- Introduction: From Saint-Tropez To Sylt, And Beyond!
- Review: The Carlyle New York, A Rosewood Hotel
- Review: Emirates Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: Emirates A380 First Class (JFK-MXP)
- Review: Hotel Martinez Cannes, Hyatt Unbound Collection
- Review: Airelles Saint-Tropez, Chateau De La Messardiere
- Review: The Library Lounge Nice Airport (NCE)
- Review: SWISS A320 Business Class (NCE-ZRH)
- Review: Hyatt Regency Zurich Airport The Circle
- Review: SWISS Alpine Lounge Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Review: Sylt Airport Lounge (GWT)
- Review: Lufthansa CityLine E190 Business Class (GWT-FRA)
- Taking One Of Lufthansa’s Shortest Flights (118 Miles)
- Our Lufthansa Delayed Bag Experience
- Review: The Wellem Dusseldorf, Hyatt Unbound Collection
- Review: Hugo Junkers Lounge Dusseldorf Airport (DUS)
- Review: Condor A321 Business Class (DUS-ATH)
- Review: King George Athens, Marriott Luxury Collection
- Review: Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, Marriott Luxury Collection
- Review: Goldair Lounge Athens Airport (ATH)
- Review: airBaltic Airbus A220 (SAS Wet Lease)
- Review: Grand Hotel Stockholm, Sweden
- Review: Amex Restaurant Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
- Review: New Finnair Business Class A330 (ARN-JFK)
Want to take advantage of Virtuoso benefits at no extra cost, including a room upgrade, free breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He doesn’t charge booking fees, and may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
During our recent trip to Sweden, we spent two nights at Grand Hotel Stockholm. This is typically regarded as 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’s bookable with World of Hyatt points.
I was curious to see if this hotel lived up to the hype.
In this post:
Booking Grand Hotel Stockholm
Grand Hotel Stockholm is an independent hotel (it used to be an InterContinental, but not anymore). The hotel does belong to Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), but that’s more of a marketing organization than a hotel management company. The best way to book Grand Hotel Stockholm is through a travel advisor affiliated with Virtuoso. You’ll pay the same as the best flexible rate available through the hotel, and you’ll receive the following additional perks:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Continental breakfast for two guests
- $100 equivalent food & beverage credit to be utilized during stay
- Early check-in & late check-out, subject to availability
Ford booked our stay through Virtuoso, and the rate was ~$400 per night. While not cheap, I thought that wasn’t unreasonable for summer (especially a summer like this), which is obviously peak season in Stockholm. Hotels like the Sheraton were going for ~$250 per night (and don’t have nearly as good of a location).
If you want help with a Virtuoso booking, you can reach Ford at [email protected], and he’d be happy to help.
Grand Hotel Stockholm location
The 273-room Grand Hotel Stockholm has an ideal location. It’s located right on the waterfront, in the center of the action, overlooking the Royal Palace and Gamla Stan. So whether you’re looking to sightsee, shop, or dine, you can get to most places by foot from Grand Hotel.
If you’re flying into or out of Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), it’s roughly a 35-minute drive to the airport (taxis are fixed rate and cost ~$65, or you can take an Uber for closer to ~$50). Otherwise the hotel is about one kilometer from the Arlanda Express station, which offers a direct train connection to the airport.
Grand Hotel Stockholm lobby & check-in
Grand Hotel Stockholm is one of those beautiful, historic, well maintained, European hotels. The hotel dates back all the way to 1874, but all the interiors have been renovated so that you get a sense of the history while still feeling like you’re in a luxurious property.
The lobby lives up to the “grand” name, and is quite large.
The check-in process was friendly but not particularly quick. The reception desk had quite a queue, and it took around 10 minutes before we were helped. Fortunately the actual check-in process was quick, and within five minutes we had been assigned our room.
The front desk agent reminded us of all of the Virtuoso amenities, and said we had been upgraded to a water view room.
Just a couple more notes about the lobby area — there was a business center one level up from the lobby, which guests could use.
Beyond that, in the mornings there was complimentary coffee, yogurt, fruit, and croissants, in the lobby. That’s a nice touch, especially since it was available well before breakfast started.
Grand Hotel Stockholm deluxe water view room
We were assigned room 246, a deluxe water view room. The second floor could be accessed either via elevators or stairs.
