During a gala dinner at Yasuragi on April 28, this year's edition of the Swedish Meeting Prize was awarded in the company of about a hundred representatives from Sweden's best conference facilities.

Meeting Place of the Year: Marholmen Hotell, Bath & Möten
The award for Meeting Place of the Year went to Marholmen Hotell, Bath & Möten which, in competition with over 150 of Sweden's best meeting facilities, received the highest rating in customer surveys in terms of overall customer satisfaction.

 - The Swedish Meetings Award celebrates the brave, innovative and committed forces that every day create even better experiences for our customers and drive the industry forward. With pride and joy, we see how the winners' efforts raise the quality of meetings, strengthen the value of each guest and inspire others in the industry, says Michael Schüller, CEO of Svenska Möten.

Read more about the award and all the winners >>

In May 2025, the archipelago destination Marholmen in Roslagen, just outside Norrtälje, will begin a significant renovation and extension of its main building. This major investment aims to enhance the guest experience, improve the working environment for employees and strengthen Marholmen's position as a year-round destination. The work is expected to be completed in spring 2026.

"This investment will take Marholmen to new heights," says Fredrik Utheim, CEO of Marholmen. "Our goal is to offer all our guests an even better stay, while protecting our unique environment and history and preserving the island for future generations."

The planned redevelopment includes several key areas:

• New main entrance and lobby: The main entrance will be moved to create a more welcoming first impression. The new lobby will offer spacious areas with comfortable seating areas and a large fireplace to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
• Modern kitchen: The existing kitchen will be replaced with a state-of-the-art and sustainable facility, adapted to efficiently handle the increasing number of guests and ensure the highest quality of dining experiences.
• Refurbished restaurant and bar: These areas are being rebuilt to offer an improved guest experience and a customized working environment, focusing on both individual visitors and larger groups.
• Updated Spa: The spa is undergoing a complete renovation to create an optimal spa experience.
• Improved building technology: New ventilation systems and other technical equipment are being installed to ensure sustainable and energy-efficient operation.

The developmentis part of Marholmen's long-term strategy and vision to become Sweden's leading year-round archipelago destination and a food destination worth a detour. By upgrading the facilities and implementing modern technology, Marholmen aims to preserve the unique archipelago environment for future generations.

During the refurbishment period, disruption to guests will be minimized through careful planning of the construction work. Accommodation in cabin, villas, glamping tents, pitches or Villa Berg will not be affected at all, while disruption will be minimal for those staying in the main building's hotel rooms. All meals will be served at the historic Grosshandlartorget and a new summer restaurant will be launched in the summer as a natural gathering place. While the spa is being renovated, guests will be offered the 7° Bath & Sauna natural bath experience, where selected spa treatments will be available.

"These improvements will enable us to meet our guests' needs even better and work smarter on several levels. At the same time, we have a chance to review our entire offering and develop new and exciting experiences, not least in food and drink. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning guests to an even better Marholmen," Fredrik concludes.

The Swedish Meeting Prize wants to recognize meeting places and people who do that little extra. Both for guests and to drive the industry forward, and not least inspire others.

Meeting Place of the Year

Goes to the establishment with the most satisfied customers.

Criteria:
The prize is awarded to the establishment that, in the previous year, received the highest score in the customer surveys on the questions measuring overall customer satisfaction, including willingness to recommend, willingness to return to the establishment and the overall experience.

The winners of the Swedish Meeting Prize 2025 will be presented and celebrated at Yasuragi on April 28.

This summer sees the launch of the Villa Berg spa hotel in a beautiful Art Nouveau villa on the island of Marholmen. With only 13 rooms, an in-house kitchen team and both sea bath & hot tub right outside the door, guests are guaranteed an intimate and exclusive hotel experience.

The new Badhotellet Villa Berg has all the charm and comfort you can imagine. The unique villa was originally completed in 1915 and was then a vacation home for the poor working class. The villa has now undergone a careful renovation and when the doors open to the Badhotellet this summer, it will be possible for individual guests to stay in the villa for the first time in almost 100 years.

- Villa Berg is by far our most unique accommodation, the like of which cannot be found anywhere else. The villa is a flexible oasis with all the amenities you could wish for. It offers food and drink at the highest level and the beautiful archipelago nature right outside the door, says Marholmen's CEO Fredrik Utheim.

Guests can choose between a mini suite, ten double rooms and two single rooms, all with private bathrooms. The villa has generous areas for socializing and offers many activities in the beautiful archipelago nature. When booking Badhotellet, half board is always included; a 4-course dinner prepared by Badhotellet's own kitchen team under the guidance of the food creators at Loén, and when you wake up, a generous breakfast awaits.

- With us, the focus is on the ingredients and the guest. We prepare the food in a familiar and genuine way and the dishes are playful and innovative, says Nichlas Holmquist at Loén.

