Stockholm Arlanda’s Jumbo Hostel

Whilst visiting Sweden recently, I took the opportunity to spend a night at Stockholm Arlanda’s new novelty item – the Jumbo Hostel!

This Boeing 747-200B was dragged from storage at the airport into a new spot next to a taxiway and the main road to the airport and converted into an upmarket hostel to join the other hotel offerings at Arlanda.

The aircraft (c/n 21162/283) had previously flown with Singapore Airlines (9V-SQE), Pan Am (N727PA), Nationair (C-FNXP), Tower Air (N514DC / N620FF), Air Club International (C-GCIH), Transjet Airways (SE-RBN), and North East Airlines (3D-NEE), before retiring in 2004.

Oscar Diös, a hostel magnate, heard about the aircraft for sale and snapped it up. He set about transforming it by stripping out much of the interior and turning it into a unique hostel.

You can’t really miss the aircraft as it stands high above the road and is visible from the terminal area too. To enter, you climb the steps or use the lift to reach the L1 door. Remember to leave your shoes in the rack at the door as I was told off immediately!

The reception is directly in front of you, next to the original spiral staircase. To the left, in the nose of the aircraft, is the cafeteria area where you can have a drink, watch TV, or have breakfast in the morning (60SEK). To the right, the main cabin of the aircraft has been partitioned into rooms on either side of the central corridor.

I had chosen a single room, however dormitories are available too at less cost, and upstairs they have a suite in the cockpit. I entered my room and was confronted with original overhead lockers (still usable) with their original seat numbers in place (29ABC for my room). There were also a few of the original windows, giving a view out over the massive wing.

The room had a double bed on the bottom, and single bed above, so there is room for two or a family to share. It was very comfortable, and included a TV.

At the rear of the cabin, down the corridor, is an enclosed wash area which sits outside the rear door and has fantastic views over the surrounding. There are also three private toilet/sink/shower rooms for everyone to use which were very clean and had soap dispensers provided. My room had clean towels provided.

Free wireless internet was included (access key is printed on your door key), so once settled it was on with the laptop and Flightradar24 to keep an eye on the evening arrivals at Arlanda. My room on the port side of the aircraft looked out on the distant runway 19L/01R and taxiway which linked it to the cargo ramp/Terminal 2. I could also see some departures from runway 19R after they turned.

The other side of the aircraft has views over the cargo ramp at Arlanda, and part of Terminal 2 and runway 19R/01L.

Breakfast the next morning wasn’t anything special, but it was enough to get me going. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed staying the night in this aircraft.

You can visit their website at www.jumbostay.com

Here are some pictures of the stay:

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