Who needs posh?! Would a minimalist wooden cabin – bobbing on Swedish waters – with an interior reduced to bare necessities not suffice as well? Hotell Utter Inn, a pocket-sized lodging solution near Västerås, was conceived by local artist Mikael Genberg and built in 2000. It not merely floats, but virtually represents an islet in its own right. The tiny upstairs-downstairs affair has no immediate neighbours intruding into whatever one might be up to and is always encircled by a refreshing breeze to help cool off a reeling mind. Privacy of a similar quality is rarely to be had this close to civilisation.
Submerged hotel bedroom: tranquility guaranteed
A good night’s sleep in “fishy” company: Hotell Utter Inn’s underwater bedroom. Photo: ©Leon Grimaldi.
Plus, nights, one is gently rocked into sleep by the rippling waves of Lake Mälaren. Should the lake creatures swishing past its four panoramic bedroom windows three metres underneath the surface cause too much distraction: why not adapt and count mute fish wriggling by instead of baa-ing sheep leaping over endless fences? Needless to emphasise that this is not recommended for anyone having problems with confined spaces.
From the harbour of Västerås, an inflatable boat takes guests about one kilometre into Lake Mälaren. Equipped with useful instructions on how to handle the cabin’s technicalities, the temporary inhabitants are now the sole masters of their Lilliput kingdom mounted atop a 25 s.qm pontoon construction.
The room on water level is fitted out with a hot plate, kitchen utensils, crockery, a 10-litre tank of potable water and refrigeration. Should the craving for a gourmet dinner become too unbearable, a boat will deliver delicacies ordered from the mainland. Photo: ©Pia Nordlander.
The floating cabin is not connected to mains electricity; in lieu, gas-fired heating and ample electricity for lighting offer guests the basic amenities they are accustomed to. Most importantly: for inevitable calls of nature, a practical porta-potti (= portable toilet) sits in a quiet corner. No shower cabin, though. But then again, for personal hygiene, a whole lake-full of water is waiting outdoors. :-) For excursions to the uninhabited islands in the vicinity, guests are free to use the red dinghy stored on the terrace.
Hotell Utter Inn is a non-smoking – and non-fishing! – facility, opened between April and October.
Location of Hotell Utter Inn.
All images provided by Västerås Tourist Center. Header image: ©Leon Grimaldi
More unusual Swedish hotels on goodmeetings.com: Made of Ice: A truly unique Hotel