Villa Berg was built in 1915 and is a listed Art Nouveau villa. The magnificent villa was completely renovated in 2024 and is rented out in its entirety for larger parties, but from 2025 the villa will change into a bath hotel during the period June 27 - Aug 10

Book the villa here >>

When the Swedish final of the Copper Skillet chef competition was held at Sergel HUB on March 24, our Alexander Lundin won the senior class. Copper Skillet is a global competition for chefs working at conference centers affiliated with IACC, International Association of Conference Centers. The winners will now go on to compete in the European final in October. The winners will go on to the World Finals in spring 2026.

Svenska Möten, together with Nores, hosted the Swedish final of Copper Skillet, where 16 chefs from conference facilities throughout Sweden competed. The competition task consisted of creating a main course suitable for a conference context under time pressure, using ingredients from a pantry that the chefs had found out about in advance and a secret basket of ingredients that was revealed on site. The chefs had 15 minutes to familiarize themselves with the secret ingredients and plan their dish. They then had 30 minutes to prepare the dish before presenting it to the jury.

- "I am very impressed by not only the winners, but all the chefs who participated and competed. Together they show that the food at Swedish conference facilities is of an incredibly high standard," says Michael Schüller, CEO of Svenska Möten.

Alexander Lundin won with a dish of pike-perch with roast cheese, steamed asparagus, butter-fried morels and wild garlic, served with potatoes tossed in butter sauce with morels and spinach.

The jury's motivation was:
"A professional craftsmanship where every detail has been given full attention. From simple ingredients, the winner has managed to bring out the maximum flavor in each ingredient and a beautiful, modern presentation. A dish in complete balance".

The jury consisted of renowned chefs Paul Svensson, Pontus Wellén and Andreas Askling. The criteria assessed by the jury included how well the competition task was executed, presentation, craftsmanship, texture, balance of flavor combinations, workstation hygiene standards and food waste.

In the junior class, Simon Cardenas from Hotel Kristina won.

Photo: Swedish Meetings

Are you a restaurant manager with a confident and engaging leadership who wants to be an important cog in an exciting development phase? Marholmen is facing an extensive extension of the main building in 2025, which means, among other things, that we are building a completely new kitchen and towards the end of the year we will move into a completely rebuilt restaurant where we will offer a completely new dining experience.

We are now looking for a person with experience in leading teams in hotel, restaurant and conference operations undergoing change.

The role: As restaurant manager at Marholmen , you have overall responsibility for daily operations and planning based on the needs of the business. This means, among other things:

• Operational leadership - seeing, motivating and managing
• Schedule planning - tableware and dishes
• Logistics (as operations are spread across the island)
• Responsibility for budget monitoring, profitability and purchasing
• Optimization of working methods, service and customer satisfaction
• Recruitment and training in line with established procedures
• Presence in operation in the form of, among other things, operating shifts, rounds of restaurant areas, etc.
• Ensure a relevant and attractive food and beverage offer according to the set concept

About you: Leadership and planning are close to your heart. You are committed to your team and your business. You have previous experience in hotel, restaurant and conference management. It would be an advantage if you have previously worked with Visbook.

Send your application to Sofia Juniwik, Head of Food & Beverage Experiences atmarholmen

Deadline for applications is April 14.
Interviews are ongoing and the position may be filled during the period.

We look forward to hearing from you who want to join us all the way towards our vision: to become Sweden's best archipelago destination.

The beginning of May 2025 will see the start of a renovation and extension of our main building. Among other things, we are building an additional 600 square meters and creating a brand new kitchen while renovating our restaurant, bar and Mareld Spa. Follow this link for all the info on what we're doing. Here you will also be able to follow the construction.

As a further step towards becoming Sweden's best archipelago destination, Sofia Juniwik has taken on the role of Head of Food and Beverage Experiences at Marholmen. With a solid background in gastronomy, concept development and a passion for innovative dining experiences, Sofia will lead the further development of Marholmen's food and beverage offering.

Sofia has extensive experience in developing food and beverage concepts in the hospitality industry. She most recently worked as a concept and business developer at Coor Service Management, where she was responsible for developing the group's concepts for lunch restaurants, cafés and more. In her new role, Sofia will lead the work of creating food and beverage concepts that combine Marholmen's unique location and history with a genuine and natural experience

Now Sofia is looking forward to exploring all the possibilities of the island together with her team. "I am extremely happy and proud to be part of Marholmen and take on this exciting and fun challenge. My ambition is to build on Marholmen's existing offering and develop a holistic experience for all types of guests. We will focus on innovative dining experiences that stand out throughout the country," says Sofia Juniwik.

"We are incredibly happy to welcome Sofia to Marholmen. Her expertise and innovative thinking is exactly what we need to further develop our food and beverage offering to the next level. With Sofia at the helm, we look forward to putting Marholmen on the map as a food destination worth a detour," says Fredrik Utheim, CEO of Marholmen.

