Otel Vaabensted is located on the edge of the village of Våbensted. The building oldest past was built in 1879 as a poorhouse for the parish of Våbensted with living quarters for 11 poor people and the warden couple. Half a century later the building was transferred to the municipality of Sakskøbing that chose to convert the old poorhouse to an old people home and added the new wing, now facing the road. 

In the 1980’s the Danish municipalities increasingly sought to keep the elderly in their own homes for as long as possible and providing visiting care and help as deemed necessary. As a result of this change in policy many retirement homes became unnecessary and were sold off. 

The now former Våbensted Retirement Home was bought in 1986 by Lis and Tom Larsen who saw a need for cheaper and less formal accommodation than traditional hotels. They bought the building from Sakskøbing Municipality and refurnished the house with 22 guest rooms by rebuilding the unused loft in the original wing. At the same time the present breakfast restaurant was added. Complete with patio and roof terrace above. 

Their intention was not to create a traditional hotel or motel so they chose to use the term ”Otel”. The name stuck and has been used for most of its 35-year history. 

The number of guest rooms is now reduced to 14 to provide space for guest lounges, some larger rooms and an owner’s apartment. These 14 rooms have beds for 2-6 guests each and can accommodate a total of 34 guests.