Our room was a good size for Sweden. There was an entryway with a closet to the left and the rest of the room straight ahead.
The room had a king size bed (which was on the hard side), a desk, a chair with an ottoman, and a wall-mounted TV. The room felt luxurious, though I can’t help but think that the bedding made the room feel significantly older.
Back near the entrance was the minibar.
There was no coffee machine, though there was a kettle with instant coffee. As a coffee lover I wasn’t a fan of that, though to the hotel’s credit, there was complimentary coffee in the lobby in the mornings.
The room boasted great views of the waterfront.
The bathroom was quite large for a non-suite, and had double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet.
Toiletries were in cool tubes, and I appreciated that there was a kit with all kinds of essentials, which you’d otherwise often have to call down to request.
Wi-Fi in the room was fast once I could connect. My computer initially couldn’t see the Wi-Fi network, but I solved that by walking down the hall and getting the signal there, and then it stayed connected.
Housekeeping and turndown service were offered daily. While housekeeping did a good job once they were actually in the room, we had issues with the timing of service. We were going on a walk one morning at 10AM, so called down and asked them to clean the room. They said they’d send someone right away, but then we returned at 1PM and it still wasn’t done. It’s hardly the biggest deal on earth, but I think it’s worth mentioning.
Grand Hotel Stockholm spa, gym, & pool
Grand Hotel Stockholm has an impressive spa complex. It’s located at the far end of the property, so when you’re facing reception, just turn right and keep walking until the very end, as that will take you down several hallways.
At the end of the hall is an elevator, and then you take that down to the spa. The spa is open daily from 6AM until 10PM, so that also means that the gym isn’t open 24/7.
The spa complex is huge. There’s a pool, as well as several whirlpools, sauna and steam rooms, relaxation rooms, etc.
Then there’s a juice, fruit, and coffee bar.
Then there’s the gym, which has separate rooms for cardio, weights, and yoga.
This has to be one of the best overall spa facilities I’ve seen at a historic European hotel.
Grand Hotel Stockholm The Cadier bar (breakfast)
For booking through Virtuoso we received complimentary breakfast, served at The Cadier Bar. This is the hotel’s main bar (named after the founder), and in the evenings it’s one of the hottest spots in town, for visitors and locals alike.
This space has a beautiful traditional bar area, and then more of a lounge area along the windows, overlooking the waterfront.
There was no menu for the continental breakfast, but rather our server just offered us several things, and we could say whether or not we wanted them. First we were offered coffee of choice, plus freshly squeezed juice.
Then we were brought a yogurt parfait of sorts, a plate with some veggies and cheese, and a basket with croissants, pastries, and a roll.
Then we were offered eggs cooked to order with a side. I had scrambled eggs with avocado.
The food was very good, and the service was friendly too. It certainly wasn’t the most flexible breakfast in terms of what we could choose from, but I enjoyed all the things that we were served.
Grand Hotel Stockholm The Veranda (breakfast)
On our second morning we headed back to The Cadier Bar for breakfast. While providing our room number, we were informed that we could instead enjoy a buffet breakfast at The Veranda if we wanted to. While that’s not what the welcome letter at check-in said, this was also confirmed by the staff at The Veranda. So we headed over there, to see how that breakfast compared.
The Veranda is located on the lobby level as well, and also has views of the waterfront.
The Veranda had an excellent buffet, so we’re happy 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 cereal. There were also several hot options, including eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles, and more.
Drinks were served by the staff.
This was definitely the more comprehensive 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 was really good.
Grand Hotel Stockholm dining venues
While we spent most of our time in Stockholm outside the hotel, I wanted to emphasize that Grand Hotel Stockholm has quite a few dining venues, and in general the hotel is very much the place to “see and be seen” in Stockholm. So there’s quite a bit of traffic in and out of the hotel among non-hotel guests.
As far as Grand Hotel Stockholm’s food & beverage outlets go:
- The Cadier Bar is the hotel’s main bar, and it’s open for breakfast and afternoon tea, plus it’s open all day for drinks (and gets very popular in the evenings)
- The Veranda serves a breakfast buffet, and then an a la carte lunch and dinner, with views of the waterfront
- 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 outdoor space on the waterfront, serving drinks and light meals
- Grand Cafe is in a small building just in front of the hotel, and serves coffee, sandwiches, salads, etc.
