A Night In A B747 Hotel! Jumbo Stay Stockholm Review

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Deaaaaaar Aviaaaaators!

It was not a dream when I woke up after a night on board a B747. Departure and arrival airport was Arlanda Airport in Stockholm so I did not fly anywhere with the Queen of the skies. I got to stay at one of the most iconic hotels around the world. It is a retired B747 aircraft from 1976 which was converted into a hotel/hostel. It’s definitely a must for all aviation lovers. I’m so excited to share my experience with you and maybe you will have the chance to stay there one day as well.

A Hotel Inside A B747 ✈️

Jumbo Stay – That’s the name of the hostel/hotel inside a decommissioned Boeing 747-200 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden. It officially opened in January 2009. I visited the Jumbo 3 years ago during a layover but did not stay there at the time.

Originally the aircraft was built for Singapore Airlines in 1976, and was later sold to Pan American World Airways. Later, it operated for Cathay Pacific Airways and Garuda Indonesia. Its last air operator was Transjet, a Swedish charter airline based at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, that unfortunately went bankrupt in 2002.

Rooms & Suites 🛌 

Jumbo Stay offers 33 rooms with most of them having four beds in each room. All together, the hostel offers 76 beds; one of the more luxurious is to be found at the upper flight deck. That is the ultimate highlight of the hotel.  If you want to stay there, you need to book months in advance! 

All rooms have access to bathrooms in the corridor, apart from the Cockpit suite, the Black Box suite and one single room which boasts its own shower and WC. Please consider that not all rooms have their own bathroom when you book your room. In my opinion, you should not save here! Unfortunately, the cockpit suite was occupied that night, but I still had the chance to look at it after check out and  decided I must return to sleep to experience a night there 🙂

“Breakfast” 🍳

It is an experience staying at the Jumbo Stay but you would definitely not go there for an amazing breakfast. It is super simple but having coffee and a Swedish crispy brioche in the nose of a B747 does upgrade it a lot. You can always head to the Terminal, which is only a few minutes away, for more food. 

The Conversion 🏨 

Following a restoration that began in January 2008 and cost the equivalent of more than US$3,000,000, the aircraft was towed to its new permanent location, on a grass-covered mound, just outside the perimeter of the airport in Stockholm.  Its interior had been almost entirely changed, although a number of its features, such as the flight controls and some of the original seats and windows, had been retained.

At its permanent site, the aircraft was mounted on a concrete foundation, and its landing gear was secured in two steel cradles.  Additionally, a set of metal stairs and a lift were installed at its main entrance on its left side. I like that they made the left wing accessible so people can walk all the way to the wing tip to have a unique view they would normally not get from a B747. On top, visitors can access the upper deck behind the cockpit suite. Here they will find the first class lounge with the original seats from 1976.

My Feedback 🙋🏼‍♂️

It is definitely not a 5 star hotel, but the experience sleeping on board a B747 aircraft, makes it more than 5 stars. The hotel is now over 13 years old, so it needs some restoration and repair, which is quite noticeable, but I overlooked that because it is so unique and iconic.

If you only have a few hours at Arlanda Airport you can still visit the Jumbo Stay and have a coffee in the cafe. It is open to the general public – not exclusive to staying guests only. Go and stay there and make some long lasting memories! Trust me, you will for sure have a good night’s sleep on board.

In which unique hotel have you stayed before? Let me in a comment below and please do not forget to like my blog post!

Happy landings inside the B747!

Your PilotPatrick