Review: Grand Hotel Stockholm, Sweden
During our most recent trip to Sweden, we spent two nights at Grand Hotel Stockholm. This is usually considered Stockholm’s best hotel, and I was curious to check it out. Last summer, I reviewed Bank Hotel Stockholm, which is a Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) property that can be booked with World of Hyatt points.
I was curious to see if this hotel lived up to the hype.
Booking Grand Hotel Stockholm
Grand Hotel Stockholm is an independent hotel. The hotel belongs to the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), but it is more of a marketing organization than a hotel company. The best way to book Grand Hotel Stockholm is through a travel advisor linked to Virtuoso. You pay the same as the best flexible price available through the hotel, and you get the following extra benefits:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Continental breakfast for two guests
- $ 100 equivalent of food and beverage credit to be used during the stay
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
Ford booked our stay through Virtuoso, and the price was ~ $ 400 per night. Although it was not cheap, I thought it was not unreasonable for the summer (especially a summer like this), which is obviously high season in Stockholm. Hotel like Sheraton would for ~ $ 250 a night (and not at all as well located).
Grand Hotel Stockholm location
Grand Hotel Stockholm with 273 rooms is ideally located. It is located right on the waterfront, right in the center of the action, overlooking the Royal Palace and Gamia Town. So whether you are looking for sightseeing, shopping or eating, you can reach most places on foot from the Grand Hotel.
If you fly to or from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) it is about 35 minutes drive to the airport (taxi is fixed price and costs ~ $ 65, or you can take an Uber for closer to ~ $ 50). The hotel is approximately one kilometer from Arlanda Express Station, which offers a direct train connection to the airport.
Grand Hotel Stockholm lobby & check-in
Grand Hotel Stockholm is one of these beautiful, historic, well-kept European hotels. The hotel dates back to 1874, but all interiors have been renovated to give you a sense of history whilst still feeling like you are in a luxury property.
The lobby lives up to the “big” name and is quite large.
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The check-in process was friendly but not very fast. The front desk had quite a queue and it took about 10 minutes before we got help. Luckily, the actual check-in process went quickly, and within five minutes we had been allocated our room.
The receptionist reminded us of all the Virtuosa amenities and said we had been upgraded to a room overlooking the water.
Just a few more notes about the lobby area – there was a business center one level up from the lobby, which guests could use.
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In addition, in the morning there was free coffee, yogurt, fruit and croissants in the lobby. It’s a nice touch, especially since it was available long before breakfast started.
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Grand Hotel Stockholm deluxe room with water views
We were assigned room 246, a luxurious room overlooking the water. The second floor can be reached either via elevators or stairs.
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Our room was a good size for Sweden. There was an entrance hall with a wardrobe on the left and the rest of the room straight ahead.
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The room had a king bed (which was on the hard side), a desk, a chair with an ottoman and a wall mounted TV. The room felt luxurious, although I can not help but think that the bedding made the room feel much older.
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Back near the entrance was the minibar.
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There was no coffee machine, although there was a kettle with instant coffee. As a coffee lover, I was not a fan of it, but to the hotel’s credit, there was free coffee in the lobby in the morning.
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The room boasted great views of the water.
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The bathroom was quite large for a non-suite and had double sinks, a bath, a walk-in shower and a toilet.
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Toiletries were in cool tubes, and I appreciated that there was a kit with all sorts of necessities, which you otherwise often have to call down to request.
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Wi-Fi in the room was fast when I could connect. At first my computer could not see the Wi-Fi network, but I solved it by going down the hall and getting the signal there, and then it stayed connected.
Housekeeping and a turndown service are offered daily. While the housekeeping did a great job once they were in the room, we had problems with the timing of the service. We were going for a walk one morning at 10 o’clock, so called down and asked them to clean the room. They said they would send someone right away, but then we came back at 1pm and it was still not done. It’s hardly the biggest deal on earth, but I think it’s worth mentioning.
