Cozy seaside hotel in Swedish Roslagen with a rich past and a sprinkle of Danish hygge

Badhotell Villa Berg / Marholmen / Uppland / Sweden

The Danes have something called badehotel. The direct translation would be a swimming (or to be more exact, bathing) hotel, basically a hotel right next to water where people have been coming for ages to enjoy the benefits of staying right on a beach. Although this today is more of a Danish thing, there used to be several of these hotels dotted around the Swedish coastline, where unfortunately more or less all of them have disappeared while they seem to flourish in our neighboring country. That is I was beyond happy when I came across this place, Badhotell Villa Berg, a modern tribute to the classic Swedish badhotell.

Villa Berg is located one hour northeast of Stockholm, close to the town of Norrtälje. A short drive from town there is an island called Marholmen, and it is on this small island that you’ll find this place. When you approach the hotel you see this beautiful, well-preserved Art Nouveau villa appearing from behind the trees. It is a sturdy wooden building dressed in typical Art Nouveau, or Jugend as we say here in the North, features. If this is an atypical Swedish Badhotell it is interesting to see how it differs from the typical Danish ones. While they are usually all about bright and breezy looks with creamy whites and baby blues, striped bed linen and wicker furniture, this one is darker, more colorful and rustic. It is great to see how the same concept can differ this much while still having a very close link.

This 13-key hotel has a rich history. It started back in 1913 when owners Nils and Hanna Berg decided to give away their beloved island, Marholmen, to LO, the Swedish worker’s organization. They wanted the island to become a resort where working class women could come to rest and recharge, escaping the hardships of their everyday exhausting lives in the city. The building is more or less intact from this time, on the outside that is. The inside has gently been restored, still with the roots firmly planted in traditions. The design is all about panelled walls where red and yellow are the dominant colors in the main areas. And flowers. Everywhere fresh flowers.

My room was designed to look like a modern take on a classic Swedish Summer house. With a flower-patterned headboard, paneled walls and sheer linen curtains. The room was adorned with fresh flowers and old photos of early visitors of Villa Berg from back in the day. It feels like every single detail has been in focus during the restoration which means that everything from light switches to window stoppers to tiles to hooks are fitting into the classic design scheme.

Three other things that must be mentioned are to begin with the surroundings. The hotel is sitting on top of a small hill, surrounded by trees offering some lovely views of the Baltic Sea. The second thing is the food. When you arrive you are greeted with a welcome tray full of delicacies. This is followed by an amazing 4-course dinner in the evening. And come morning the breakfast, which is served in the open kitchen, is honoring local, Swedish breakfast traditions. If the weather permits, the best thing is to enjoy it outdoors in the pale morning light. And the third thing is the service. Charlotte, the Danish (of course!) woman running the show is such a master when it comes to service. She really wanted me to leave Villa Berg with fond memories. And guess what!? I sure did!

The Art Nouveau design is beautifully executed

When entering you step right into the heart of the building, this warm, colorful lounge.

I stayed in one of the two single rooms.

It was such a joy to just zoom in on all the details, like these vintage window stoppers

I love the bathroom products from Swedish brand C/O Gerd, produced in Jokkmokk in the far north.

Almost everything at Villa Berg is branded

The shaded terrace overlooking the Baltic Sea

When you arrive you are invited to enjoy a welcome tray. (Some) Other hotels do welcome drinks, here you get an entire tray of goodies.

After having enjoyed the welcome tray, time to explore the hotel. This is the dining room.

Pelargoniums to most Swedes is connected to Summer cabins. For some reason all used to have these flowers in their cabins. So to have them at Villa Berg is a great way to evoke that feeling of eternal Summers.

Downstairs in the basement there is a cute little sauna. A must in this neck of the woods.

I was so busy eating that I forgot to take photos of the dinner. I only realized this as it was time for dessert. So at least I managed to snap a photo of this rhubarb dream.

A short walk after the dinner around the island of Marholmen

Up with the rooster, as we say in Sweden. This photo is taken from the other side of the bay. Villa Berg is hiding among the trees.

There is something magical about these early Scandinavian mornings.

Had to take some more photos of the building in the magical morning light

Breakfast al fresco with a sea view. It doesn’t get much better than that.

RG inside info

Date of RG stay:

July 2025

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking for a Swedish version of what the Danes do so well, a classic ”badehotel”, basically a cozy, seaside boutique hotel. If you want to stay in a small, tastefully designed hotel with a rich past and sea views, located on a leafy island in the Roslagen region, you are going to love Villa Berg.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is Charlotte, the Danish woman (it kind of figures that you need a Danish woman to make this a proper badehotel) who is running the place. She truly has an ambition to make sure you have the best time while staying here, looking after us with a friendly, typically Danish approach, creating a huge dose of that warm ”hygge”.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to make sure you book your stay with half board (ok, you don’t have to make sure. All stays at Villa Berg actually includes half board. So maybe it would be better to say to make sure you come to the table with a huge appetite). The dinners at Villa Berg down right excellent. Chefs Nichlas and Oskar from restaurant Loén in Stockholm, cook up a storm. And to enjoy the result alfresco, in the shade under the trees while gazing out over the Baltic Sea is such a treat.

If you like this hotel you might also like:

Aggershøj / Ærø, Denmark

Talldungen / Brösarp, Sweden

Svinkløv / Fjerritslev, Denmark