Hotell Malmen

Scandic Hotel Malmen, commonly known as Malmen, is a hotel in the Södermalm district of Stockholm, Sweden. It occupies a prominent urban building near Medborgarplatsen and is associated with Stockholm's post-war commercial architecture. The property is recognized by the Stockholm City Museum as having particularly high cultural-historical value, reflecting its importance to the area's history, built environment, cultural history, and artistic character. The present hotel building was constructed between 1948 and 1951 on the site of the former Stora Teatern, a major cinema and entertainment venue built in 1916. Its development was undertaken by Kommunal Hotell AB. Architects Georg Varhelyi and Carl-Axel Acking designed the building in a modernist style characteristic of the early post-war period. Acking's work combined a polished urban presence with practical, space-conscious planning. Contemporary design solutions included relatively narrow rooms and the use of couch beds as supplementary sleeping accommodation, illustrating how the building balanced architectural ambition with the operational requirements of a commercial hotel. The building's facade has been renovated several times, but it has retained distinctive blue-grey decorative details that contribute to its recognizable appearance. From the property's early years, the corner facing Folkungagatan included an entrance to Medborgarplatsen metro station. The building also contained an office of Stockholm Savings Bank with direct access from both the street and the hotel lobby. That banking operation closed during the 1980s, reflecting the changing commercial use of the complex. Malmen has changed ownership several times during its existence. Since 2009 it has formed part of Scandic Hotels, one of the Nordic region's major hotel groups. In its Scandic configuration, the property serves leisure and business travelers and provides accommodation, meeting facilities, a gym, and food-and-beverage services. The hotel also has a small bar with a concert stage, giving the property a role in Stockholm's local music and nightlife setting in addition to its lodging function. The hotel is a substantial urban property with 332 rooms across ten floors. Its facilities include four conference rooms, with the largest reported to accommodate up to 120 seated participants. The listed room inventory includes allergy-friendly, accessible, and pet-friendly options. Other on-site features reported for the property include a gym and a barbershop. Its location in Södermalm, close to public transportation and Medborgarplatsen, is central to its appeal: the hotel combines conventional full-service urban accommodation with a strong architectural and neighborhood identity. Malmen also has a place in international sporting history. In February 1955, the Federation of International Bandy was founded at a meeting held at the hotel. This event connects the property not only with Stockholm's architectural development but also with the institutional history of bandy, a sport particularly associated with the Nordic region and parts of Eurasia.

The history of Hotell Malmen is closely tied to the redevelopment of Stockholm's Södermalm district in the post-war period. The hotel stands on a site previously occupied by Stora Teatern, which had been built in 1916 and was regarded as one of Stockholm's largest film theatres. Between 1948 and 1951, the earlier entertainment building was replaced by the present hotel complex, developed by Kommunal Hotell AB. Architects Georg Varhelyi and Carl-Axel Acking designed the new building as a modernist commercial hotel. Its architecture expressed the functional and aesthetic priorities of the early 1950s: a prominent urban form, restrained but distinctive decoration, and careful use of interior space. Acking's design has been described as elegant yet pragmatic. Room planning was relatively compact, and couch beds were used to increase sleeping capacity without requiring larger rooms. The result was a building that combined a strong public presence with efficient hotel operations. The property was planned as part of a wider urban setting rather than as an isolated lodging facility. From the beginning, the corner facing Folkungagatan incorporated an entrance to Medborgarplatsen metro station. A Stockholm Savings Bank office also had direct entrances from the street and hotel lobby. The bank branch remained in operation until the 1980s, after which the commercial composition of the building changed. Although the facade has undergone several renovations, it has retained blue-grey decorative elements that preserve much of its original visual identity. The Stockholm City Museum has assigned the building particularly high cultural-historical value from several perspectives, including general history, cultural history, the urban environment, and the arts. This assessment makes the property notable beyond its function as a hotel and places it within Stockholm's architectural heritage. The hotel has had multiple owners over time. In 2009 it became part of Scandic Hotels, linking the property to a large Nordic hotel network while preserving its identity as Malmen. The hotel continues to operate as an urban accommodation and meeting venue in Södermalm. It has 332 rooms distributed across ten floors, four conference rooms, and a largest meeting room reported to seat up to 120 people. Its other documented facilities include a gym, a barbershop, and a small hotel bar with a concert stage. Malmen's cultural history also includes a significant sporting event. In February 1955, representatives meeting at the hotel founded the Federation of International Bandy. The episode illustrates how the property functioned as a meeting place for organizations and communities as well as for ordinary hotel guests. Today, its significance rests on the combination of ongoing hospitality use, central Stockholm accessibility, post-war modernist architecture, and accumulated local and international associations.

• 2009

  Joins Scandic Hotels

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  After changing ownership several times, the hotel became part of the Scandic Hotels chain.

• 1980

  Savings bank office closes

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  The Stockholm Savings Bank office located within the building ceased operating during the 1980s.

• 1955

  International bandy federation founded at Malmen

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  A meeting at the hotel in February resulted in the founding of the Federation of International Bandy.

• 1951

  Hotel building completed

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  The modernist hotel building designed by Georg Varhelyi and Carl-Axel Acking was completed.

• 1948

  Construction of the hotel begins

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the present hotel building began under Kommunal Hotell AB, replacing the earlier theatre structure.

• 1916

  Stora Teatern opens on the site

  [1]Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org

  The site was occupied by Stora Teatern, a large Stockholm film theatre and entertainment venue.

A centrally located, midscale Stockholm hotel combining Scandic-standard accommodation and conference services with a distinctive post-war modernist building and a culturally significant Södermalm location.

• Accommodation

  Hotel rooms

  The core offering is urban hotel accommodation in a ten-floor property with 332 rooms. The documented inventory includes allergy-friendly rooms, accessible rooms, and pet-friendly rooms, supporting a broad range of leisure and business travelers. The compact room planning reflects the practical modernist design of the original building.

• Meetings and events

  Conference facilities

  Malmen provides four conference rooms for business meetings and events. The largest room is reported to accommodate up to 120 seated participants, making the property suitable for medium-sized corporate gatherings and organized functions in central Stockholm.

• Food, beverage, and entertainment

  Hotel bar and concert stage

  The property includes a small hotel bar with a concert stage. This gives Malmen an entertainment function in addition to accommodation and allows it to participate in Södermalm's restaurant, nightlife, and live-music environment.

• Guest amenities

  Fitness facilities

  A gym is among the hotel's documented guest facilities. It complements the property's full-service urban-hotel offer for both short-stay visitors and business travelers.

• 2009

  Integration into Scandic HotelsM&A

  Background

  The hotel had changed owners several times before becoming part of the Scandic Hotels chain.

  Action taken

  Malmen was incorporated into Scandic Hotels' hotel network. The available reference does not identify the precise legal or financial form of the transaction.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as a Stockholm hotel under the Scandic brand.

  Source

1. 1Scandic Hotel Malmenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Scandic Malmen official hotel pagescandichotels.com