September 3, 2026, 11:57 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Recently, I was invited to an old friend’s place, where he wanted to show us a slideshow of his latest trip. For his 40th birthday, he gifted himself a three-week journey to the North Cape, and we marveled at the breathtaking images of nature in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Suddenly, I exclaimed, “Stop, hold on a moment and tell us about this.” The screen now showed an old airplane, visibly worn by time, with the faint name “Jumbo Stay” still visible. “Yes, that used to be a hostel,” my friend said. “But apparently, it’s been out of operation for some time.” At that moment, I knew I had stumbled upon another intriguing story.

Indeed, the story of the airplane hostel “Jumbo Stay” is fascinating, as it began, according to the trade journal “AeroXplorer,” back in 1976. That year, a new Boeing 747 took off from Washington to Singapore to begin service with Singapore Airlines. Over the following decades, the aircraft had an exciting “career,” flying for the likes of PanAm, which went bankrupt in 1991, as well as National Canada, Garuda Indonesia, Cathay Pacific, and Kuwait Airways. Many of its operators went bankrupt, and the plane eventually made its final flight in the summer of 2002 from Dublin to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. That could have been the end of the story, if not for a very enterprising Swedish businessman.

Multi-Million Dollar Renovation

Oscar Diös, who had previously run a hostel in Uppsala, quickly bought the decommissioned aircraft in 2007. His idea: to open the world’s only youth hostel in an old airliner. At the time, it was a clever business idea, as there were no other affordable accommodations around Stockholm Airport. After receiving permission from authorities for the extensive renovation, work on the Jumbo Hostel began in January 2008. The interior space of about 350 square meters was converted into 33 rooms, including two suites, one of which was in the cockpit. Workers had to remove 500 seats. A café was created in the former first-class area, where guests could have breakfast.

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The renovation cost a staggering three million dollars (nearly 2.6 million euros), and on January 15, 2009, Diös opened it under the name “Jumbo Hostel,” later renamed “Jumbo Stay.” Uniquely, some of the rooms were located in the engine nacelles and wheel wells. A terrace was built on the left wing, allowing guests to watch jets take off from the nearby airport. The hostel could be accessed via a staircase, but there was also an elevator. For special occasions like weddings or other private events, the old Boeing 747 was also available. However, the fate of the unusual youth hostel eventually took a turn for the worse.

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Now an Abandoned Place

Inspired by the idea of “Jumbo Stay,” more competing offers opened around Arlanda Airport after 2009. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hostel’s revenue dropped by more than half, falling from about 730,000 euros annually to just 300,000 euros, according to “Aerotelegraph.” A new airport operating company also no longer allowed Diös to rent out the exterior of his aircraft as a profitable advertising space. Thus, the world’s unique accommodation had to close in March 2025, seemingly for good, as the airport currently does not permit reopening under a different operator.

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The current plan is to scrap the old Boeing 747 and sell its parts. It would be the definitive end of a charming idea that delighted countless travelers from around the world for more than 15 years. Due to the bankruptcy, 800 reservations had to be canceled. Since then, the old jumbo jet has come back to life in another “function” as a fascinating abandoned place. While you can’t enter its interior, you can take a walk around the aircraft and even on the old terrace. Through the windows, you can glimpse into the abandoned hostel. TRAVELBOOK reader Paul Böhme visited during his North Cape trip in August 2026 and recalls, “I actually discovered the place by pure chance because it’s near the highway between Stockholm and Uppsala.”

Airplane Hotel in Malaysia

Böhme is a fan of the interactive treasure hunt “Geocaching.” In this activity, enthusiasts hide so-called “caches” at special locations worldwide for others to find. Sometimes they contain small items, other times you just need to sign your name as the finder on a list. “I then hopped off right by the highway and walked over. There’s also an official parking lot.” The area was freely accessible, and the airplane itself was “quite impressive.” “There are surveillance cameras and security notices everywhere. Still, you can roam freely. There was even light on inside the plane.” His attempt to enter the former hostel through one of the doors, however, failed.

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“The thing is absolutely massive, but the location is really poor. In hindsight, it was somehow foreseeable that it would go bankrupt.” The visit also reminded Böhme of an episode from his youth. Back then, he stayed with a friend for a week in a train hostel, also in Sweden. “The carriage was on a siding, which had a certain coziness factor. Maybe Swedes just have a thing for such places.” However, that accommodation likely no longer exists either. But even though “Jumbo Stay” in Stockholm had to close its doors for good, fans of airplane accommodations can look forward to a new attraction of this kind. As “Aerotelegraph” reports, there is now an airplane hotel in Malaysia, consisting of two old Boeing 747s.