“It should feel like coming home.”

What do layoffs in the 1970s at LM Ericsson have to do with a modern- day, family- run hotel? A lot, as a matter of fact. My father came to Sweden in the 50s and lost his job in the 70s. Unsure of what to do, he bought a small guest house and started running it together with my mother.

They wanted the guest house to feel intimate and cozy, so that staying there would feel like home. I spent school holidays and weekends helping out with chores. From early on, I was fascinated by the buzzing ambience of the hotel, and all the stimulating staff working there; not to mention all the comings and goings of the guests. Many were regulars that came back year after year, who loved mom and dad’s welcoming and discreet service. 

Becoming a hotelier therefor came very naturally to me – I couldn’t have imagined anything better. In Austria, I spent three years studying hotel management and then working there before moving on to Switzerland and Stockholm, where a dream opportunity presented itself: to take charge of my own hotel. In 1991, my family bought the 38- room Hotel Haga – the property that today houses Time Hotel. That year though, the recession hit Sweden – we had to do everything ourselves, and we took “personal and family- run” to a new level. With hard work, willpower, and unwavering focus on the comfort and contentment of our guests, we persevered, emerging on the other side with renewed confidence. We had learned the essentials of hospitality and good service.

Today Time Hotel has expanded to 144 rooms, but our philosophy remains the same: just as my father wanted his guests to feel at their guest house, Pensionat Oden in 1970, it should feel like coming home. 
 
Welcome home to us.

Anita Chibba
Renata Chibba
Reshi Chibba

CEO and Founder of Time Hotel

P.S. A discreet dedication to my father and mother – in the vein of India, part of my heritage – runs through all of the Time Hotel. The most eye- catching is the artwork on the 10- meter- high wall in our lounge, consisting of 60 separate frames with patterns inspired by my mothers saris, the traditional Indian dresses. In the guest rooms, you’ll find paintings and rugs inspired by India and Asia, as well as on every floor, where the lily is present in many shapes and forms. Even if we’re traveling the world, we mustn’t forget where we come from.