A manor house hotel built in 1906

The hotel’s address, Långenäs (meaning ‘long nose’ in Swedish) describes its location well, on a low promontory jutting out into the lake. Hällsnäs lies at the end of the ‘nose’. A large white building surrounded by lush greenery and water. A manor house hotel in such an idyllic position that few can believe it’s so close to both Gothenburg and Landvetter Airport.

The bit of the railway called Boråsbanan (the Borås line), built in 1894, runs parallel with Långenäs road all the way along the promontory. It had a huge impact when it was completed, not just for industry in the area but for the town of Mölnlycke in general. Transport to and from Gothenburg had previously consisted of a pair of sturdy legs or a horse.

Of course most people couldn’t afford to travel by train anyway, but the arrival of the railway helped populate Långenäs. The owner of Långenäs Herrgård himself built the station house on the promontory.

With the arrival of the railway the squire sold off twenty plots of land. Some say it was a minimum requirement set by the railway company in order for them to stop at that station. Others contend that it was simply that he was a bit lonely out there on his own and wanted company to socialise with.

The families that lived in Långenäs all came from Gothenburg. Their winter accommodation was in the city and they moved out to the lakeside in spring. All the houses were exclusively summer villas.

Naturally the squire didn’t just let any old person buy a plot on his Långenäs. Of course they had to have money but they also had to have a title of the kind that mattered – chairmen and directors were top of the list.

The building of Hällsnäs Herrgård was completed in 1906, and it was purchased by a prosperous dentist from Gothenburg named Lindholm. The manor was originally a summer residence, but at the end of the 1920s a major renovation made the building suitable for living in all year round.

Ownership of the promontory was in Lindholm’s hands up to 1957 when it was bought by Sister Signe Olsson. Sister Signe ran a convalescent home for older ladies until she passed away in 1984. Many of our present guests still have links to that time. They have worked here or been visitors. We get to hear many interesting anecdotes.

In 1986 Hällsnäs was bought by a family who wanted to found Sweden’s first and only private members’ club. A pair of huge cast iron gates engraved with the name “Hällsnäs” were installed, proclaiming the area to be strictly private. A little gate intercom was discreetly hidden on the side, which decreed whether sesame would open or not. For the right person or member of the club the gates slowly opened.

In 1996/97 the gates started opening for other guests too. No one had to be a member or was required to wear a tie any more. Since then Hällsnäs has been the site of many conferences, weddings and other arrangements.

Peter Kollberg has owned Hällsnäs since March 2015. The manor house and all the hotel rooms have been carefully modernised and an extension built. In March 2019 we opened our whisky warehouse with the capacity to store three hundred 30 litre barrels by arrangement with Mackmyra Swedish Whisky.

With the ambition of making Hällsnäs the best food destination in western Sweden, the goal has been to find the right partners. In January 2021, Thomas Sjögren and Oscar Gyllström, together with Scandinavian Resorts, took over the operation of Hällsnäs Hotell & Restaurang.
With Thomas Sjögren, who won both Swedish Chef of the Year and the TV hit Battle of the Chefs, at the helm, an excellent dining experience is a given.

Hällsnäs Hotel & Restaurant is constantly developing and our imagination never runs dry. We’d love you to join us on our exciting journey onwards.