Hotels
The hotel where guests generate more energy than they consume
An increasing number of people are choosing to stay at this Stockholm hotel, brimming with cutting edge design, technology, and innovation. After all, where else do you create energy when taking the lift? Join us for a guided tour into the future.
"Comfort Hotel® Solna is Scandinavia's very first zero-energy hotel."
"Our vision is to become Scandinavia's most sustainable hotel – and we'll achieve that within ten years," promises a resolute and passionate Sam Radstakke Nissen.
Sam is the general manager at Comfort Hotel® Solna, located in the Arenastaden district of Stockholm.
The hotel, which opened in 2021, has a strong environmental focus and is also the Swedish headquarters of Scandinavian hotel chain Strawberry.
The hotel that sells electricity
We meet Sam in the reception area. It's clear that the atmosphere among the employees is good; there are smiles and greetings from the friendly receptionist, who also doubles as a bartender. And what do you get when you combine both functions? Well, it's a 'barception' – a combination of a bar and reception – where you can purchase drinks, organic food and snacks, and freshly brewed coffee.
The atmosphere is young and dynamic, and the entire neighbourhood is characterised by innovation, coworking places, start-ups, and entrepreneurial aesthetics.
"A zero-energy hotel is a hotel that produces more energy than it consumes. In the winter, we sometimes have to buy energy, but in the summer, we can sell it. We generate electricity that's sold to a power company – which in turn sells it on to its customers," explains Sam, before we head towards the lift for a proper tour.
The hotel, and its environmental focus, attracts large companies like ICA and Siemens, and other companies that adhere to specific CO2 targets. But regular business travellers and families also check in here. Comfort Hotel® Solna is conveniently located near the popular Westfield Mall of Scandinavia and the football and concert stadium, Friends Arena.
Covered in solar panels
The hotel comprises 10 floors with 336 hotel rooms, as well as 88 apartments for long-term guests. We head straight to the top of the building.
The rooftop is adorned with 2,500 square metres of solar panels. This makes Comfort Hotel® Solna the world's most solar panel-rich hotel, generating a significant amount of energy.
"This is the world's most solar panel-dense hotel – there's simply no room for more solar panels," explains Sam, as we walk onto the roof and take in the view.
The hotel is located near Råstasjön, known for its birdlife and green spaces. Here, urban innovation meets the green natural environment.
"In addition, 70% of all materials are recycled, and the hotel features environmentally friendly raw concrete. The solar panels account for 75% of the hotel's energy," adds Sam.
But there are more smart solutions here that you won't find elsewhere.
Taking the lift can be smart…
As we move from the rooftop to the hotel rooms, we learn a fun (and important) fact: When the lift moves with gravity, it generates energy that's later used to lift it back up again. So, for once, taking the lift gives you just as clear a conscience as taking the stairs...
Among the hotel rooms, you'll find everything from standard double rooms to XXL rooms for large families and two-bedroom apartments up to 63 square metres big. The interiors are muted and minimalistic, with wooden details. The walls are made of concrete, and there's a good reason for that: they help maintain a consistent temperature.
"Concrete absorbs more sunlight than other materials," says Sam:
"In addition, the heat from the kitchen is used to heat up the rooms. The windows are designed in a way that allows just the right amount of sunlight in – so we don't need to cool the rooms down during the summer."
Check your room at check-in
We take a quick peek inside the laundromat on the way back to our starting point.
Guests can wash, dry, and iron their clothes at the hotel without any extra cost – making it easy to pack lightly for your holiday or business trip. It's environmentally friendly, too.
Back at reception, Sam has saved another exciting piece of news for us: We're about to check into the most energy-efficient room:
"Using digital solutions at reception, the night shift can determine which rooms consume the least energy at any given time and check guests into those rooms first," he says.
We look at the graphs, and on this spring day, room 374 is consuming the least energy. So, we check in there and immediately feel a little better!