Bottom line
Grand Hotel Stockholm is a great historic city hotel with an ideal location, excellent food & beverage outlets, and nice rooms. This isn’t one of those hotels that you absolutely have to stay at, because it doesn’t exactly offer the most personalized experience, with 270+ rooms.
That being said, I do think this is a great place to stay in Stockholm. And even if you don’t stay here, at least visit the hotel for a drink, since the building is beautiful.
If you’ve stayed at Grand Hotel Stockholm, what was your experience like?
Nothing screams 'MURICAN more than a kale salad with a coke, lol. #mybodyisatemple
Decent enough hotel, but rather overpriced. Also the location is not that much of a selling point, there are plenty of other options around and in Stockholm everything is walkable anyway so it is not a big issue with any hotel.
Just wanted to say that I greatly enjoy all your reviews. Not a prolific traveler but soak in all the info. Was supposed to stay at the Grand Hotel before my first solo cruise with Regent but had to cancel the whole thing as I was doing it for the St. petersburg part and, of course, it was cancelled. Not the cruise - that was just changed to different ports but….. thanks for all your info.
Stayed here couple years ago in Ingrid Bergman suite. While the suite was lovely, the public area of the hotel can use a good renovation. This hotel is a perfect candidate for Four Seasons takeover to be honest. When we checked in, there was no bellman to lug our luggage into hotel. We had to go into the hotel and find one. Not exactly five stars first impression. The best part of the stay was a convertible drove by 11pm blasting Dancing Queen! That made me smile.
Sorry to say that the Sheraton doesn’t have as food as location is a travesty Ben. First is 8 min walk to the Arlanda express. And actually closer to walk from there to all the sights including the famous city hall. So yes sorry. As far as location is concerned. The Sheraton has the best location.
walked by a few times when in stockholm. looks very very nice. think I stay there next time. good review
Worth noting for any winos: they have an amazing cellar and 150+ page wine list.
Good review, as always. I live in Stockholm and Grand Hotel is clearly in a whole different league than all Marriott/Hilton properties in Sweden, not to mention the lackluster Scandic/Nordic Choice/Elite hotels. I’ve stayed at the so called high-end Scandic properties that @HeathrowGuy and @Peter rave about, and they’re nothing to write home about (currently writing this from a Tru by Hilton in Ohio, and it’s waaaay better). That said, the hotel scene in Sweden...
Good review, as always. I live in Stockholm and Grand Hotel is clearly in a whole different league than all Marriott/Hilton properties in Sweden, not to mention the lackluster Scandic/Nordic Choice/Elite hotels. I’ve stayed at the so called high-end Scandic properties that @HeathrowGuy and @Peter rave about, and they’re nothing to write home about (currently writing this from a Tru by Hilton in Ohio, and it’s waaaay better). That said, the hotel scene in Sweden is extremely lackluster.
Ben - first a nitpick (sorry can't let it go since I recently spent 5 days in Stockholm) - it is Gamla Stan, not Gamia Stan as you typed. Now to add to info on this hotel - it is where the Nobel Prize award ceremony and dinner was held until they outgrew the space. If you go to the Nobel museum you will see many photos of how it looked during those ceremonies.
Why no love for American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts....? This hotel is also bookable there with the same perks as Virtuoso, unless I'm mistaken.
"This is typically regarded as Stockholm’s best hotel, and I was curious to check it out. "
Nope, not by a long shot.
Most regard Et Hem as Stockholm's best hotel and having stayed at both, I agree.
Off course, Et Hem is not a points and miles accommodation so likely to be overlooked on this site.
Did you read the review and how Ben booked?
The Grand is far more well known than the Et Hem, so yes it is considered Stockholm's best, rightly or wrongly. If you're going to lecture someone at least read the review and get your facts right, this is not a points hotel either.
https://onemileatatime.com/deals/lhw-amex-offers/
Did you use this?
Just loved this Hotel too. Had dinner at Mathias Dahlgren’s Rutabaga. It was really good. Stockholm is such a great city.
This is the famous one and yes, historically is the best, but now I'd say Ett, Lydmar, and a few others have surpassed it. Grand needs a refresh, and if you're not facing the water or have a Jr. Suite+, the rooms are tight. Can't beat the location though.
