Stockholm, Sweden, is home to one of the most unique hotels in the world. The Jumbo Stay (previously known as the Jumbo Hostel) is nestled inside the fuselage of a decommissioned Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet. Opened in January 2009, the hotel has 33 rooms and 76 beds. It is a must-see for aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
The Jumbo Stay hotel is housed inside a 48-year-old Boeing 747-212B, named ‘Liv’ after the owner’s daughter. According to Jumbo Stay , this particular aircraft was equipped in a two-class configuration with roughly 450 seats.
The Boeing 747-200 is the second generation of the famed type. After the 747-100s success, many airlines wanted a higher range and payload version of the aircraft, which led to Boeing equipping the aircraft with more powerful versions of the Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine, the JTD9-7.
The improved specifications proved popular with airlines, and Boeing sold 225 units of the passenger version of the aircraft. The specifications of the 747-200 are published in the table below:
The aircraft first entered service with Singapore Airlines , which ordered the aircraft and took delivery of it in March 1979. It was registered 9V-SQE and flew for the airline for seven years before being transferred back to Boeing.
Afterward, it changed hands multiple times since the initial purchase, 15 to be exact. The table below shows which airlines and lessors took possession of the aircraft during its operational lifetime, according to data from Planespotters.net .
For a long time, Sweden’s Arlanda Airport (ARN) needed a budget option for travelers but didn’t have one in that price range.
The owner of the Jumbo Stay, Oscar Diös, was expanding his already successful hotel business and heard of a Boeing 747 that would be decommissioned at ARN. He has had experience converting trains, boats, and lighthouses to hotels, and the project was right up his alley, so he took the opportunity to purchase the aircraft, and the rest is history.
In 2007, Sigtuna authorities granted Diös a building permit to establish the hotel at the entrance of ARN. Construction began the following year.
The aircraft was towed to a construction site, where the interior was stripped down and all the seats removed. As per regulations, the aircraft was first sanitized completely. The aircraft has been fitted with all the conveniences you’ll find in a normal hotel, including heating and climate control, which is achieved through an air-to-air inverter.
The entire renovation cost $3 million. After construction was completed, the aircraft was towed to its permanent location, where it was mounted on a concrete foundation. The landing gear was secured in two steel cradles to hold the aircraft in place. In addition, a set of stairs and a lift were installed at the main entrance to allow easy access.
Diös describes it as a mix between a hostel and a budget hotel.
The hotel has three different types of rooms: four dorm rooms, five standard rooms, and three suites.
The four dorm rooms include two—and four-bed male dorms and the same for females. All have access to a shared bathroom. The standard rooms come in double, twin, single, and triple with a shared bathroom and another single room with its own toilet.
The three suites include a single ensuite, a double bed ensuite located in the cockpit, and a double bed ensuite called the black box, which is in the rear of the aircraft for added privacy. All three ensuites have their own bathrooms.
The Jumbo Stay is considered a budget hotel and hostel, so the prices are reasonable. The prices per night as of May 2024 are as follows.
With plenty of exquisite private jets flying around, some of them have bedrooms that are much better than those found in hotels.
We want to hear from you. Share your perspective in the comments below, and please keep the conversation respectful.
I can afford the 700 SEK per night single. Not so sure about the airfare to get to Stockholm.
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