FROM WASTELAND TO SUMMER PARADISE

During the second part of the 19th century it became fashionable to spend summer at a seaside resort where you could relax and enjoy beach life. In Halmstad a couple of leading persons initiated the idea that the town with its nice nearby beaches should be able to compete with more established seaside resorts.

The main question was where to establish a seaside hotel and restaurant. In September 1912 a delegation of gentlemen went out to Långenäsudden and Tjuvahålan to seek out a suitable location.

Shortly thereafter the local paper Hallandsposten with slight excitement reported that: ”The commissioned was especially delighted by an area on the west side of Tyludden, the so called Tylösand. Here you could surely be able to create a typical west coast seaside resort that could compare with – and surpass even – our foremost seaside resorts here on the west coast.”

But for that to happen, the communications between Halmstad and Tylösand must be sorted out. There’s talk about building either a road or a railway, but none of those plans are realised. Instead one decides to rely on the boat traffic that since the turn of the century has taken the few seaside enthusiasts out to the remote beach.

SMUGGLER'S NEST

Before all this, the place wasn’t especially glamourous. The area around Tyludden and Tylösand was difficult to reach and mostly frequented by fishers and smugglers – which explains the name Tjuvahålan (The thief’s hole). In 1870 The Customs authority built a customs station in Tjuvahålan to fight the smuggling, and the same year a lighthouse with living quarters was built on Tylön.

For hundreds of years the land around Tylösand had been seen as worthless – a big deserted area of sand without vegetation or settlement. The land was owned by the city of Halmstad, but situated in the village of Söndrum. Most people regarded the project as doomed.

But with the smuggling behind them, the growing summer tourism in view and French seaside resort Trouville in Normandie as a role model, photographer Johan Hallberg in 1915 builds Restaurang Tylösand; a beautiful but modest building with restaurant, porch and ten guest rooms.

THE SUCCESS BECOMES INCORPORATED

On August 31 1915 the hotel is officially inaugurated, and everyone who has shook their heads in disbelief at Hallberg’s plans will see their misgivings were unfounded. The timing is perfect; the new resort by the sea is a success, and already the year later three new rooms are added.

At the same time plans are made to incorporate the business. The process turns out to be slow, however. In April 1917 a constituent shareholder’s meeting is held, but it’s not until March 5 1920 that AB Tylösands Havsbad is registered at the Royal agency for Patents and Registration. 100 years of love by the sea can start.

1921 - FROM TENTS TO MASONITE HOUSES

A country road has been built to Tylösand and buss traffic from the city starts in 1921. The first campers establish themselves there in the early 20’s. They rise their humble tents in the greenery around Tjuvahålan, and on a rock by the sea someone scratches their initials and the year 1921.

The camping trend is spreading fast, and soon the area around Tjuvahålan is full. When the campers move up to the forest where the current cabin village is situated, a rent agreement is made with the Tylösand company that is leasing the land. For 1925 the lease for a lot is SEK 25 a year.

The first settlements are simple tents with rag carpets as floor and a ”larder” consisting of box that’s dug into the ground. In the 1930’s some of the tents are replaced with small beach houses in masonite, that eventually will look well equipped summer cottages with water, discharge and electricity. In 1961 there are 370 Masonite cottages in the area, with a yearly lease of SEK 60 per cottage.

1924 - TJUVAHÅLANS PENSIONAT

In the middle of the 1850’s the coastal rider Carl Martin Meuller at the Coast Guard buys 10 hectares of land from the Halmstad Castle, and builds the Carlsberg house by Tyludden and Tjuvahålan.

The city of Halmstad buys the property in the early 1920’s and leases it to the Tylösand company, who rebuilds Carlsberg to an elegant guest house with social areas, 16 rooms for rent and a garage for four cars. Tjuvahålans Guest House opens in style on May 30 1924, and quickly becomes very popular.

Between November 1956 and June 1957, the guest house serves as a camp for close to 400 Hungarian refugees that have fled during the failed revolt against the communist rule in Hungary. It is later run as a dance hall and later discotheque in the 1960’s, but in the early 70’s the abandoned buildings are torn down.

1927 - EVERYBODY WANTS TO VISIT TYLÖSAND

The 1920’s saw a rising interest in outdoor living, with more social classes being able to enjoy beach life in the summer. The record-breaking heatwave of 1925 attracts more people than ever to Tylösand, making the restaurant and hotel business boom.

Demand is so big that architect Uno Forthmeiier after the summer season is commissioned to plan a new hotel. The building is financed in an unconventional deal where the City of Halmstad as land owners pays for the building and then lease the new hotel to the Tylösand company.

