Our history

A dream come true

From department stores to hotels

Jula Hotell AB was established in 2019, when Jula AB took over the ownership of the first hotel – Skara Konsthotell, which opened its doors for the first time in 2007. It was Jula’s founder, Lars-Göran Blank (1938-2014) who was behind it all. Skara Konsthotell houses the largest privately owned collection by Anders Zorn and many paintings by other great Swedish artists such as Carl Larsson, Jenny Nyström and Bruno Liljefors. The facility also consists of Jula Stadscamping and an adventure golf course.

Jula Hotell has since been in an exciting expansive phase. In 2020, Jula Hotell was expanded with Skara Stadshotell, which opened in early 2022 after extensive renovations. Skara Stadshotell is a boutique hotel in picturesque Skara with a congress hall, banquet hall, conferance rooms, hotel, restaurant and pleasant public areas.

In the summer of 2021, the third hotel in the chain was added – the historic Gyllene Uttern hotel in Gränna, also called Sweden’s first roadside restaurant. The hotel has fantastic environments and views over Lake Vättern and Visingsö. At the beginning of 2022, Jula Hotell also acquired the hotel Gysinge Herrgård, another fantastic historic property by the lower Dalälven river with incredible nature right outside the door.

Jula AB, of which Jula Hotell AB is a part, has been operating since 1979. The company was founded and run by Lars-Göran Blank and today there are more than 110 stores in Sweden, Norway, Poland and Finland. Jula’s head office and central warehouse are located in Skara and it is Lars-Göran’s son Karl-Johan Blank who runs the business today.