Engineering:Jumbohostel

Template:Infobox hotel The Jumbo Hostel at Arlanda Airport near Stockholm, Sweden, is a hostel located inside a decommissioned 747-200 jetliner. It opened in 2008.

The Hotel

Jumbo Hostel seen from west

The hotel is located inside a decommissioned 747-200 jetliner. The aircraft is a Boeing 747-212B originally built for Singapore Airlines in 1976, registered 9V-SQE (construction number 21162/line number 283). It was later sold to Pan American where it was registered N727PA and named "Clipper Belle of the Sky". The aircraft later served with Air Club International, Transjet, Northeast Airlines, Jet Midwest Inc, Tower Air, Nationair, Cathay Pacific, and Garuda Indonesia. The last owner was Transjet which was based out of Arlanda, but it went bankrupt in 2002. The plane has remained at Arlanda since then.

In December 2007, Sigtuna authorities granted a building permit for establishing Jumbo Hostel at the entrance to Arlanda airport. In January 2008, the aircraft was moved to a construction parking site where the first phase of the conversion began with the dismantling of the old interior, new paint and new decorations for the rooms. 450 seats were taken out and the plane was sanitized completely. The hostel was built like any building, subjected to the same demands on climate control and insulation, adhering to all common energy standards. Heating is achieved with an air-air inverter.

While the aircraft's engines were removed for spare parts, the outer casings of the 747's four engines were kept and were re-mounted onto their pylons. Most of the instruments in the aircraft's cockpit were also salvaged as part of its conversion into a suite, but the control columns, central throttle console and forward instrument panels have been kept.

Tail of the Jumbohostel

Inside view of the Jumbohostel

During the summer of 2008, the plane was towed to its final destination at the entrance to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport where it was placed on a concrete foundation with the landing gear secured in two steel cradles. A metal flight of stairs and an elevator were then installed to allow visitors to access the aircraft's interior from ground level. The hostel opened late December 2008.

Rooms

The Jumbo Hostel has 27 rooms with three beds in each, along with a more expensive "cockpit suite" located on the upper deck. Altogether, the hostel holds 79 beds. All rooms have a flat screen television where guests can watch the departure times for all flights. Throughout the jetliner guests have access to wireless broadband. All rooms share a shower and toilet in the corridor, except for the cockpit suite and a single person room which feature their own.

Café

The Jumbo Hostel's café allows guests and non-guests to purchase breakfast, coffee, pastries and basic meals. The cafe provides microwave ovens for patrons to heat up meals they have brought with them.

Access

The distance from the terminals is 1.5–2 km (0.93–1.24 mi). The transfer buses to the long term parking area can be used.

External links

• AOL Video Tour Jumbohostel on AOL Video
• “Swedish Hotel Fashioned From An Old Jumbo Jet” Tayfun King, Fast Track, BBC World News (2008-11-23)
• "Jumbo Jet Hostel" CNN Money (2009-12-23)