Hotel Rival Hotel Rival is the offspring of a 1937-inauguration cinema at the Mariatorget Square in Stockholm. With 1218 seats, it used to be one of the biggest cinemas in the Swedish capital.
After its closure in 2002, Swedish songwriter and musician Benny Andersson - famous for writing nearly all ABBA songs - bought the place, and it became an integral part of an entirely new business.
On 1 September 2003, after an extensive redesign and reconstruction, Hotel Rival opened as Sweden's first boutique hotel. The hotel may not exude a super luxurious vibe, but it has been frequented by celebrities such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and Rihanna.
Today, inside the building of Hotel Rival, the former cinema is still a gathering place for entertainment seekers.
Instead of screenings of the latest movies - apart from some exceptions, like the premier of the ABBA movie "Mamma Mia" in 2008 - its historical interior is used as a theater and event hall.
Hotel Rival has three bars (Watson's, Bistro, and Cocktail Bar) and one restaurant called The Tavern.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a social and cultural atmosphere while sipping on coffee or wine or savoring good food, The Tavern is the ideal place.
Rival's Bistro features red velvet sofas, patterned carpets, brass lamps, and photographs of famous cultural figures. Groups looking for a bit more privacy can sit behind a thin drapery decorated with the well-known motif from Roy Andersson's cult classic, "A Love Story."
The hotel serves a breakfast buffet, but you can also choose from the a la carte menu.
Watson's Bar is a cozy, modern, international spot offering an expansive wine selection and a creative drink list.
The bar attracts a trendy crowd and features consistently good DJs. Here, soul, funk, jazz, and rare disco flow from the speakers.
It was named after Benny Andersson's son's dog Watson and is open from afternoon to late evening, seven days a week.
Adjacent to Watson's Bar is the theater. Here, you can attend plays, shows, concerts, or live podcasts.
The hotel's theater has an elegant, continental look with functionalist elements, thanks to the Danish interior architect Marcus Lorentzen, who originally designed this as a cinema. The number of seats decreased from 1218 to 735 to allow for some extra space and comfort.
Hotel Rival has 99 rooms with 194 beds, ranging from a simple economy room for one to spacious, plush suites with private balconies and views over Stockholm.
The Deluxe room has a balcony with a magnificent view of Mariatorget.
Room 704 is spread over 50 square meters, has a bedroom and living room, and has a view of Södermalm's rooftops. This is probably where Meryl Streep stayed as a guest during the premiere of "Mamma Mia!"
There is a teddy bear in every room, and if you get too emotionally attached to it during your stay, you can buy it at the reception.