When the new hotel with its 39 rooms is ready in the spring of 1927, it is described in the press as ”a first-class hotel building” (which still remains, now as “Herrgårdshuset”). At the same time the restaurant is expanded in continental style with a ballroom for 200 persons, terrace and a club room.

The artist Axel Olson – later to become famous as a part of the artist community Halmstadgruppen – does the decorating, and the ballroom’s wall panels with motives from the world of 18th century poet Carl Michael Bellman give it the name Bellmansalen (the panels are preserved in the Hallbergska café on the second floor – welcome to have a look).

Demand for rooms in Tylösand is strong and the expansion continues: three villas with an additional ten rooms for rent is built close to the hotel, together with a hot and cold bath by the beach and a garage.

But even more important is that the road from Halmstad to Tylösand is modernized so that traffic can increase. Other innovations are running water supply, electricity and – last but not least – licence to serve alcohol.

1931 - MODERN TIMES TAKES SHAPE AT TYLÖHUS

Tylösand takes its biggest step towards the future when the functionalist style of architecture is spreading out by the sandy dunes. Restaurang Tylöhus by architect Uno Forthmeiier is built by leftover timber from Halmstadsutställningen, and Hotell Tylöhus with its 74 rooms is a work by county architect Erik Friberger.

All rooms are equipped with running hot and cold water, some oven with their own bathroom. The spacious restaurant has a ballroom on the upper floor with club rooms, shops and a post office on ground level.

Both buildings are built in the new functionalist style that has had its big break during the Stockholm exhibition the year before. It’s only 16 years since the original inn invited its guests in 1915, but it now looks like a remnant from days gone by compared to the futuristic look of the two new buildings.

1948 - JOHAN HALLBERG WITHDRAWS

In the City council, "acquisition of Tylösands Havsbad” is discussed on January 19 1948. For the first time there is a general agreement that the City should do what it can to stimulate Tylösand’s development in a way that improves Halmstad’s status as a seaside resort.

Johan Hallberg is now approaching his 70’s, and feels that after more than three decades of leadership, it’s time to withdraw. He sells 300 of his 450 shares in the company, and the deal also stipulates a right to access three rooms in Tylögården for the rest of his life.

The new VD Jan Hörberg and the new direction immediately starts a renovation and rebuilding programme, but the hotel is not a cash cow. WW II has dampened demand for seaside resorts and losses are made both before and after the acquisition.

1952 - RESTAURANG TYLÖHUS DESTROYED BY FIRE

On the morning of August 29, a fire breaks out at Restaurang Tylöhus. It’s spreading fast, and within two hours the building is destroyed. The fire also spreads to the nearby private villa Strandgården, which also is eaten up by the flames.

The fire corps are trying to save the original building from 1915 and as much of the new hotel as possible. All hotel guests are evacuated and nobody is hurt. Water to the fire hoses is first taken from the water lily pond, but when that isn’t enough the hoses are dragged over the dunes down to the sea. In the new hotel building the southern part with entrance, reception and a few hotel rooms are destroyed.

The fire creates an estimated loss of SEK 30 million (today) in just a few hours, but despite thorough investigations the cause of the fire is never explained.

1953 - NEW BUILDING, NEW RECORDS

At first, the fire is regarded as catastrophe, but in perspective history will show that the hotel will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. There’s never any hesitation about rebuilding the place, and the project advances fast. The new restaurant gets more functional spaces with shared kitchen facilities for the old hotel and Tylöhus.

By this time, Tylösand has become a well know seaside resort in Sweden. Both the fire and the rebuilding get extensive coverage in national media who follows the hotel’s race against time. Will they be ready in time for the summer season of 1953?

Yes. On June 13 1953 the new Tylöhus is inaugurated, being fully booked since months. The new establishment at Tylösand quickly regains its position, so much that it that 400 employees are hired during the coming summers. The bill for the rebuilding lands on almost SEK 2 million, translating to almost 30 million today.

1960 - NIGHTCLUB NOT GOOD FOR YOUTH

In the spring of 1960, the authorities are considering no less than four applications to open a night club in Halmstad during summer – and one of them regards Tylösand. If it’s a yes, Halmstad and Söndrum will get four nightclubs together – which would have been a small sensation.

There are but six nightclubs in Stockholm, and they won’t get more permissions than that. Gothenburg only has two.

But nightlife in the more continental sense will have to wait awhile more, both in Halmstad and Tylösand. Erik Hagman is responsible for granting the rights, and his argument is in principle that dancing in combination with the serving of alcohol is a less desirable form of entertainment for youth, and that care of said youth should prevail over pleasing tourists from abroad. And with that, the idea of nightclubs at Tylösand is postponed indefinitely.

