A new hotel with 300 beds, seven floors and a spa at the top is planned on Brännastrand in connection with the restaurant M / S Bränna. “We want the hotel to be a reason to visit Boden,” says David Larsson, CEO of Brännastrand Fastigheter.
According to the sketches, the ground floor must have glass walls to give an easy and accessible impression. Here is a café / restaurant with outdoor seating, reception and flexible areas for conferences and events. The hotel will accommodate 150 rooms and at the top of the seventh floor, an exclusive spa with a terrace, large glass sections and a viewpoint towards Bodträsket and the city center is planned. Gym and suites are also planned high up in the hotel building. On the outside, the idea is for the hotel to be clad in wood panels, glass sections and metal beams. Interior design is not yet complete. The idea is to use the restaurant M / S Bränna for dinner guests and a lower building will connect the different buildings.
– We want to capture a clientele that does not visit us, collaborate with the rest of the hospitality industry, give the people of Boden access to the spa and attract more visitors to Boden. This can lead to increased trade, more jobs and increased tourism. We believe in growth, says David Larsson.
This is what the new hotel should look like.
David Larsson, CEO, talks about the vision.
Current lounge at MS / Bränna.
Life and movement in the area
As a background to this major investment, he mentions H2 Green Steel’s establishment in Boden but also the lack of beds that exist at major events, such as the Swedish Championships week which is planned for 2024. At present, around half of such guest nights go to Luleå.
The vision also includes moving the Örat music scene further towards Prästholmen, building benches adjacent and adding more lighting to the site. With this, the property owner hopes to create more life and movement in a larger area than today, but also increase security.
– You should be able to have a Swedish fika or coffee, maybe go listen to music, says David Larsson.
Location is an important issue
The reason why the property owner wants to build a hotel right here is primarily the proximity to his own restaurant, but also to the center, travel center, walking paths and nature areas.
– We want to build it together with the restaurant, we are in this place. The location is very important for such a large investment and we want to connect the upper and lower part of town with Pumptorget in the middle. The proximity to the city center is important if you travel here, walking paths and nature, but also the proximity to the train station and bus stops so that you can travel here in an environmentally friendly way, says David Larsson.
David Larsson, CEO of Brännafastigheter, and Martik Häller, MAF Arkitektkontor presented the plans at an information meeting for the public on November 17.
On November 17, introductory information meetings were held with the public where the plans for the hotel were presented. David Larsson told about the vision for the hotel and the architect Martin Häller, MAF Arkitektkontor, offered a tour of the hotel area in the form of a digital 3D model.
Also present at the meeting were some nearby residents who pointed out that their view of Bodträsket will be obscured by the hotel, even though they tried to angle the hotel bodies to affect the view less.
Right behind the hotel’s planned location, seen from the water, however, is a property that is popularly called Bränna Värdshus. It has been a private residence in recent years, but on 1 December 2021, Bränna Fastigheter will take over the property and after a minor refurbishment, it is planned to use it for events such as weddings and parties. The plans also include 68 parking spaces and charging posts for electric cars.
Plan change required
Plans for the hotel are still at an early stage. In order for this to become a reality, a change in the detailed plan for the area is required, which in that case takes place through a statutory planning process with a consultation procedure before Boden’s City Council can make a decision on the matter. The financing is planned to take place by involving investors in the project. If all goes well, David Larsson hopes that construction can begin in 2023.
