With destinations including the Kingdom of Crystal (Glasriket) in idyllic Smaland, center of the nation’s glassmaking industry since 1742 and home to group-ready venues such as the Kosta Boda glass works and Kosta Boda Art Hotel, design is deep in the Swedish DNA.
Renowned for its lakes and forests, Smaland, in southern Sweden, is also home to the year-round showrooms and other attractions of the Kingdom of Furniture (Mobelriket). Synonymous with Swedish lifestyle, the design sensibility also gives distinctive shape to the nation’s food, fashion and music industries.
From lifestyle hotels and haute cuisine to cool couture and iconic interiors, the Swedish scene is made to measure for memorable MICE moments—by design.
Stockholm
Sweden’s historic capital has savvy and style to spare—and stories to tell.
The 201-room Nobis Hotel, for instance, is housed in the former bank where in 1973 a six-day robbery and hostage-taking is credited with producing the Stockholm Syndrome, in which hostages have sympathy for their captors. A model of Nordic minimalist cool, the hotel offers five conference rooms, the trattoria-style Caina restaurant and fabulous Gold Bar.
Close to Stockholm Central train station (directly linked to Stockholm Arlanda Airport), the granite and glass Clarion Hotel Sign is Stockholm’s largest hotel and a showcase of Swedish design. With 558 rooms and conference space for up to 1,220 delegates, the hotel is also home to the event-capable American Table Brasserie and Bar from Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.
The city’s culinary star keeps rising. At present, Stockholm boasts three two Michelin-starred and six one Michelin-starred restaurants, with eight more on Michelin’s highly recommended Bib Gourmand list.
At the waterfront Grand Hotel, from 1874, master chef Mathias Dahlgren delivers his two Michelin-starred Matsalen, and in keeping with the practice among leading Swedish chefs of creating a more casual counterpart (known as bakficka, or “back-pocket”) to their high-end flagships, also his one Michelin-starred Matbaren.
Opened in 1787 as the cellar tavern of Stockholm’s original opera house, the main dining room at Operakallaren (The Cellar of the Opera) is as ornately decorated as its one Michelin-starred cuisine. The venue also offers private meeting and dining space, plus three more casual dining concepts.
One weekend each month at Adam & Albin Matstudio, young chefs Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman transform their gourmet noodle shop into a restaurant serving high-end cuisine made from signature ingredients from around the globe. Small groups can also book intimate private tastings with the chefs.
Home to 20-plus cultural institutions and more than 30 restaurants, regal Djurgarden Island offers a feast of planner options. Part of the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, ABBA The Museum is here, where groups can join Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid in virtual singalongs.
Housed in two 18th century naval sheds, the alcohol-themed Spiritmuseum (Museum of Spirits) features the 850 works of the Absolut Art Collection, Swedish party songs and avant-garde dining. At the event-capable Thiel Gallery art museum, smaller groups can also enjoy the cafe from popular Swedish cookbook author Monika Ahlberg.
The island is also home to two Michelin-starred Oaxen Krog and its bakficka, Oaxen Slip. Set alongside a canal in a former shipyard, this temple of all-natural traditional Swedish cuisine from husband-wife team Magnus Ek and Agneta Green includes private group space and a boutique hotel in their dockside 1935 wooden boat.
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With classy conference and function space for groups from 12 to 800 people, the waterfront Swedish Museum of Photography (Fotografiska) is also home to an award-winning third-floor restaurant with private dining space.
Turning 25 this June, Smaka pa Stockholm (A Taste of Stockholm) is a festive tie-in for visiting groups. Staged in downtown’s Kungstradgarden (King’s Garden) park, this four-day food and beverage festival features live music, culinary classes and frivolity galore.
From global fashion brand H&M (founded in 1947 in Vasteras, west of Stockholm) to legendary interior design shop Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm is heaven for retail-minded groups. In trendy Sodermalm, uber-hip SoFo (South of Folkungagatan) is packed with boutiques, vintage shops, bars and art galleries. Groups can also visit the world’s largest IKEA store just south of the city, free bus transfers included.
Gothenburg
Sweden’s second-largest city is home to Europe’s largest fully integrated hotel, exhibition and conference venue, the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre (Svenska Massan).
In December 2014, the multifunctional facility completed a nearly $150 million upgrade, including adding a third tower to the attached Gothia Towers, the largest hotel in Scandinavia. With the investment returning strong dividends in 2015—revenues increased by $33 million on a 20 percent visitor lift—another expansion was announced last month, outlining plans to invest some $350 million in two additional towers and improved entrances between 2016 and 2030.
Founded in 1621, Gothenburg’s impressive roster of design-driven hotels and venues includes Upper House at the Gothia Towers. Boasting classic minimalist Scandinavian stylings, this 49-room, five-star “hotel within a hotel” comes with high-tech meeting space and superb city views.
At the Rohsska Museum of Fashion, Design and Decorative Arts (Rohsska museet), groups can see exhibitions by top Scandinavian designers, learn about Sweden’s design history, and hold meetings, workshops and dinners.
The Gothenburg Museum of Art (Goteborgs Konstmuseum) features a leading collection of Nordic art from the turn of the 19th century and important works by masters including Rembrandt, van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. Also housing the Hasselblad Centre for Photographic Art, the museum offers tours and space for private dinners.
Housed in the city’s former main post office, the 500-room Clarion Hotel Post features a mix of contemporary and kitschy design, with 19 conference rooms, a rooftop pool and Norda Bar & Grill, a “Gothenburg meets Manhattan” concept from Marcus Samuelsson.
Located by the Lindholmen Science Park, Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel is a new award-winning lifestyle property. Offering 265 rooms and suites, five meeting rooms and the hopping Cuckoo’s Nest Restaurant and Bar, the harborside hotel partners with the 1,000-person capacity Lindholmen Conference Centre for larger meetings.
Malmo
With six exclusive meeting rooms on the top two floors of its iconic 54-story Turning Torso skyscraper, this former industrial center in southernmost Sweden comes with innovative flair.
One such example is the whimsical Bloom in the Park restaurant, where the “No Menu” concept from head chef Titti Qvarnstrom means unique experiences every time for social functions, corporate meetings and events.
Unveiled this past summer, Malmo Live is a new centrally located event venue that integrates conference space for up to 1,500 delegates with a 1,600-seat concert hall and 444-room Clarion Sign hotel, featuring two Marcus Samuelsson restaurants and sky bar.
With its cobblestones and half-timbered post-medieval houses, Lilla Torg (Little Square) is a lively social hub of shops, bars and outdoor cafes. Also here is the Form/Design Center, created in 1964 as a meeting place for ideas in design and architecture. Along with regular exhibitions, the Center features the best of Sweden’s furniture, textile, lighting and art industries.
Located in a former power station, Moderna Museet Malmo exhibits prominent contemporary international works of art, while Malmo Konsthall is renowned for its balance of function and aesthetics, and use of space and light in its gallery.
In late August, the citywide, weeklong Malmofestivalen is one of the largest festivals in Scandinavia, featuring art and design displays, music, food tents and more.
