summer months… :-)
If you like this hotel you might also like…
Hotel Liberty, Offenburg, Germany
Ter Borsch, Zwolle, Netherlands
Hus 57, Ängelholm, Sweden
