Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into franchise agreements with Story Hotels Holding AB to bring three hotels in Sweden under the JDV Hotel brand, helping to grow Hyatt’s independent collection brand in Europe. The three boutique hotels – Story Hotel Riddargatan and Story Hotel Signalfabriken in Stockholm, as well as Story Hotel Studio Malmö, Sweden – will all retain their individual hotel names and unique identities. The three Story Hotels will be available for reservation through Hyatt’s booking channels and for World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points for stays starting 15 April 2021.
Hyatt’s independent collection portfolio is a collection of brands that not only embrace the locations in which each hotel resides, but serve as a gateway to some of the most sought-after destinations worldwide. Each property brings a sense of place to the guest experience in new and unforgettable ways.
“We are very excited to bring these three Story Hotels in Europe under Hyatt’s JDV Hotel brand portfolio and at the same time grow the Hyatt hotel footprint in Sweden”, said Briana Swift, director of development Europe and Southwest Asia at Hyatt. “We are focused on thoughtful growth in locations that meet our guests’ and members’ needs, and the upcoming addition of three Story Hotels help us fuel this growth in markets like Scandinavia, as we collaborate with owners who want to maintain each property’s unique identity. With their strong design focus and neighbourhood feel, Story Hotels will be the perfect representation of Hyatt’s independent collection in Europe.”
Story Hotel Riddargatan, Story Hotel Signalfabriken and Story Hotel Studio Malmö are ideally located at the heart of their destinations and each will celebrate the unique neighbourhoods in which the properties reside. With modern, Scandinavian design that reflects the edgy nature of both cities, the hotels will offer amenities for both business and leisure travellers.
“It was clear at an early stage that Hyatt and Story Hotels had a very similar vision of how modern upscale living should look and feel”, said Staffan Åkerlind, CEO Story Hotels. “We are thrilled to introduce the JDV Hotel brand to Europe and Scandinavia, and we are proud to be working with such an experienced, international hospitality company like Hyatt. We look forward to leveraging their experience to offer excellent service to our guests and benefit from their global scale and distribution platform.”
All three hotels will feature individually designed boutique guestrooms, vibrant public spaces and food and beverage offerings popular with both visitors and locals alike. Boutique in size as a reflection of their urban locations, each hotel will offer complimentary access to local gyms during their stay.
Story Hotel Riddargatan, Stockholm
An 83-room property widely believed to be one of Stockholm’s original boutique hotels, the Story Hotel Riddargatan will have an industrial design to represent the building’s former life as an apartment complex, barber shop and garage. The property is centrally located in the Östermalm area with easy access to vibrant neighbourhood restaurants, cafés and bars as well as the high-end shopping district. The hotel will also feature a restaurant, Ling Long, specialising in Southeast Asian cuisine, and one indoor and one outdoor bar.
Story Hotel Signalfabriken, Stockholm
Story Hotel Signalfabriken will feature 83 individually designed guestrooms and a vibrant bar and restaurant, which will host regular DJ performances. Formerly a fire station and town hall, this listed property in Sundbyberg’s Torg neighbourhood will attract business travellers with meetings in the surrounding areas of Solna, Bromma and Kista. Leisure guests will enjoy the small town feel and abundance of restaurants nearby with quick access to Stockholm’s city centre in less than ten minutes via the nearby tram, bus and subway lines.
Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Story Hotel Studio Malmö will feature 95 unique guestrooms, all creative and playful in their design to reflect the young and vibrant population of the city. Situated on the top floors of a high-rise building, the hotel offers spectacular views overlooking the city and water. The hotel is part of the mixed-use Studio building, which also houses conference and meeting facilities, corporate offices, retail outlets, several restaurants and a café. With its unique waterside location at Universitetsholmen, and close proximity to Malmö’s central station, guests can easily explore the city and nearby Copenhagen via a 35-minute train ride. The hotel’s restaurant and cocktail bar, Kasai in the Sky, will deliver food and drink on Malmö’s highest outdoor terrace with views of the ocean and city skyline.
Story Hotel Riddargatan, Story Hotel Signalfabriken and Story Hotel Studio Malmö are expected to increase the number of Hyatt hotels in Sweden to four, following the 2020 opening of Stockholm’s Hotell Reisen, which is part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. Fuelled by guests’ growing desire for unique, differentiated experiences that foster genuine connections with people and cultures, Hyatt recently announced its intention to grow by more than 30 per cent in Europe, with a significant focus on developing the footprint of its lifestyle brands.