1965 - NATTI NATTI WITH STRIPTEASE

On July 2 the authorities worry about the local youth’s wellbeing caves in for the free spirit of the 60’s, when the nightclub is inaugurated. Trio Canaro accompanies six Polish ballet dancers that call themselves Syrenki-Ballet. Last but not least there’s also a striptease show performed by Siam Sandré – a form of entertainment that will be a regular part of the show until 1968.

1970 - CONFERENCES PICK UP THE PACE

Tylösand is well into the 60’s a typical summer resort, but coinciding with the reopening of new Restaurang Tylöhus the demand for conferences during autumn and spring increases. This will soon become an integral part in the strategy to expand the season beyond summer.

The first guests outside the summer season is Sweden’s school for Civil Defence, which is held in Tylösand between September 1 And May 15 during most of the 60’s.

In 1970 the whole hotel is made winterized. The restaurant and the hotel are joined with a recreation space containing a swimming pool, fitness areas, medical clinic and conference facilities.

Torsten Senje is convinced that future hotel guests will put even higher demands on sport and recreation facilities at the hotel. He seems to have gazed into the future.

1980 - VENTURE OR CLOSE?

Tylösand’s future is discussed in Halmstad’s city council. Two options are on the table; continue as before and close within five years or expand the conference facilities. The later alternative wins and a five-story building on the location of the former original hotel building is presented. The project is budgeted at SEK 40 million and becomes heavily discussed and criticized.

After two years the council’s chairman gives the opposition an ultimatum: if they vote no, the city will have to sell the whole hotel business. The opposition votes no.

The shareholder’s meeting commissions the Tylösand company to find a suitable buyer or leaseholder. The possibilities to build the controversial hotel building is a part of the conditions for the sale.

1995 - TWO NEW OWNERS CREATE NEW ENERGY

On July 7 Björn Nordstrand and Per Gessle buys Tylösands Havsbad from Reso. Many are surprised by the unexpected constellation between the business man Nordstrand and the international pop star Gessle.

But both of the owners have their roots in Halmstad and shares an affection for Hotel Tylösand’s history and future. They see the acquisition as a long-term venture and intends to invest to transform Tylösand into an ever-growing attraction.

- I’ve spent a small fortune in the bar, so it’s just about right that I get a chance to get some of it back, Per Gessle comments.

The new ownership allows for an injection of innovative thinking where the hotel and conference facilities in the coming years will be complemented with an art gallery, new restaurant concepts and a spa.

1996 - LEIF OPENS THE DOORS

The new owners get things moving fast. Club Natti is transformed into Leif’s Lounge (named after Per’s self-drawn mascot Leif from high school) and on June 28 the doors open. The new nightclub quickly becomes a dream for fans of Roxette and Gyllene Tider. On the walls there’s gold and platinum records, guitars, rejection letters and other memorabilia from Per’s pop career. Soon everyone gets used to the sight of starry-eyed “Roxers" from all over the world.

Shortly thereafter, the new gallery Tres Hombres Art with Per Gessle, Lars Nordin and Jan Beime as owners opens, and the whole hotel is made into an exhibition space for art objects, and especially photo art. The whole idea starts when Per and Åsa Gessle is about to buy a sculpture by an art dealer, who goes bankrupt before the deal is done. Instead the piece comes into the hands of the liquidator, and the whole thing ends with the Gessles buying the complete collection of 1 300 art objects.

Combined with a fast-growing collection of photo art, Hotel Tylösand soon transforms into a huge gallery with amazing art experiences around every corner.

2004 - EXPANSION TO THE ISLAND?

In the summer Restaurang Tylöhus launches its Piano bar, introducing much beloved house pianist CM Carlsson.

During late summer plans for starting a conference business at Tylön are revealed. The National Property Board needs to renovate the lighthouse, and to cover the costs Hotel Tylösand is offered to rent the spaces to establish a smaller conference facility.

Adversaries to the plans claim that the bird protected area should not be exploited, but authorities still gives the green light. In 2007, the hotel decides not to go ahead with the plans, finding the logistics a bit too complicated and not wanting to draw attention away from the growing number of guests in the current business.

THE FUTURE - HOTEL TYLÖSAND BUILDS A NEW FRONT

A hundred years of almost constant expansion continues when Hotel Tylösand gets a whole new front façade. A new annexe by the current entrance will add 40 hotel rooms and a new conference room as well as an exhibition space.

Fredblad Arkitekter in Halmstad gets the commission with a winning five-story building that is linked to the present entrance.

Which takes us to a future that begins now. But it wouldn’t have been possible if not a couple of fearless innovators more than a decade ago had ventured to a piece of worthless land by the sea to see if anything fun could be done there. It could.