Dear all our lovely guests,
It is with a burdened heart that I sadly have to inform that Hjorths Badehotel is closing Sunday the 9th of October.
We opened the first of June 2022 with bright smiles and a new exciting future ahead of us with a completely newly renovated hotel and a vision of being open year-round. Our narrative of a place in unspoiled, beautiful nature with a special peace for reflection, immersion, presence, and fulfilling togetherness. These elements are always feasible and in our humble opinion: independent of the warmth of weather. The weather is always beautiful here. The sun with its bright light, the rainy skies with room for intimacy, the fresh winds and snow that dress the surrounding nature in fairy-tale elements.
Shortly put the many shifting expressions all have a beauty which gives different framework for possibilities.
But the world falters, suddenly old bastions seem to fall, certainties break down and in the midst of all this confusion, insecurity and fumbling, prices all seem to rise explosively.
Our electricity bill has tripled during the summer period and the latest bulletins suggest that there will be further increases and even energy shortages in the coming time. We find it difficult to spoil our guests in our cozy restaurant if the electricity to the kitchen is missing. We can’t keep it warm either and the light will go out.
Our laundry bill has more than doubled in the summer period, which is again caused by the rising electricity prices, but certainly also the general inflation.
Grocery purchases for the kitchen have increased by more than 40% – some items even by more than 100% and we refuse to decrease the quality of our acclaimed dining experiences.
Now there have been further increases as of 1 October with 30% on all cleaning products, 50% on paper – toilet paper, napkins etc.
All this makes it more than difficult to run a hotel with pampering, smiles and a particularly warm family feeling, where the uncertainty, especially on both energy prices and supply, weighs heavily.
Therefore, I am now closing the hotel and deeply regret the late announcement. I have fought until the end to get more bookings in house and hoped for some sense and understanding from our politicians both at home and in the EU. But their just-launched idea of (energy) loans seems to be a stillborn idea for an industry which, in the corona era, used all its equity to survive and therefore now has no reserves. At the same time, the trend seems to point towards a recession, which unfortunately, again in this industry, will mean reduced turnover. A loan will mean a noose around our neck.
But the winter will not be gray for us! We will use the time actively to develop, refine and experiment with our products, evaluate the season and have social activities together as a team, where we consolidate and deepen our great joy in each other as colleagues, yes, I would even go so far as to say, as a “work family”.
I/we hope for your understanding and will look forward, if all goes well, to opening on Friday 3 March 2023.
We look forward to seeing you.
On behalf of the entire team:
Sincerest regards
Mikael Valentin
