If there was ever a rock star in the global hotel industry, it would be Petter Stordalen, owner of Scandinavia's Nordic Choice Hotels. So far in his life, the 49-year old billionaire has completed an Iron Man race, was chained to a bridge while protesting a UK nuclear treatment plant, and did a spontaneous back flip on stage at a Prince concert.
The man also knows how to make an entrance, and the openings of his hotels usually involve some sort of unforgettable show. When he opened his $200 million Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden in January, he descended from the ceiling inside a giant disco ball while pounding on a drum set. During the opening of the Clarion Hotel & Congress in Trondheim, Norway, Stordalen drove through the audience on his custom built motorbike, before parking it on the stage and giving a speech.
And Stordalen's latest hotel opening was no different. Last Monday, the hotel tycoon ran down the facade of the Clarion Hotel Arlanda to mark the opening of the company's latest flagship property. The hotel, which is located at the Arlanda airport in Sweden, stands 57 meters tall.
"I have always been a little afraid of height, but I guess I am cured now," Stordalen told the press afterwards.
In order to prepare for the stunt, Stordalen, spent two days practicing Australian abseiling, which is the process of descending a fixed rope in a standing position while facing the ground. The stunt was filmed by Norwegian director Frederic Esnault from Friendly Films, who gave the final product a Top Gun-style spin.
Check out the video below to see the daring stunt. We are already sensing that this is becoming a trend for hotel openings that want to make a statement. You might recall the Revere Hotel Boston Common
using a similar stunt technique to host a vertical fashion show back in April.