Former Västerås power plant turned power hotel with a warm industrial feel
Steam Hotel / Västerås / Sweden
Sometimes a really great hotel can transform, ok maybe that is too heavy, influence a town. It can influence how people view the town and the hotel itself can be the reason why people decide to come. This is totally the case with Steam Hotel in Västerås, Sweden. And that is not all. As you know, I also have a huge love for repurposed buildings. This impressive building used to be a powerplant back in the day that in the forward thinking hands of the Ess Group has been transformed into a destination design hotel by Lake Mälaren.
I have featured hotels by Swedish powerhouse Ess Group in this blog before, like Hotel Pigalle in Gothenburg. They currently have 10 hotels (and some really great restaurant and meeting places) around Scandinavia with the majority located in Sweden. What I like so much about their hotels? It is that they breath life into them. It shows both in the design and the energy. These are places people want to hang out at.
The tall Steam Hotel stands out on the shoreline of Lake Mälaren with a total of 18 floors. Many hotels try their best to create an industrial look and feel but here they don’t have to try. They have it in spades with exposed bricks, old pipes, different (undefined) machinery and worn concrete. All these hard features like stone, metal and concrete are paired with softer ones like wood, glass and vibrant textiles. When these are combined it results in a style they call Romantic Industrial. And it totally works!
The Steam Hotel almost sucks you in when you arrive. Such a welcoming entrance, especially in an dark Winter evening like when we stayed here.
The combined bar and reception.
Warm and welcoming feeling when you enter the hotel.
They call their style Romantic Industrial and it is easy to see why. Great idea to combine a round velvet sofa with exposed, rusty beams.
These kind of style clashes shouldn’t work but they do. Love this!
The industrial heritage is present everywhere you look.
The corridors are dark and dare I say it… sexy…
Our cozy room.
Our room had photos sharing authentic stories of the industrial heritage of the building.
A room with a view. A view of an ice covered Lake Mälaren in that wintery blue light.
The bar on the top floor is such a statement. You can have breakfast both on the ground floor and here. It is a no brainer to go to the top floor. Nothing beats a good view.
You can never have too many lamps. Especially when they look as good as these. Such a great way to create a cosy feeling.
Time to check out.
If you do want to see the sights of Västerås (no, there is no connection to Game of Thrones) my favorite is the City Hall, by Sven Ahlbom. I love mid-century architecture with its functional, simple aesthetic.
The well renowned Skultuna Bruk, just outside Vösterås is a great place to go to pick up something for yourself or someone you like.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are looking for a really great weekend retreat. You can check in at Steam Hotel and just stay in the whole weekend. They have a great spa, two restaurants, bars, pool table… Basically everything you might ask for.
My favorite thing about this place…
…I love when it feels like a hotel has just moved into an already existing building, especially when the building is as beautiful as this one. There is something about these old, industrial structures that creates such a great basis, or canvas for a hotel. Just like Nääs Fabriker, Villa Augustus, Liberty and Blique by Nobis.
What not to miss when staying here…
…just outside the city of Västerås there is an old brass production plant called Skultuna Bruk. They have really made a name for themselves lately as brass became a popular material for different home accessories. They have an excellent factory store with great prices. Perfect place to come and buy something for the baby-/dog sitter back home.
If you like this place you might also like…
Nääs Fabriker, Tollered, Sweden
Factory, M'ünster, Germany
Gastwerk, Hamburg, Germany
