Add this to the ever-growing list of crazy crap Ikea's done lately: already experienced in decorating 54-square-meter apartments, designing full-on houses, masterminding chic airport lounges, and dreaming up micro-cities, the Swedish retailer has announced plans to build 100 budget hotels throughout Europe. Although the new lodgings will not bear the Ikea name and will be run, say, by an actual (and yet unchosen) hospitality-management group, they will be filled with Ikea furnishings. According to CNN, parent company Inter Ikea, recently valued at €9B (about $11B), is targeting Germany for the first location.
As Architizer points out, an Ikea-furnished hotel already exists in the Netherlands: the Tulip Inn opened in late 2008 next to the Ikea Concept Center in Delft. Let's just hope the new hotel brand doesn't expect guests to do anything—anything at all—with an S-wrench.
· A Brief History of All the Crazy Crap Ikea's Done Recently [Curbed National]
· All Ikea coverage [Curbed National]
· Ikea to Build Budget Hotels Across Europe [CNN via Architizer]