Gunhild Stensmyr had a career as a director at renowned art galleries in Sweden. One of her achievements was to build and run a gallery of her own. Year 2002 she opened Sweden’s smallest exhibition hall in Skäret in the northwest region of Skåne. But a little more than ten years ago she decided to return to Tornedalen in the very north of Sweden where she grew up. Her vision was to create an Art village in her home district, where the heart is Konsthall Tornedalen, now in progress. Arthotel Tornedalen is also part of that vision, a hotel combining comfortable living close to nature with high-end contemporary art experience.
– When I first came back here I decided to buy a forest property. Eventually, I bought more land and abandoned houses and this is what now has become a hotel close to the wild nature, with rooms decorated with the art I collected throughout my career. The guests come here in order to enjoy the stillness. It is really a unique place for relaxation and reflection, she says.
At present there are a total 16 beds available, spread out over four renovated houses. They are all decorated and furnished with Scandinavian design, crafts and contemporary art. The idea is that every object should have a story to tell. The main house, built in the 1920’s contains dining room, sitting room, bar and a library with an extensive collection of art and architecture books. The guests are looked after by the local staff, including the owner, taking care of their every need.
– On top of reading books, eating and relaxing on the premises, there are many other things for our guests to do. In winter you can ski in the forest, and we also have a winter road on the ice that goes over to Finland. In the summer you can do canoeing, hiking and swimming. Last but not least we also have absolutely excellent waters for salmon fishing, says Gunhild Stensmyr.
In order to develop the facility Gunhild Stensmyr is looking for investors willing to be a part of making Arthotel Tornedalen into an even more attractive place to stay. The plan is to prepare the venue to be able to host conferences and increase the comfort of guests even further.
– Last year we had about 700 guest nights booked, and that was with minima of advertising So, here we already have a lot of potential. But we also want to develop the concept with new buildings comprising e.g chambre separé for private dinner sessions and retreat room, a small gym and hot tubs, she says.
– Invest Norrbottens worked with Gunhild Stensmyr to create a compelling investment memorandum, which will now be used in the next phase of seeking a suitable investor. Swedish Lapland has great opportunities thanks to our pure and clean nature and the beautifully contrasting experiences on offer both in summer and winter. Midnight sun during summer and the Northern Lights during winter combined with unique designed high-quality accommodations – all that can be found at Arthotel, said Malin Fagerkull at Invest in Norrbotten.
– I am looking for a business partner, and I think it is a great opportunity for someone who wants to invest in a unique venue driven entirely by passion. I am therefore looking forward initiating a dialogue with interested companies or individuals, says Gunhild Stensmyr.
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