Kosta Boda Art Hotel

In the depths of the Småland lies a village that is unlike any other. In this historic glassworks area, red barns have been built to house shops selling mainly glass and china – and in the middle of the village is a hotel owned by the same people who own the Kosta Boda and Orrefors glassworks. The hotel bar is spectacular. Its ice-blue glass interior lights up the darkest nights like a small spaceship. Corridors in the hotel are hung with presentations of Swedish glass artists, many of whose works are also for sale. The rooms are decorated with glass art, and the bathroom sink made of solid glass. A spa beckons those so inclined after the guided tour; then dinner. Go for the brasserie, which is fabulous! On a weekday night in October most of the guests were conference-goers, but some had come only for Brasserie 1742, named after the year in which the Kosta glassworks were founded. The hotel, for its part, was opened in 2009 – and all the glass objects on show for your delectation have withstood the ravages of time, while the interiors could use some TLC here and there.