Life goals: sleeping at the IKEA hotel (the bed is already assembled)
As far as I’m concerned, IKEA is a classic case of you either love it, or you hate it: for some people, walking around there is absolute hell. And other people do it for fun. I find it pretty sneaky that there’s only one route to the exit, meaning you first have to make your way through the entire store. And well, I never leave empty-handed.
Nor with an empty stomach, for that matter, because those Swedish meatballs… But it gets even better for all IKEA fans: you don’t even have to go home anymore. In the Swedish town of Älmhult, which is also home to the very first IKEA ever, just a stone’s throw away, there’s a fully-fledged IKEA hotel.
Sleeping at IKEA and eating in Småland
I’m actually surprised this isn’t already a massive craze, because doesn’t this sound like so much fun? The rooms are fully furnished with — you wouldn’t expect it — IKEA furniture, and you have breakfast at the Småland restaurant. You can also have lunch and dinner there, by the way. In other words: Swedish meatballs galore. Or so you’d think…
I do find the menu hilarious, by the way, because it also features dishes such as Smålandic tapas: a selection of cheeses and meats from local farmers. But to my great horror — and I genuinely don’t understand why — there are no Swedish meatballs on the menu. Excuse me?! Of course, they would simply be called ‘meatballs’ there, but they’re nowhere to be found on the menu. Instead, there are (vegan) smashed burgers, trout or cabbage. Completely incomprehensible — why would I sit down at an IKEA restaurant if the meatballs aren’t on the menu?!
Hanging out at your IKEA hotel
Right, so you’ll have to prepare yourself for that disappointment if you go here. During the day, when you’re not hanging out in your IKEA room, you can shop at the very first IKEA branch, which is 500 metres away… or visit the IKEA Museum, which is also next to the hotel. Well, what a top-notch outing this is. Apart from the meatballs.
