Svinkløv Badehotel

Svinkløv Badehotel is a place where TV and wi-fi are non-existent. One stays here to truly rewind, relax and enjoy the scenic surroundings and the exquisite meals, made from the best organic and local produce under the leadership of the renowned chef Kenneth Toft-Hansen.

The couple behind Svinkløv Badehotel, Louise and Kenneth Toft-Hansen, have made the journey together – through the fire, the rebuild, a newborn baby and the world-famous chef's competition Bocuse D'or, which Kenneth won in 2019. In the spring of that year, the hotel reopened for a fully booked season.

The interiors of Svinkløv Badehotel are in a summery white, grey and light blue colour palette with wooden panels as a recurring detail throughout the hotel. Louise Toft-Hansen and designer Chris L. Halstrøm collaborated on creating the easy, simple and Scandinavian vibe as a homage to Svinkløv Badehotel the way it was before the fire.

Louise and Chris agreed on a ‘less is more’ approach to emphasise nature as an active part of the interiors. The former bright colours of the dining- and living rooms have been toned down, and the tables are dressed in white tablecloths, decorated with flowers picked fresh outside the hotel and complemented by the Vester Chair, the custom-designed dining chair created by Chris L. Halstrøm for the Skagerak Collection.

Designing Vester Chair

The Vester Chair was a bespoke task for the designer, and the brief was quite specific: design a dining chair that incarnates Svinkløv Badehotel, and which is formal and informal at the same time. Chris L. Halstrøm took on the assignment with equal degrees of awe and energy. The result is a beautiful and well-proportioned chair in oak that is so comfortable it encourages you to linger over dinner. The golden, naturally oiled oak and brass details make Vester Chair a modern take on a traditional Scandinavian archetype with its distinct yet subtle expression.

“When you design a dining chair for a restaurant, you have to consider rhythm and number, as you interpret the chairs as a whole at first glance. I have dedicated a great deal of attention to the back of the chair, as that’s the part you see, and I have also sought to integrate a certain functionality into the design. For instance, the legs continue into the backrest and end in a small hook where you can hang your bag, while the transverse brass rod on the backrest indicates where you can grip the chair to pull it out,” Halstrøm explains.

Simple comfort

The 36 rooms of the hotel strike a minimalist theme, based on the quintessential question: what do you need? A bed, a lamp and a place to hang your clothes. In one of the few modifications to the original building, all the rooms now have a private bathroom. Still, Svinkløv Badehotel is designed as a summer residence with no extra insulation, and it still only stays open six months a year.

“It was a conscious decision,” says Louise Toft-Hansen, “since the two of us, the staff and the house all need a break after a full season with long hours and a large number of guests. We need some family time, and the house needs maintaining – both inside and out.”

Outside, the Selandia series of tables and chairs have been part of the outdoor furniture at Svinkløv Badehotel for years, and during the fire, some of the furniture was saved and restored. Today, Selandia still resides at Svinkløv, outdoors, facing the sea – now slightly scarred, but intact, connecting the new beginning with the historical past.

Svinkløv Badehotel is living proof that quality matters – at all levels. The seaside hotel is a reminder of how important it is to unwind and relax in close proximity to nature and to enjoy the simple pleasures of the sea, sun, great food and the people you love.