You might think that The Beatles started their Swedish tour with a concert in the capital. Wrong! The first two shows were held in Karlstad, about 300 kilometres west of Stockholm. The Beatles drove there from Stockholm on Friday, 25th of October. While in Karlstad, they stayed at Stadshotellet (now - Elite Stadshotellet) where they occupied two rooms. One of them was a suite, which was called the King's Suite because many kings have lived there. It was later converted into a conference room called the Handelskammarrummet. The other room is today called the Beatles Room and there are press clippings and posters from the group's concert in Karlstad on the walls.
Stadshotellet is a place with a long history and a character. The hotel was built in 1871 on the site of Karlstad's first church and cemetery. It was meant to offer the city visitors a first-class accommodation with 45 excellent rooms for rent. Since then several alterations and extensions have been made and today’s hotel offers 138 rooms and conference facilities. Over the years, it has seen many returning visitors and some famous guests besides The Beatles. Gustaf Fröding, a prominent Swedish poet and writer, was among them. Rumors say he had his own table in the hotel restaurant, where he spent many hours drinking punch and writing his poems.
Today, parts of the building are listed as cultural heritage. You can also find remains of Karlstad's oldest buildings in the neighborhood.