In 2025, Marholmen will take the next major step in its development through an extensive renovation and extension of the main building. In connection with this, a completely new kitchen and restaurant will be created.A strong focus will be on sustainability, local collaborations and creating seasonal offers and concepts for both individuals and companies in order to strengthen Marholmen's position as a year-round destination.

After a very careful renovation that has taken great care to preserve the villa's K-labeled status for posterity, Villa Berg is now ready to receive guests again. Better than ever and now with room for up to 20 people in 11 double rooms and 2 single rooms. Read more about Villa Berg here >>

For those who are curious to see the development of the villa, we offer here some before and after pictures.

We are now looking for an innovative, result-oriented and committed Manager Food & Beverage Experiences who wants to be part of our continued journey to develop Marholmen into Sweden's best archipelago destination. In 2025, Marholmen will take the next big step in its development through an extensive renovation and extension of the main building. In connection with this, we are creating a completely new kitchen and restaurant, which will mean great opportunities for further development of our meal concepts and offerings - not only in the main building but throughout the island.

The role
As Head of Food & Beverage Experiences at Marholmen , you have overall responsibility for the development and operation of Marholmen's total dining offer and various restaurant concepts. The role also includes identifying and developing all the opportunities that the island offers and thinking outside the box to give our guests unforgettable food and drink experiences here at Marholmen. Together with your team, you will exceed our guests' expectations and create loyal ambassadors every day.

You will report to the CEO and be part of the management of the business. You are responsible for representing the leadership of the business within your area of responsibility by managing, leading and developing your employees and contractors towards the short and long-term goals of the business from the perspectives of employees, guests, sustainability, revenue and profitability. A particularly close collaboration with the CEO and other colleagues in the management team is crucial for the total market potential to be realized through joint revenue, positioning and product development work with a focus on profitable revenue.

The overall tasks of the Head of Food & Beverage Experiences are:
- Create memorable meal experiences and develop new concepts for both private guests and conference groups, which not only contribute to our guests choosing us, but also happily coming back.
- Product develop the food and beverage offering throughout the island, optimize all saleable areas and develop new food concepts based on current trends together with other departments and partners.
- Optimize revenue opportunities, additional sales and ensure profitability at all levels.
- Ensure that your employees develop, thrive and that staffing follows the level of activity in the business.
- Together with the rest of the management team, create and work based on Marholmen's current business plan, vision and set goals.

Who are you?
- You are used to leading, managing, developing and following up on a multifaceted food business with all that it entails.
- You are a confident leader who is good at engaging and developing your team as your success is based on the team's performance.
- You are sales-oriented and have in-depth knowledge of food, drink and trends in the field.
- You have the ability to see the big picture from a customer perspective, see opportunities rather than obstacles and like to find new, creative solutions that make Marholmen even better.
- You have a strategic ability and develop your areas of responsibility in a systematic way.
- You have experience of management work and it is natural to contribute to the whole beyond your own areas of responsibility.
- You like holistic thinking, cooperation and are a team player.

Your skills and experience:
- Relevant university education or equivalent
- You have documented experience of restaurant operations in hotels with multiple target groups, offers, concepts and seasons. Competence in and genuine interest in food and drink is a matter of course.
- You are an experienced requirement setter and purchaser of services from close partners.
- In addition to Visbook POS, we work with various tools and support systems. Experience and knowledge of corresponding systems is an advantage and very good knowledge of the Office package is a matter of course
- It is an advantage if you have experience of quality and environmental management systems such as ISO, Swan, or equivalent.
- Very good knowledge of Swedish and English. Additional languages are a bonus.

What can we offer?
Marholmen is an island in the Roslagen archipelago only an hour's drive from Stockholm. You will work together with a dedicated team in a unique environment. We have strong owners who support our development and guarantee a stable employer.
We have collective agreements and offer competitive terms of employment with a number of benefits for our employees.
An exciting challenge and the opportunity right now to influence the premises and be part of our further development journey.

Terms and conditions
The position is a permanent position with a 6-month probationary period.

Application
In this recruitment we have chosen to cooperate with Urvalet Executive AB. Read more and apply here >>
We want your application as soon as possible. Selection and interviews will take place continuously. If you have any questions, please contact the responsible recruiter at Urvalet: Linda Wiltbourn, linda.wiltbourn@urvalet.se

Time to pick your own flowers in Beda's Flower Meadow

The flowers are blooming beautifully in Beda's Flower Meadow, and it's time for the premiere of the fall pick-your-own!

During the fall, the self-pick will be open at the following times:

August 22, 15-19
August 29, 15-19
September 1, 9-12
September 8, 11-14
September 12, 15-19
September 15, 11-14

Payment is made on site via swish. The minimum charge is SEK 150 and you pay based on the circumference of the bouquet you pick (there is a board with holes on it and you pay the price for the hole that the bouquet comes through).

Buckets and secateurs are available, but it is a good idea to bring a bucket or similar to carry the bouquet home.

Sara Lewell, who runs Kärodlat and is responsible for the floriculture, will be on hand at all times to answer questions.

Welcome!