Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport in Sweden is home to very unique hostel.
The JumboStay Hostel is a retired Boeing 747-200 who’s flying days are sadly past her, but the mighty aircraft has avoided the scrap man and is now a host to travellers and aviation enthusiasts wanting to pay a visit to this unique establishment.
2019 sees the 10th Anniversary of this unique and iconic business, so I decided to write an aritcle based on my stays here.
I’ve stayed twice at this hostel (February 2015 and March 2018) on short trips to Stockholm and both times I’ve had a pleasent and affordable stay.
Rooms for this hostel can start from 450SEK (£45) a night for a shared room (Male and Female only dorms), 700SEK (£75) for a night in a private room which could include an engine room and for 1,850SEK (£115) you can spend a night in the highly sort after Flight Deck suite!
When I visited in February 2015, the hotel receptionist mentioned that the flight deck suite was sold out every night until June 2015. I will always remember that, so if you plan to get that key room, book early in advance!
The Boeing 747 has an interesting history of ownership. Stating with its delivery in 1976, the Boeing 747-200B entered service with Singapore Airlines as 9V-SQE, serving destinations across Asia, Europe and America until it was sold to Pan Am in 1984 and operated for the iconic US Airline as N727PA until the airline went bankrupt in 1991. In 1992, the aircraft was purchased by Nationair of Canada and leased it to several airlines until Tower Air acquired it in 1996.
Transjet was its final operator until their demise in 2003, and in 2007, it was purchased by the current owners, led by Swedish entrepruner Oscar Diös. The hostel opened for business in early 2009 after two years of extensive refurbishment to make it safe and habitable from the rusting hull it had become over the last five years.
The nose section on the lower deck is open to the public as cafe and bar. The rooms total an allowance of 76 visitors in 33 rooms. Shared washroom and toilet facilities are located at the rear of the plane for all guests and the left wing is concreted over so people can enjoy a nice walk along the massive wing of the jumbo.
A free “ALFA” Bus service that operates in the grounds of Stockholm Arlanda Airport gives you an easy link from the Terminals to the hotel, which is a bus stop in its own right.
So if you are ever finding yourself going to Stockholm or wanting to enjoy an aviation themed break somewhere different, go to Stockholm and enjoy yourself a night or two- at the JumboStay!
