New Opening: Grand Curiosa Hotel Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden

On April 28, the new Grand Curiosa Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden opened next to the historic Liseberg amusement park. The long-awaited launch of this unique 435-room hotel makes Liseberg, and the city of Gothenburg, as go-to destination for family travelers, particularly with the 2024 openings of an adjacent water park and nearby Volvo museum. I stayed at the hotel just after its opening, getting a feel for its design and comfort.

The Hotel
The Grand Curiosa is no ordinary hotel. The lobby is decorated with an eccentric world-traveler theme, with hanging suitcases, globes, umbrellas and knickknacks from around the world on display. Upon entering the eye is immediately drawn to the two-story spiral slide descending in the atrium, topped with a full 8-story tall sculpture piece featuring an ensemble of mythical birds, beasts, and a giant octopus.

In a covered atrium beside the restaurant, a refurbished original merry-go-round carousel from the park spins rides for visitors, accenting the circus theme with its festive music, lights and mirrors, and ornately carved wild animal mounts for the riders.

Each floor of the hotel displays a different decoration theme in its atrium and hallways, making a walk around the hotel a worthwhile excursion for kids and adults alike. Themes range from birds to sea monsters, engineering drawings and shipping diagrams, and a spooky hall of masks. 

Hotel Curiosa Rooms
Rooms at the Curiosa are colorful and comfortable, with the feeling that you’re staying in luxury berths on a circus train, with plush bedding and creative art and wall coverings, and spacious, well-appointed bathrooms.

• The Grand Curiosa is the most common standard room setup, a 310 square foot setup that can sleep five on a double bed and in a separate nook with curtains for the kids that includes a bunk bed and trundle. Room windows open above the park, secured with serious child-proof locking mechanisms.

• Premium rooms have an identical setup as the Grand Curiosa, but also include views overlooking the park, spectacular by night and day. The overlook is pretty cool, but there is a noise factor involved, what with the cranking of rollercoasters and screaming riders passing by within a hundred feet of your window. So if you’re more concerned with daytime napping than park-viewing, opt out of the Premium option.

• The Superior Curiosa, at 474 square feet, features a separate bedroom with two sets of bunk beds, sleeping six. With a couch and sitting area in the main bedroom, the room is a great option for those looking for a comfortable separate family space.

• The 880 square foot Deluxe Curiosa suites, with two separate bedrooms with double beds plus a bunkbed-and-trundle room, can sleep seven, including four adults comfortably. The center of the suite has a spacious living room, great for meetings or game nights with the kids. Two separate bathrooms make this a great choice for extended families or two sets of couples.

Hotel Curiosa Food and Beverage
Like its décor, the Hotel Curiosa features an eclectic and colorful mix of styles and settings for its food and beverage offerings. The restaurants are also open to the general public, providing a nice option before or after visiting the amusement park.  Breakfast is included with all room types.

• Saluhallen buffet room: This spacious room pays tribute to Gothenburg’s famous Saluhallen food hall in town with expansive buffets three meals a day. Breakfast is a particular highlight, with a great spread of bread, cheeses, fruits, pastries, omelet stations, and multiple varieties of pickled herring–for those looking for the full Swedish experience. Family-friendly feasts for lunch and dinner will ensure your group gets well fed, regardless of their tastes, with pizza, chicken, and of course Swedish meatballs on offer.

• Café Agnes: A combination sweet shop, café, and bar that serves a la carte items (including excellent burgers) with entrees delivered by a robot decorated to look like a cat, just for the fun of it. The cafe’s display of Swedish treats of cakes, pastries, and candies is as mouthwatering as it is colorful, and worth a stop even if you’re not staying at the hotel.

• Mei Rose Rooftop Bar & Bistro: The fun, fine dining option for the hotel, with a design inspired by Asian street-food markets. The indoor space is separated with patio street-style seating in one section, and a more sophisticated chef’s tasting tables area set up in front of an open kitchen. The menu features pan-Chinese tasting items including dumplings, grilled fish and meats, soups, and chilled snacks, all meant to be shared family style. The rooftop bar overlooking the park is a great spot to enjoy one of Mei Rose’s signature cocktails while overlooking the park at sunset.

• Compagniet Bar: Tucked to the side of the lobby, this speakeasy-style bar is a nice respite from the sometimes chaotic lobby and hotel common areas filled with kids. The views out the ground floor windows face away from the park, giving it a nice urban getaway feel. Sip some Gothenburg ales and snack on roast forest mushrooms or Swedish farm cheese assortments for some local flavor.

Other hotel features

• One benefit of a Hotel Curiosa stay is that guests are guaranteed admittance to the Liseberg amusement park, even on days when the park is officially sold out. Be sure to book tickets along with the room to secure a spot.
• Once the adjacent Liseberg Oceana water park opens in 2024, guests will be able to walk directly from the hotel in a covered passage. Expect attractive package deals to be offered in anticipation of the opening.
• The hotel has a small, but functional fitness center, most families will be busy in the park, but during large meetings or events it may become overcrowded.
• The hotel has dedicated events and meeting space, with multiple rooms for corporate gatherings and weddings and other personal events.