Unique Hostels in Stockholm

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You might think that all hostels are alike – big dorm rooms, shared bathrooms, a few (coveted) private rooms, guest kitchen, common area, and maybe (if you’re lucky) an on-site bar or cafe. Sure, most hostels fit that description, many of those are still fun and great places to stay. But you probably aren’t going to write home about the hostels you’re staying in if they all have the same basic format. Heck, you may not be writing home anyway…

But let’s say you are – wouldn’t it be cooler to have at the top of your list of things to write about the one-of-a-kind hostel you stayed in? If you think it would, and you’re planning to visit Sweden, then you’ll want to make not of these unique hostels in Stockholm. These places didn’t even bother breaking the mold – they looked at the mold, shrugged their shoulders, and went a completely different direction.

>> For a selection of hostels that’s a little less “unique,” browse through our Stockholm hostels listings.

The Most Unique Hostels in Stockholm

Jumbo Hostel

Most travelers spend lots of time on planes, so why not stay in a hostel that’s in an old airplane? The Jumbo Hostel in Stockholm is (naturally) at the city’s airport, Arlanda Airport, and it occupies a decommissioned Boeing 747-200 jet. The plane was originally built back in 1976, but had been sitting idle at Arlanda since 2002 when the airline that owned it (the Swedish TransJet) went bankrupt. Rather than continue to let it rust, businessman Oscar Diös bought it in 2006 and turned it into a hostel.

The Jumbo Hostel has a total of 25 rooms with 72 beds, most of which are dorm-style with multiple bunks in each room. But if you can afford a little bit of a splurge, you’ll want to book the Cockpit Suite. Not only do you get to stay in the jet’s old cockpit (talk about a cool view, even if it is just of an airport), you’ll also get a private bathroom. The other rooms have shared bathrooms in the hall, the whole plane hostel has free WiFi, & breakfast is included with some of the rooms.

There’s a cafe inside the Jumbo Hostel, too, and though it serves microwaved meals it’s still a fun and funky place to hang out with other hostelgoers. And if you can’t spend the night but want to check it out anyway, the hostel encourages people to make day-trips to see the airplane-turned-hostel… Or you could always swing by as you’re passing through Arlanda Airport.

Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel

If a plane doesn’t suit your fancy, how about a boat? The Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel sits on Lake Malaren right in the middle of Stockholm, and occupies a boat built in Norway in 1950. The M/S Rygerfjord has been permanently docked on Lake Malaren since 1995, offering both hotel and hostel accommodation options to visitors – so you can pick the level of service you want (depending on your budget).

The hostel option doesn’t include sheets or towels in the price, so you’ll either need to bring your own or rent them on-site. (Be aware that sleeping bags aren’t allowed.) The hotel option does include sheets and towels, but breakfast costs extra no matter which option you choose. The Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel has a grand total of 130 beds and there’s a restaurant on the ship, but no guest kitchen. In fact, you aren’t allowed to bring food into the cabins at all. Another restriction is that kids under the age of 12 aren’t allowed to stay overnight for “security reasons” (whatever that means).

Aside from being a unique hostel on a boat, the Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel is well-placed in Stockholm so that you’re walking distance of the old town and many of the city’s sights. And if you don’t want to walk, you can rent a bike at the reception desk. WiFi and internet access are available for free.

STF/IYHF af Chapman Hostel

If you want to stay on the water but the Rygerfjord is booked, there’s another hostel on the water in Stockholm – the STF Hostel af Chapman. Okay, I know what you’re thinking – another boat hostel? How can it be unique if there are two of them? Well, the STF Hostel af Chapman is no ordinary boat. This one’s a sailboat, built in 1888, which sailed around both Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. Which makes it one well-traveled hostel vessel.

The af Chapman sailboat was moved to Stockholm in 1937 to serve as accommodation for the Swedish navy, and later sold to the city and turned into a hostel in 1949. Many of the cabins have been restored to their original splendor, so make for an historic hostel stay in addition to an unusual one. And if the boat’s cabins are booked (or you worry about seasickness while you sleep) there are also rooms in the hostel’s on-land location next to the boat. The building (which houses the reception desk as well) also has an interesting history – it used to be where the royal family kept their firewood in the 18th century.

Between the sailboat and the building, the STF Hostel af Chapman has space for a total of 280 people. There’s a bar/cafe in the building on land, where is also where the hostel breakfast is served (for a fee). Linens and towels are not included, so either bring your own or be ready to rent them at the hostel. The hostel is in the city center on Skeppsholmen island, and you can walk to several attractions or take the ferry to other nearby islands.

Langholmen’s Hostel

Another entry on the “unique Stockholm hostels” list is the Langholmen’s Hostel, which occupies a former prison. That’s right, the hostel rooms are in the old prison cells. This is really the closest to being in jail you’ll want to get while traveling (not to mention ever), so you might as well enjoy the novelty of it. This prison/hostel is on one of Stockholm’s city center islands, Langholmen, and located close to public transportation and lovely green spaces.

The building was constructed in the 1840s as Crown Remand Prison, and it served as a prison right up until 1975. The cells dorm rooms all have bunks with anywhere from 2 to 4 beds, and many of them even have private bathrooms (though they’ve been significantly upgraded since the prison days). The whole prison hostel was renovated after the last inmate left, and it now boasts free WiFi throughout and a nice on-site bar and restaurant.

Linens and towels are not included in the price, so you’ll need to bring your own or you can rent them from the hostel. Breakfast, which is served in the on-site restaurant, is available but also not included in the price. And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the hostel’s Prison Museum.

photo at top by Mr Phil Price