Hotel Royal, Gothenburg: how Valpas bed bug-safe certification removed the need for routine pest control and synthetic pesticides
“We had a bedbug problem only once. From what I can remember, it was a while ago. We got suspicious as one of our guests said he’d had that issue in another hotel. So, we called an extermination team and they came with a dog who was indeed really well-trained and immediately spotted a small colony of bedbugs. It was at the very beginning, and they explained to us that we were really lucky there weren’t more nesting. When we heard about Valpas, it was like a dream, so we eliminated all the extermination costs and guarantee clean, pesticide-free air for our guests.”
Hotel Royal is an iconic place. Established in 1852, it is the oldest hotel in Gothenburg and all of Sweden. Family-owned since 1980 by the Oddestad family, it blends heritage, charm, and personal service.
“We make personal service and cleanliness a priority, and Valpas was the solution that offered our guests a safe and bedbug-free environment,” explains Henrik Lind, the hotel manager.
Henrik has worked at Hotel Royal for over nine years and stays closely connected with the ownership family. “We share the same vision: to offer an incredible and memorable experience and service.”
Old school but not old-fashioned
Hotel Royal’s interiors date back to the 19th century. A hand-painted glass ceiling, patterned stone floors, and an Art Nouveau staircase with hand-forged banisters reflect deep respect for heritage. The hotel offers 76 rooms, each preserving an old-school character while maintaining modern comfort.
“We like to say that we are old school in our appearance, but not old fashioned. We believe in innovation so much that we renovate the rooms every time we think they look a bit outdated and old, and we try to give our guests the maximum hygiene standard possible. And this has always been the case even before the pandemic. Our reputation is also in being a very clean place to be,” Henrik states.
That philosophy led them to become Valpas-certified bed bug-safe in 2019.
“I think we were one of the first Valpas members. We heard that that year, there had been a surge of bedbugs in many hotels in Sweden, Paris, and London. It had been a very hot summer in places that are usually not so hot during this time of the year. So, having also avoided the big risk of being infested in the past, when we spotted the problem at the very beginning, we wanted to avoid extra costs and stress for us and our guests,” he adds.
Investing in the future
Did they see immediate results?
“When our guests notice we are Valpas hotel members, and their logo is on our first page, it is, for sure, a plus. But even more, I believe Valpas is an investment for the future. When travel goes back to normal, bedbugs will be a very big problem. That is my hotelier’s experience,” Henrik stresses.
For Hotel Royal, Valpas certification is not simply a response to a past issue. It is a proactive commitment. By reducing reliance on reactive pest control and synthetic pesticides, the hotel reinforces its long-standing promise of cleanliness and care.
Open only to technology that makes sense
Valpas aligns with the hotel’s balanced view of innovation.
“We love good technology, and Valpas is the best you can get. They are green, they have a sense of design with bed legs to also fit perfectly on our old-style beds. They offer perfect service and total assistance in all circumstances. Valpas is a technology with a vision and with a mission for a better world,” Henrik believes.
Even as a historic property, Hotel Royal sees modern standards as essential to exclusivity.
“We believe in what we consider good technology because Valpas does not remove the humanity from our relationship with the guests. It is the opposite, as it makes them feel safer like at home. We will never add technology that allows guests to check-in without personal service, for example. We do like to receive our guests in person, and it is also the secret of our success, as we talk with our guests. I believe strongly in communication in this business. It is part of the hotel experience. And also, how can a guest feel really safe in a foreign country or a new city with nobody welcoming him at the front desk?” Henrik says.
A smooth implementation
Hotel Royal closes for two weeks every Christmas. During that time, they decided to introduce the Valpas standard.
“It took only one day to change all the regular beg legs to Valpas bed legs. We could not be more enthusiastic about it. And since then, the service has only been better and better, and I am very happy Valpas is becoming bigger. As I pointed out, I believe they will become even more global in the very near future,” he adds.
“Our team was excited to hear Valpas studied bedbug habits and created beg legs able to trap them, even down to easily tracking on an iPhone or PC. A sign of an infestation of bedbugs, and the team goes there directly, empty the special small cassette where these insects get trapped, and the room can be used immediately that day. That is not possible if you call pest control,” mentions Henrik.
Meeting rising expectations
“We have had more and more tourists in Gothenburg over the past few months. That is really good, of course. But most of our guests are business travelers. We offer also many single rooms so guests can stay here for a good price and enjoy excellent quality. Then, we have also some guests coming here for a romantic weekend,” emphasizes Henrik.
“But also, having more travelers from all over the world increases the bedbug risk. So, I am very happy to have prevented the problem at its roots,” he points out.
For Hotel Royal, Valpas certification reinforces what they have always stood for: high hygiene standards, responsible operations, and long-term guest trust.
A city worth discovering
Located in the heart of Gothenburg, Hotel Royal sits on Drottinggatan-Östra Larmgatan, surrounded by restaurants, culture, and shopping.
Henrik recommends Carbon, Tavolo, and Fiskekrogen, as well as the historic amusement park Liseberg and the stunning archipelago.
“From shipbuilding to tech, it is for sure a place to see, very interesting, and a mirror of the future,” Henrik adds.
At Hotel Royal, tradition and innovation coexist. A hotel founded in 1852 now sets a modern standard for safe, sustainable, bed bug-free stays — while keeping its doors open with the same personal welcome as always.