Malmo Arena: an ultra-modern multi-sports venue
On 6 November 2008 the new multi-sports arena in southern Sweden was inaugurated. The arena will host concerts and shows of all sorts as well as conferences, corporate events, etc. The highly flexible new arena will be able to accommodate events attracting audiences of between 2,000 and 15,000 people. There will be several bars and restaurants, the largest of which can seat 1,100 guests. Malmö Arena is located next to the new City Tunnel station in Hyllie. Plans are also on the go to build a new 250-room hotel adjacent to the arena, although this will not be ready until 2010/2011.

Swedbank Stadium: more than a football field...
Swedbank Stadium, Malmo’s big new football venue with a capacity of 21,000 seated spectators, will be ready for kick-off in spring 2009. Besides football matches, the stadium will also put on outdoor concerts, stage performances of various sorts, conferences and congresses, fairs and exhibitions. Scandinavian Service Partner will manage the restaurants, bars, kiosks, and a party and banqueting service. A maximum of 2,000 guests can be served at any one time, while the party and banqueting restaurant will have sufficient capacity for 1,200 seated guests during live stage performances.

New congress centre in central Malmo
In December 2007, the Municipal Executive Committee gave the go-ahead for a new congress centre, incorporating meetings facilities, a concert hall and hotel, in central Malmö within walking distance of Malmo Central Station and the new City Tunnel station. Now, an architectural competition is being held to attract proposals for the design of the new centre scheduled for completion in 2012. The congress centre will be able to host 1,500 people, the concert hall will accommodate 1,600 and the hotel will have 250-300 rooms.

Several large hotels coming up
Not since the late 1980s has there been any major new hotels in Malmo, but if the present building plans proceed as envisaged, Malmö will also be increasing its hotel capacity from just over 3,000 to around 4,500 rooms within just a few years.

As early as February 2009, the Stay At Hotel Apartments, a new apartment hotel in central Malmo opened its doors to the public. The hotel is expected to comprise 240 rooms/apartments and a restaurant. Also in 2009, Malmo and Sweden will be welcoming their first Mariott hotel to central Malmo as the market hall at the picturesque Lilla Torg is being converted into a hotel with 115 rooms and conference facilities.

In the seaside district of Västra Hamnen, the Rezidor Group also plans to open a Park Inn next to the World Trade Center with 220 rooms, a restaurant and conference facilities. This is expected to welcome its first guests in 2010.

Perhaps the most spectacular of the new building plans are those of two Norwegian billionaires, however. Right by the Oresund Bridge, Petter Stordalen, majority owner of Choice Hotels, Scandinavia’s biggest hotel chain, has plans to build an ultramodern spa and conference facility with about 250 rooms and conference capacity for approx. 750 people. At the same time, Arthur Buchardt has had plans to build a hotel by the City Tunnel station in the new district of Hyllievång, in southern Malmö. If these plans materialise, the result will be a four-star hotel with around 300 rooms. The hotel itself, designed by the Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh, is a modern building of glass and sandstone with an adventure pool and a fully equipped spa.