When Reitangruppen purchased and renovated Britannia Hotel, Odd Reitan, the hotel’s owner since 2016, had a dream to create a stunning presidential suite. A space which would both reflect the building’s 150-year history and elevate the property into the upper echelons of international hospitality. Here we introduce the Tower Suite; a 220m² luxury living space, which will make every guest feel like royalty.
A benchmark of international quality
In taking on the Olympian task of renovating Britannia Hotel in Trondheim, Odd Reitan knew there were many challenges to overcome. A three-year, $150 million, top-to-toe renovation will always unearth some obstacles. The creation of the Tower Suite, however, was perhaps a challenge of the new owner’s own making.
The architects, designers and project managers had to be on top of their games in order to deliver on the brief: a 220m² penthouse, built into the hotel’s previously unoccupied dome, which adorns the famous façade of Trondheim’s White Swan. To the developers’ credit, the end product is a luxurious living space which reaches new heights, a flag-bearer of the hotel’s quality, which has come to represent the scale of Reitan’s ambition.
“Peter Albert Claussen and his wife Cecilie Debes Myhre were the owners of Britannia Hotel when its famous white façade was established in 1897. P.A. Claussen signed the beams in the tower during its construction, and we found his signature during the renovations,” explains Reitan. “The tower has always been an iconic part of the city’s skyline, one of 15 such towers built by the hotel’s architect, Karl Norum. Ironically had the building been built today, it is highly unlikely that such a construction would be approved. We wanted to take the heritage of the hotel and find ways of making it relevant for the next 150 years.”
Sitting atop Britannia Hotel’s historic 1897 building, housed (in part) within the iconic tiled dome, the Tower Suite is a treasure-trove of details which Reitan insisted on in order to make sure the hotel became ‘world class’:
A five-star hotel needs a presidential suite. Somewhere everyone can feel like royalty for a night.
Odd Reitan
Elevate your expectations
The elevator to the Tower Suite opens into a private lobby, which can only be reached by residents of the suite. The rooms are accessed through two more lockable doors, to ensure a high level of security; an important consideration for guests who value privacy and peace of mind. Previously Trondheim was underserviced for residents in this segment, with some high-profile musicians flying in and out on the night of their concerts, and therefore missing all the city has to offer.
Today, Britannia Hotel offers premium transfer and seamless check in, with an elevator straight from the secure underground carpark. The suite can also be combined with up to 14 further rooms, to house larger entourages, making the perfect residence for rock stars, royalty and regular people, who are celebrating one of life’s great moments.
The first room you enter is the grand dining room, with space for up to 10 diners around the purpose built, polished wood dining table, with brass feet and a high gloss finish. Private dining can be arranged, serviced by a discrete hatch from the suite’s own kitchen. Everything is on the menu, from family meals to banquets curated by celebrity chefs, with dishes tailor-made to the residents’ tastes and preferences. The table and chairs were designed by Britannia Hotel’s interior architects Linda Gram Egede-Nissen and Hanne Gathe (Metropolis AS) and produced specially for the Tower Suite by Hotel Concept.
Visual Comfort have provided the chandeliers for the dining room (and the adjoining living room). The highlight of the dining room, however, has to be the wall-length, floor-to-ceiling, temperature-controlled wine cabinet. A veritable mini cellar of 200 bottles, with wines ranging from the classic Burgundies to Britannia’s own Champagne from house Ayala. The wine racks can also be stacked according to the guests’ preferences too, taking advantage of the hotel’s living wine cellar, Vinbaren, which has 10,000 bottles in its repertoire. This private wine bar has everything you need for your in-room dining and events, with great sommeliers on hand to help you choose and pour the wine, should you require.
There is a two-sided fireplace with marble mantlepiece, which connects the dining room to the living room. The lounge area includes a 65” TV, a writing area with an Eichholtz desk, and a luxurious, bespoke four-piece sofa, also designed and created exclusively for Britannia. A well-stocked, wet bar takes pride of place, ensuring refreshment is never out of reach.
“The bar is custom designed to stand out as a ‘jewel’ in the suite,” explains Linda Gram Egede-Nissen, the interior designer from Metropolis, who was involved in the project from conception. “A functional wet bar where you can mix drinks, but also an outstanding focal point. Hammered brass basin, glass hanging shelves and an antique mirror backsplash to make the bar optically bigger than it actually is. In addition to the large wine cellar in the dining room, the bar is the focal point of this level.”
