Hotel Rival

A privately owned boutique hotel in a former cinema at Mariatorget

Hotel Rival opened on 1 September 2003 in the premises of the old Rival cinema and Hotel Aston, which were acquired in 2002 by Benny Andersson. The property and operations have been run since the start as two wholly owned subsidiaries of Benny Andersson Produktion AB. The hotel is not part of any chain but a pure privately owned boutique hotel, which is evident in how it is designed: every decision about interior design, food and entertainment is made by an owner rather than by a central brand. This creates a cohesive aesthetic profile that is difficult to achieve within a franchise structure.

The cinema's history is not just a marketing argument – it is visible concretely in the building. The theatre auditorium with 735 seats is still in use and is used for performances and events. Watson's Bar is directly adjacent to the theatre and is open regardless of whether a performance is taking place. The hotel's bistro and bar are designed by architects Peter Ågren and Tina Marin, Millimeter Arkitekter, whilst interior architect Karin Ahlgren, SIR/MSA, AE/OW Arkitekter, is responsible for the interior design of the 99 hotel rooms and associated suites.

The hotel is located directly at Mariatorget in the heart of Södermalm. The location in a densely populated residential area with an active street life means that the hotel's bars, bistro and Taverna are visited by both hotel guests and Södermalm residents, which creates a natural flow of visitors and a livelier atmosphere than is typical for a purely tourist area. The hotel describes itself as a warm, welcoming and personal meeting place for everyone who seeks out Södermalm.

Room categories: from economy rooms to suite 706 with terrace

The hotel's 99 rooms and suites contain a total of 194 beds. The room hierarchy is clear and affects size, view and access to outdoor space. The economy rooms are intended for one person and do not have a balcony. Standard rooms accommodate up to two guests. Superior rooms are a category above standard. The deluxe rooms come in two variants – without and with balcony – where the balcony options offer views of Mariatorget's greenery. The difference between the two deluxe variants is therefore not merely aesthetic: the balcony option provides its own outdoor space which the other categories in the same price range lack.

On the seventh floor are the hotel's three most exclusive options: suite 704, executive 705 and suite 706. Suite 706 has a large terrace. These three rooms are accessed via a separate entrance to the seventh floor. The deluxe rooms with balcony have furnished balconies with awnings, and room service can be ordered there. Room service is a paid service and is not included in the room rate. Anyone seeking a room with their own outdoor space should therefore choose between deluxe with balcony and the three options on the seventh floor, depending on desired size and budget.

The interior design of the rooms is the result of a collaboration that has been running since 2002 with interior architect Karin Ahlgren. Each room is decorated with motifs from classic Swedish film, which connects to the building's history as a cinema. The hotel offers a pillow menu, and weekend breakfast is served until twelve o'clock in the day, which provides a more generous time window than is standard at many hotels. The hotel has 24-hour reception and offers direct booking via its own website for those who wish to secure a specific room or one of the three options on the seventh floor.

Taverna, Watson's Bar and Bistro – three distinct dining establishments under one roof

Hotel Rival has several distinct dining establishments that cater to partly different needs. Taverna is open every day from 11:30 and serves food, coffee and drinks in an environment spread across four rooms on the ground floor and a mezzanine level. The menu ranges between Scandinavian ingredients, Mediterranean-inspired elements and Asian influences. Taverna also has outdoor seating and functions as an accessible everyday destination for both hotel guests and neighbours in the area. The fact that Taverna is open daily from early lunch makes it the dining point at the hotel that covers the broadest time span.

Watson's Bar is an art deco-style cocktail bar that is open seven days a week. Bistro, also called Rivals Bistro, serves dinner Tuesday to Saturday and has a separate bistro bar. The bistro balcony functions as outdoor seating. Café Rival with its own outdoor seating constitutes another dining point. In total there are three separate outdoor seating areas: Watson's Bar by the Park, Taverna and the Bistro Balcony. The three outdoor seating areas mean there is an opportunity to sit outside regardless of whether you choose bar, restaurant or café.

Room service is available and is a paid service – it should not be confused with the breakfast buffet. Weekend breakfast is served until twelve o'clock in the day. The premises are visited by both hotel guests and Södermalm residents, which contributes to a lively atmosphere in bars and restaurants regardless of the hotel's occupancy rate. The fact that several of the dining establishments cater to a broader audience than just overnight guests means that the atmosphere is rarely dependent on how many rooms are let on any given evening. Parking adjacent to the hotel is available for a fee for those arriving by car.

Conference facilities and theatre – two separate operations in the same building

Hotel Rival has conference rooms adapted for meetings and seminars rather than large congresses. The Maria room accommodates 22 people and is the conference room whose capacity has been able to be verified via official source. Other capacity information per room is not stated here because it has not been able to be verified against the hotel's own pages. It is possible to combine conference bookings with hotel rooms and restaurant under one roof, and conference enquiries are handled via a dedicated contact route separate from ordinary hotel bookings.

The theatre auditorium with 735 seats is a separate operation that is hired out to external production companies and is not run by the hotel itself. This means that the programme varies depending on which productions are booked – the hotel therefore cannot guarantee that a performance is always taking place during a given stay. The auditorium has been used for theatre, concerts, shows and lectures. Watson's Bar adjacent to the theatre is open regardless of whether there is a performance or not, which means the bar functions as an independent meeting point for both hotel guests and other visitors.

The hotel offers 24-hour reception, which facilitates logistics for groups with varying arrival times and makes it easier to coordinate a conference day. For those planning a meeting, the theatre should be seen as a separate feature whose availability depends on external programming and cannot be booked directly via the hotel's conference service.