Jesper Larsson wants to remind people of a lovely little thing called hospitality, as he imagines it. 



One would almost always expect all friendly innkeepers seated behind their reception desks, absorbed in the big pages of the newspaper in their characteristic fashion, but ever ready to exchange a few friendly words with their guests. He would, for example, greet you ‘good morning' in his native tongue (with a lilt in his voice that always makes the local language sound so much better than your own). He would also suggest that you go to this certain place for lunch, with equal gusto pack you into a taxi headed straight for that said place, and upon your return in the evening, he would unfailingly ask if you did actually like the food – and you, because it was only polite, would heap praise upon his expert recommendation. Such is the innkeeper we, at some point in our lives and no matter where in the world, will meet – but not if you are trying to talk to Jesper Larsson, the founder of Creators Inn.

When we contacted Larsson, he replied that he was six thousand miles away from Gothenburg, the Swedish city where we heard he had opened the new concept inn. In fact, Larsson couldn't be any further from the reception desk – "I've been in the cloud forest of Costa Rica for a couple of days so I have had a hard time finding the time to answer your email," he beeped back. A few days later, he dropped us a message saying he was in San Jose, and the last we heard from him he was on the road, and then he had checked in at The Jane Hotel in New York which he said we should all come see because it was like living in a Wes Anderson movie. All the travel (there was also Panama somewhere along the way) belies any notion of Larsson being the receptionist innkeeper.

Yes, modern hoteliers globetrot. But Larsson is not really your typical hotelier either. For one, his hotel is completely free-of-charge. Creators Inn offers free short-term accommodation for visiting creators, whose presence and work, Larsson thinks, in turn make the city more interesting.

It is basically an artist-in-residence idea, but it embraces art in all its forms. "Creators" is defined widely here – writers, graffitists, journalists, DJs are all welcome, although Larsson points out they do tend to favour those who would normally otherwise end up on someone's couch.

"Everyone is welcome to register and motivate why they should be granted a stay. Foreign visitors are prioritised. But you need what we call a ‘valid reason' to stay at our Inn. A valid reason is some sort of creative activity, preferably together with local creators or something that incorporates the city in some way. For instance, meeting up an old Swedish friend to go clubbing is not a valid reason to be granted a free stay," Larsson says.

It all started when Larsson first moved to Gothenburg in 2001. Unable to find an apartment he could afford, he jokingly asked his friend who owned a tennis hall if he could stay there. As it turned out, the friend needed a night guard so Larsson moved into the hall. In the emptiness of the halls, Larsson marvelled at the logic and the possibilities of such win-win situations and he wondered if he could create a new hospitality concept in the same way.

"Sweden is the third largest country in the EU but we have only nine million people so there is lots of space for everyone. But still we tend to live in small apartments in the suburbs. Sweden has the most single households in the world," Larsson explains. "For most of my life, I've lived small and alone in one of these single households. When my friends visited, I would try to make them feel welcomed, I would cook for them, show them around, and if they were a group or a couple, I would give them my apartment and stay at my friend's house. But I wondered if I could improve their experience of the city." 


His first idea was to turn his apartment into a jungle with living plants and animals and maybe a waterfall, but cost proved prohibitive. His second idea was to convert his place into a hotel room. 

"We realised it's not about buying new stuff as it is about taking away all the crap. You just have to buy a few key items, put a big bed in the centre of the room. You can learn some tricks about putting up a curtain on a wall to give the illusion of a grand window. A nice Gothenburg skyline mural, some Ikea furniture and you're done." So came about the first Creators Inn – created, yes, out of Larsson's own apartment.

The concept has since manifested in different places and in different forms over time. It has been an apartment, a teeny capsule hotel with a large workspace, a hotel in a hotel – all conveniently situated in the heart of a creative district to meet the coolest people in town, and designed to provide a rent-free work haven for aforementioned couch-inhabitants.


Unfortunately, Creators Inn has been put on hold due to lack of funding. But Larsson is persistent. That was why he was in Panama City – visiting an eco village and investigating the possibilities of opening a Creators Inn. He is also working on a project called "Hundra Kontor" which means "One hundred offices". 

"It's about encouraging companies in western Sweden to house creatives in their unused rooms and spaces," Larsson explains. "The creators get free working space and the company contributes to a better society and also obtains young creative competence and inspiration. It's a win-win situation and everybody wins." Barter hospitality – who would have thought?

creatorsinn.com

Text by Yvonne Xu