Umeå’s latest hotel, U&Me, opens its doors: An innovative design dream where guests are in control

Stay in a compact 9 sq. m room or take up an entire suite. Or maybe somewhere completely away from the hotel? At the unstaffed U&Me, guests can customise their hotel experience with everything from gluttonous Norrland gastronomy, scooter tours and the northern lights to leaving the hotel grounds to camp out overnight in a U&Me tent.

On 8 September, U&Me, a new hotel located in the heart of central Umeå, opens its doors for the first time. The hotel, with architecture that is reminiscent of the trunk of a birch tree, is situated on floors 6-13 of the city’s new Väven cultural quarter. The beds in each room are turned facing towards the windows, giving views over either the Ume river or the Umeå skyline. U&Me was designed by the award-winning Snøhetta agency, whilst the conceptual idea and furnishing design was handled by the Stylt Trampoli architecture and design agency.

At U&Me, guests are completely in control of their experience. The hotel is unstaffed and 100% web-based. There is no reception and the process of checking in and out is done using check-in desks, just like at an airport. Before and during their stay, guests customise their hotel experience based on their needs, requirements and wallet - all through the website. You can opt to book just the accommodation, i.e. the hotel bed, or you can add experiences such as guitar lessons in the room, some gluttonous Norrland gastronomy, a water skiing session on the Ume river or something completely different.

–  In creating U&Me, we’ve tried to think outside the box, questioning everything. The hotel is situated right in the heart of Umeå and we want our guests to experience as much of our city as possible,” says Hotel Director Anna Gemrud Mörner. “But, as well as being able to add optional extras, guests can also create a barebones experience, even to the point of not having a hotel room. If you would rather stay in a U&Me tent, we’ll happily fix you up.”

The location, right in the heart of the Väven cultural quarter, means that guests have access to all the creativity, culture and sophistication that the city has to offer. Väven itself opens at the end of November and will be home to Umeå’s new public library, a multiplex cinema, creative workshops, art exhibitions and much, much more. In addition, there are also plenty of places for meetings, conferences, congresses and training that can accommodate up to 500 people. 

Small or XL?
The hotel’s 162 rooms, distributed across floors 6-13 of the highest part of Väven, range from smart, compact rooms to spacious junior suites. The Small rooms are the most compact and best value for money accommodations, with the same design, comforts and quality of views as other rooms in the complex. The XL Junior suites provide guests with a little bit more and are located on the top floor with a dizzying view.

Award-winning architects
The building, which is an exciting addition to the Umeå skyline, was designed by the award-winning Snøhetta agency, whilst the conceptual idea and interior furnishings were the brainchild of architecture and design agency Stylt Trampoli. The striking architecture is reminiscent of the trunk of a birch tree rising above the city.

Privately owned
U&Me is privately owned and part of Worldhotels, a global chain with some of the most unique self-contained hotels in the world. U&Me is owned by Fort Knox Förvaring AB, which is also the principal owner of local property company Balticgruppen. Fort Knox also owns the adjacent Stora Hotellet hotel, the Gotthards krog and Sävargården restaurants, as well as the Kulturbageriet bakery.