The Grand Htel
What's so special?
The hotel is on the waterfront in central Stockholm. It has views across to the Royal Palace and many other landmarks. Boat trips leave from right outside the front door. The smart shops of stermalm are just to the north and the museums of Skeppsholmen to the east, all within easy walking distance.
How they rate it
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"The Grand Htel knows it is a national icon," says Nigel Tisdall in The Daily Telegraph.The first Nobel Prize awards were made here between 1901 and 1929, for example. But there's more to it than its impressive history. The Nordic Spa & Fitness centre has "a wide range of Nordic massages and treatments. The two spa suites, which come with a private whirlpool for two, are world class."
There are 300 rooms, with 34 suites try to stay in one of the "particularly appealing" third-floor rooms, which are decorated with "grey and teal mixed with brighter moments to create a classical and sophisticated mood".
The menu
The hotel restaurants Matbaren and Matsalen have one and two Michelin stars respectively, so book ahead.
The cost
From £212 a night. For more information, visit grandhotel.se, or call 00 46 8 679 3500.
Miss Clara
What's so special?
Situated on Sveavgen Boulevard in the Norrmalm district, the Miss Clara hotel is just a few blocks away from Central Station, where regular trains run from the airport, and it's a ten-minute walk from the main shopping area. You can get to the museum island of Skeppsholmen on foot in about 20 minutes.
How they rate it
Miss Clara is "in one of the city's finest Art Nouveau buildings, originally the esteemed Ateneum girls' school", says Sophie Batterbury in The Independent. The hotel is named after one of the school's headmistresses. "The rooms are reached via the wonderful original staircase", although there is also a lift for the luggage-laden. "Our room was on the corner with a bird's-eye view of Sveavgen on one side and the graceful, 18th-century Adolf Fredrik Church on the other."
The rooms have parquet flooring and limestone bathrooms. "My only frustration was that there is a slight triumph of design over function, especially in the bathroom. It seemed such a shame to leave the soap sliding around on the beautiful limestone."
The menu
The restaurant serves Swedish and international classics, suchas beetroot-pickled salmon or steak frites.
The cost
Doubles from £112. See designhotels.com; call 00 46 8 440 6700.
London's floating luxury hotel
A new hotel docked in London last year, offering guests a very different sort of stay in the capital. Sunborn London is a luxury yacht, floating by the O2 and ExCel centre in east London (sunbornhotels.com). From the outside it looks flash with a sleek white prow and red carpet rolled out for new passengers. But inside it's more "upmarket ferry" than "luxury hotel" I couldn't quite shake the feeling I was going to disembark in Calais.
The cabins are spacious by London hotel room standards, with large double beds, and some have small balconies. The bathrooms are compact but come with Molton Brown toiletries, which is always a treat. When booking, request a river-facing cabin so you can enjoy views across the water, or else you'll be stuck looking at the ExCel centre.
The restaurant has a large glass wall so you can really make the most of the excellent views of the O2 and Canary Wharf. The food was excellent I enjoyed the lamb in particular and the wine list was perfectly adequate. However, we were one of only three couples dining and it lacked atmosphere.
Sunborn has an onboard Elemis spa, which is a little cramped, but offers a wide array of treatments I enjoyed an excellent facial. Overall, though, I cannot recommend Sunborn. I just can't see the point in sleeping on a fairly run-of-the-mill boat if you aren't going anywhere.
Let me wake up in France and I'll be back on board otherwise, for £140 a night, I'd rather stay more centrally at the Dean Street Townhouse in Soho or MyHotel in Bloomsbury.
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