"...in general the hotel is very much the place to “see and be seen” in Stockholm."
Well, a certain crew might say this. Check out Sturehof next time you're in the city!
Yes, Grand Hotel is “A” place, certainly not “THE” place…. +1 for Sturehof
Given you gave the Bank Hotel the same 4.5 star rating, which would you stay at if you were to come back again?
Will be spending a few nights at Ett Hem this summer which looks like a charming boutique (also SLH + Virtuoso).
I rather stay at a $65 hotel in Stockholm with almost the same breakfast
Is it a common thing to call down to have your room cleaned? I don’t think I’ve ever done it, just relied on housekeeping to do it based on their schedule.
@ Scott -- It's what I always do, and I find that many hotels appreciate it. When I'm in the room I leave the "do not disturb" sign on, and then I inform the hotel when I'd like the room cleaned. That seems more efficient than housekeeping constantly knocking to see when I've left the room.
Furthermore, unless you leave your room for eight hours at a time, this is the only way to really...
@ Scott -- It's what I always do, and I find that many hotels appreciate it. When I'm in the room I leave the "do not disturb" sign on, and then I inform the hotel when I'd like the room cleaned. That seems more efficient than housekeeping constantly knocking to see when I've left the room.
Furthermore, unless you leave your room for eight hours at a time, this is the only way to really make the timing work.
Once in a while a hotel will say that they don't have anyone who can clean the room right away, and that's totally fine. But when they say "we'll send someone right away," I expect that to be the case.
Gotcha. Typically I don’t spend too much time in the room in the morning. I might put the DND sign up if going to breakfast and coming back for a bit, then take off when I leave. But usually I’m out to head to whatever work-related thing or out sightseeing. We don’t typically do resorts, so I guess I could see that there.
The reality is that housekeeping is usually totally focused on first finishing rooms that are checkouts so they can be marked as available ASAP.
Looks like a beautiful hotel Ben I must compliment you you sure do or it seems that you eat and consume a lot of carbs how do you stay so skinny with all those carbs or am I off base because juice has a lot of carbs yogurt croissants etc etc etc if I'm off base I apologize but it just seems like you consume a lot of carbs I wish that were true in...
Looks like a beautiful hotel Ben I must compliment you you sure do or it seems that you eat and consume a lot of carbs how do you stay so skinny with all those carbs or am I off base because juice has a lot of carbs yogurt croissants etc etc etc if I'm off base I apologize but it just seems like you consume a lot of carbs I wish that were true in my case LOL LOL love the blog so much and I am fairly new to the blog how did you and your husband meet did you ever write about that?
@ John -- Thanks for reading and welcome! The reality is that I try to stay away from most carbs (at least at breakfast), so just because it appears in pictures doesn't necessarily mean I'm eating all of it. I also try to work out and get as many steps in as possible, since it's otherwise easy to put on weight when traveling.
In fall of 1977 I was a professional musician in Stockholm and we played one night gig in this hotel. Our van outside in the parking lot was vandalized that night while we played inside. We lost some stuff and my beloved 1969 Fender Stratocaster, I played my Gibson Les Paul inside. The security at the hotel saw the perpetrators, did nothing. They told us these were drug addicted vandals and they were afraid. I have some bad memories.
Its been 45 years George...let it go.
I remember staying here back in 2010 when it was an Intercontinental property, paying 5000 points/night on a Pointsbreak award. Best value IHG redemption I ever had!!!
@ Sean M. -- Totally forgot this used to be an InterContinental. Too bad it's not anymore. I updated the post to reflect this detail.
it has not been an intercontinental ...ever
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-ihg-one-rewards-intercontinental-ambassador/721651-ic-grand-hotel-stockholm-master-thread-merged-16.html
Don’t let me spoil the end of the thread for you
It's a nice hotel, but TBH Stockholm has multiple higher end Scandic Hotels that essentially offer the same amenities often at a significantly lower price. The Haymarket by Scandic, in particular, rivals most anything else in the city.
I have had complimentary breakfasts in several Scandic Hotels and I booked the cheapest rate. Their breakfasts were actually quite good and had many selections, even better than some other 5* properties.