IKEA Announces Budget Hotels

Low-cost, assemble-yourself furniture company Ikea has announced a plan to establish a line of budget-friendly hotels in Europe. In a twist, guests will not be asked to put together their own beds or mini-bar.

As reported by the Associated Press, Inter Ikea, the company that owns Ikea's intellectual property rights, is planning to open 100 hotels across Europe through its property division, though the hotels won't be branded as "Ikea" or contain any of the company's furniture.

The first two hotels are expected to open in Germany in 2014, with properties to follow in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, Poland, and the Nordic countries, according to the AP. Ikea will be operating the hotels with another company who remains as yet unnamed. The name of the hotel line will be announced sometime in September. Inter Ikea already owns properties on the continent, including sites in the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, and Spain.

Harold Muller, development manager of Inter Ikea's property division told the AP that, while the Ikea name and umlaut-laden furniture will not be present in the hotels, the philosophy of "good quality at a reasonable price," will link the hotels to the world's largest furniture retail store.

"We're aiming to spread all over Europe," he said.

The real question is, when the name of the line is finally announced, will we as Americans be able to pronounce it, or will we fake it? Also, will they have meatballs?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Daniel S.