The whole South wall of the Tower Suite is lined by an enormous floor-to-ceiling window, with bullet-proof glass and three levels of blinds. The blinds are controlled by digital panels on the wall, with settings to vary the light, warmth and privacy: a setting for every setting. The lights, fireplaces and heating are all controlled in the same manner.
Three steps above the living area is the library, built into the dome of Britannia Hotel’s tower. The original wooden beams are exposed, providing a direct window into the hotel’s illustrious past. The windows themselves are small portholes, through which, when perched on tip-toes, residents can peer across the snow-covered roofs of Trondheim. There is another fireplace, walls lined with lovely volumes of books, a drinks trolley which can be tailored to the guests’ preference, ample games and a stunning old chandelier, which was salvaged from the old hotel, renovated and fitted perfectly into the library’s surrounding.
Astonishingly, there is also a grand piano within the tower library; a newly renovated Schimmel. The piano previously stood in the hotel’s palm court where it was played by, amongst others, Benito ‘Beni’ Buoso, who entertained audiences in the hotel for over 50 years. Music has always been central to guests’ experiences at Britannia, a venue which was a hotbed for performance even before the opening of the hotel in 1870 (the farmstead which predates the hotel used to host popular recitals). So, it was natural that Tower Suite be built around the same fundamentals.
Odd Reitan insisted that the room be built around the piano. It took five men to maneuver it into the room and my pulse was racing as we tried to negotiate it into the space. But it fits perfectly, and can you imagine the incredible intimate concerts that this room will come to host?
Linda Gram Egede-Nissen
The tower library is a wonderful dark coloured snug, the perfect space to compliment and contrast with the light open space of the living room below. Together with the dining room and the plush marble guest bathroom, there is ample entertaining space in the suite.
But first, a good night’s sleep
When the evening’s entertainment draws to a close, the sleeping arrangements could not be more comfortable. The bedroom has a bed from legendary Swedish bedmakers Hästens, with a custom designed headboard and bed skirt.
“Our strategy was to create a hotel which is a destination in its own right,” says Bjarte Gjerde, Britannia Hotel’s Project Manager for the four years spanning the renovations. “We developed a star restaurant, a top cocktail bar and international standard Spa-Fitness area, as well as refreshing the restaurant concepts to attract the city’s population.”
When it came to the rooms, the best way to stand out from the crowd is to concentrate on the ‘core of the room’. I insisted we buy Hästens Beds, recognised as the world’s best beds, found only in the best bedrooms in the world. Britannia is the only hotel in Northern Europe that has Hästens beds in all rooms.
Bjarte Gjerde
There is ample cupboard space throughout the bedroom, with wallcovering from Arte. The rest of the wallpaper in the bedroom is provided by Phillip Jeffries, one of the world’s leaders in natural, textures and specialty wall coverings. The bedroom TV is cleverly hidden in a marble topped counter, the perfect viewing while snuggled in bespoke bedsheets by Amet and plush duvets by Norvegr. The chandelier is by Arteriors.
And then there is the bathroom, a heavenly space if ever there was. The golden bathtub by Catchpole & Rye will dominate most Instagram feeds, with adjoining double shower and separate toilet. The three vanity mirrors are custom designed and have built-in LED lighting. A lower makeup desk, beautiful Italian Calacatta marble throughout, custom designed velvet chair, pendant lights by Best&Lloyd, full size toiletries by Maison Francis Kurkdjian and rare Fromental wallpaper complete the experience. It’s a bathroom fit for royalty.
“The Tower Suite brief was to design something unique, something never seen before in Scandinavia, a one of a kind suite fit for a president or royalty,” explains designer Egede-Nissen. “We needed to address security, accessibility and create a suite fit for several competing demands, like hosting private parties, events and families. Some clients want to bring their own staff or chefs: we needed to accommodate for that. Some families just want privacy, so we needed to accommodate for that too. Many considerations had to be taken into account in the design process.”
The Tower Suite takes pride of place in a previously unoccupied part of the hotel; Britannia’s domed tower, which has always been the stand-out feature of the hotel’s exterior. Today the tower is also the home of its most iconic interior.
