IKEA-town or it’s formal name Älmhult is so dominated by this giant furniture company that the should reconsider there name. But is it worth visiting. With a friend over from Berlin I decided to give him the ultimate swedish experience. We made a one night trip to IKEA-town just to try out the IKEA hotel and the IKEA museum.
IKEA Hotel
I have stayed on many hotels over the years. Some have been luxurious five star hotels like Grand Mercure in Hanoi. While others have been simple hostels like Premium Hostel in Krakow, located in the old office of Gestapo during WW2. But nothing have been like the IKEA hotel in IKEA-town. From the outside it does look like a well maintained building from 1964. And thats just what it is! It’s aesthetics is focused on functionality more then candy for the eye.
Well it could still be the msot decent hotel in IKEA-town. The check in was smooth and the employees working there was very friendly. I wanted to get a shower after my 2,5 hours drive so I went straight to my room. When I opened the door I first thought that I was visiting a monastery. I do understand that an IKEA hotel have al IKEA furnitures. But I was surprised there was no paintings in the room. The tv was small and the internet have some kind of filter that blocks gay dejting apps but allowed straight ones. Something I never experienced in Sweden before. I have mailed the IKEA Hotel about this but not got any answer back.
So the room was actually cold and I didn’t feel welcome there. It was something that leaved the feeling of loneness and depression in the room. On the other side, the public areas was warm and welcoming. I could really feel how theý worked to get a common space that people actually wanted to be in and socialize with others.
Im not a vegetarian, but some green stuff is good
Staying at an IKEA Hotel in IKEA-town we also needed to try out their food. And if the room was cold, the restaurant was a disaster. The Smålandic tapas was tasty and I did like the cheese. But what the waiter told us was aioli didn’t have any taste of garlic. My hamburger was totally brown! There was absolutely no color of it a all. And I don’t understand why. It would have been so simple to put some fresh veggies on it to maske both more colorful as healthy. The smoked mayonnaise most have made a fast run thrue the smoker. It was just mayonnaise, nothing else. My friends Baked pointed cabbage was better. Both in presentation and taste. But the filling was uneven making part of it less yummy.
The breakfast was a typical nordic hotel brick breakfast. Everything I think belong to a good breakfast was there and I arrived early before it got crowded. Later it did become more crowded and a little more noicey. My only negative opinion for the breakfast was that I missed a towel to keep around the bred when you cut it. I have no interest at al to eat strangers hand bacteria, and think the lack of towel is unhygienic.
The IKEA Museum
The IKEA Museum is just like the IKEA Hotel in the IKEA-town a one of the kind. It’s more focused on the values of IKEA and their working process that they call Democratic design. I did find it interesting but reacted that they tried to put Ingvar Kamprad in the same context as Per-Albin Hansson, Astrid Kindgren and the Myrdals. They al had the courage to stand up against the nazis while Kamprad happily joined them. Its true that he later have made an public excuse for his values as a youth. But I still think it’s tasteless to connect IKEAs founder with those who stood up against the Nazis.
But that’s history and the exhibition really showed how IKEA is trying to develop products that fits the many people. I don’t have a super interest in the values and design work the museum and would have preferb a bigger exhibition of iconic IKEA furnitures. On the positive side, free coffee is included in the museum ticket and the museum shop is well worth a visit.
Is IKEA-Town worth a visit?
Well yes and no. If you is a devoted supporter of IKEA the IKEA-town is definitive a most. It’s an uniq destination with the only hotel totally furnished with IKEA furnitures and the IKEA Museum is well worth a visit to learn more about their democratic design. If you ain’t a devoted IKEA supporter, then choose another destination.