There’s no place like home
The concept of a «hotel» has long since evolved from being just a place to sleep while traveling. It has transformed into an experience – and in many cases, a spectacular hotel can even become the deciding factor for a travel destination. Today’s hotels have their own signature scent, restaurants, concerts, shops, cinemas, pillow menus, gyms and spas – making you wonder why you’d ever need to leave the hotel at all! But there has been one thing hotels couldn’t offer – the feeling of being at home. Until now, that is. Now, more and more hotels are taking the experience one step further, with some of the most forward-thinking players offering private residences, allowing you to have a true «home away from home.» One company, A-One, has taken this concept to the next level, offering what can best be described as a «one room hotel» – a truly unique experience.
Imagine you’re going on vacation. Nowadays, most travelers want to experience their chosen destination as authentically as possible. You’re not the typical «copy-paste» traveler. You want to blend in with the locals, discover hidden gems, and avoid tourist traps like TripAdvisor. You know better; you do your research. Now, imagine this: you can rent a private home, complete with all the hotel amenities we love, like delicious breakfast service, a chic minibar, daily housekeeping, and a concierge who can point out the real local gems and take care of any practical needs during your stay. But you’re staying in a stylish apartment, located in one of the city’s best and most fashionable areas, surrounded by inspiring locals.
Does that sound like a dream? That’s exactly what A-One founder Marianne Wollan thought, and she decided to make it a reality. And let’s be clear: this dream isn’t cheap to experience. Throughout her career, Marianne Wollan has been blending the best of both worlds, most recently through the company Evolve, which she started with her father. Evolve specializes in co-working spaces, helping businesses optimize their operations by creating facilities that meet their needs and building a work culture focused on employee performance and well-being. Essentially, they build the offices of the future.
Along with her partner Eric Horne, who has a background in the hotel industry, Wollan came up with the idea for A-One a few years after selling Evolve, which had grown from three offices to 28 in just seven years. During her years as Business Development Manager at fashion brand Mexx, and later with Evolve, Wollan learned the importance of location, whether for an office and
its employees, or for a store and its customers. When Wollan and Horne began developing the A-One concept, it quickly became clear that their combined expertise made every thing fall into place naturally. With A-One, they could take the cream of their knowledge and experience and create a concept focused on comfort, experience, and restoration.
One of the unique aspects Wollan wanted to incorporate into the guest experience at A-One, setting it apart from others in the same segment, was a building standard principle called WELL. WELL is based on research into how architecture and spaces affect our health and is built on seven principles: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. For A-One, these principles have been used as the foundation for everything from interior design and location selection to the facilities themselves. For instance, everything in the minibar is healthy and nutritious, there are spaces for movement or exercise in every residence, and your stay is meant to be just as restorative as it is inspiring and experiential.
Wollan believes that the future of luxury is about feeling better. A-One currently offers eight units, ranging from urban apartments in Oslo’s «Venice,» Vannkunsten, to a townhouse in Adamstuen. Each location has its unique character and is decorated accordingly, with help from interior architects. And if you truly fall in love with what you see, everything from the artwork and furniture to the apartment itself is for sale. So, perhaps your Oslo souvenir will be a numbered Vespa signed by Dior, or art by Jakob Weidemann?