Grand Hotel Stockholm spa, gym and pool
Grand Hotel Stockholm has an impressive spa complex. It is located at the far end of the property, so when you face the reception, just turn right and continue walking to the end, as it takes you down several corridors.
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At the end of the hall there is an elevator, and then you take it down to the spa. The spa is open daily from 06:00 until 22:00, so this also means that the gym is not open 24/7.
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The spa complex is huge. There is a swimming pool, as well as several whirlpools, sauna and steam bath, relaxation room, etc.
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Then there is a juice, fruit and coffee bar.
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Then there is the gym, which has separate rooms for cardio, weights and yoga.
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This has to be one of the best spa facilities I have seen in a historic European hotel.
Grand Hotel Stockholm The Cadier bar (breakfast)
For booking via Virtuoso we got free breakfast, served at The Cadier Bar. This is the hotel’s main bar (named after the founder), and in the evenings it is one of the hottest spots in town, both for visitors and locals.
This space has a beautiful traditional bar area, and then more of a lounge along the windows overlooking the water.
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There was no menu for the continental breakfast, but our server only offered us several things, and we could tell if we wanted them or not. First we were treated to optional coffee plus freshly squeezed juice.
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Then we got a kind of yogurt parfait, a plate with some vegetables and cheese and a basket of croissants, pastries and a roll.
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Then we were offered eggs cooked to order with one side. I had scrambled eggs with avocado.
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The food was very good, and the service was also friendly. It certainly wasn’t the most flexible breakfast considering what we could choose from, but I enjoyed all the things we were served.
Grand Hotel Stockholm The Veranda (breakfast)
On our second morning we went back to The Cadier Bar for breakfast. While entering our room number, we were told that we could instead enjoy a breakfast buffet at The Veranda if we wanted. Although that was not what the welcome letter at check-in said, this was also confirmed by the staff at The Veranda. So we went there to see how that breakfast compared.
The veranda is also located on the lobby level and also has a view of the water.
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The porch had an excellent buffet, so we’re glad we checked this out. There were lots of choices, from fresh juices, to cold cuts, to bread, to chia pudding and guacamole, to fresh fruit, to cereals. There were also several hot options, including eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles and more.
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Drinks were served by the staff.
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This was definitely the more extensive breakfast option, and it was nice to be able to have breakfast here.
Grand Hotel Stockholm room service
Shortly after arriving in Stockholm we had some work to do but were hungry, so we ordered something from room service (especially since we had a $ 100 credit to spend). We ordered two kale chicken salads and a pumpkin soup, all of which were really good.
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Grand Hotel Stockholm restaurants
While we spent most of our time in Stockholm outside the hotel, I wanted to emphasize that the Grand Hotel Stockholm has a lot of places to eat, and in general, the hotel is very much the place to “see and be seen” in Stockholm. So there is quite a lot of traffic in and out of the hotel among non-hotel guests.
Regarding Grand Hotel Stockholm’s food and beverage outlets:
- Cadier Bar is the hotel’s main bar, and it is open for breakfast and afternoon tea, plus it is open all day for drinks (and becomes very popular in the evenings)
- The veranda serves a buffet breakfast and then an à la carte lunch and dinner, overlooking the water
- Mathias Dahlgren’s Matbaren is described as the hotel’s modern bistro serving lunch and dinner
- Mathias Dahlgren’s Rutabaga is the hotel’s vegetarian restaurant serving dinner
- The Terrace is the hotel’s waterfront patio, which serves drinks and light meals
- The Grand Cafe is located in a small building right in front of the hotel and serves coffee, sandwiches, salads, etc.
Conclusion
Grand Hotel Stockholm is a fantastic historic city hotel with a perfect location, excellent food and beverage outlets and nice rooms. This is not one of those hotels that you absolutely must stay in, as it does not exactly offer the most personal experience, with 270+ rooms.
That said, I think this is a great place to stay in Stockholm. And even if you do not live here, at least visit the hotel for a drink, as the building is beautiful.
If you have stayed at the Grand Hotel Stockholm, how was your experience?