Hotel Rival - Stockholm, Sweden 

Hotel Rival details:  The former Abba star, Benny Andersson and his partners, have shaped this hotel and restored a 1930's Art Deco red velvet cinema and the result is a lively new meeting complex. Situated in the trendy and bohemian district of the southern island of Stockholm, Södermalm, The Hotel Rival overlooks the beautiful tree lined square of Mariatorget.

Andersson and his group have recaptured the glamour of the hotel from when it originally opened as the Aston hotel in 1937. The hotel complex includes an Art Deco cocktail bar, bistro, café, bakery, conference rooms and a salon for 700 people. A grand circular staircase leads to the vibrant hotel restaurant.

The Art Deco feel of the interior design is a happy marriage between form and functionality. This is hardly a standard hotel, proof of which is the unique details such as: lacquered orange walls, Kasthall woven rugs and matte oak floors. Some rooms include pink chairs, orange ottomans, red leather sofas and polka dot lampshades.

Each guest room is decorated with a scene from a classic Swedish film and includes luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets and flat screen TVs.

Hotel Rival's exhaustive pillow menu features numerous natural and man made combinations; from goose down to buckwheat.

Hotel Rival opened September 1st, 2003 and is owned by Benny Andersson. Rival is situated at beautiful Maria Square, in the heart of Södermalm, Stockholm city. It is only 1 km from the Old Town and 3 km from the castle.

The owner strives to create a happy mix of design and function in the 99 guest rooms.

A favored meeting place for many Swedish locals, Hotel Rival has a bar, bistro, café, bakery, conference rooms and a salon for 700 people.