Nordic Countries - Sweden in July

My wife and I are flying into Stockholm on July 3rd. We were planning on staying in a hotel with points, but everything seems to be booked in the city. Starting around July 7th hotels are easily found. After Stockholm we will be going South and flying out of Denmark, so if we leave Stockholm we would prefer to go North. I was wondering if anyone had ideas on how to spend from a few days to a week before we can get a Stockholm hotel. Thanks

My wife and I are flying into Stockholm on July 3rd. We were planning on staying in a hotel with points, but everything seems to be booked in the city. Starting around July 7th hotels are easily found. After Stockholm we will be going South and flying out of Denmark, so if we leave Stockholm we would prefer to go North. I was wondering if anyone had ideas on how to spend from a few days to a week before we can get a Stockholm hotel. Thanks
How about taking a ferry to the Åland Islands, renting a bicycle and enjoying the archipelago? Or making a round trip with the ferries, e.g. Stockholm-Helsinki, Finland-Tallinn, Estonia-Stockholm? Both can be done with very little money.

My wife and I are flying into Stockholm on July 3rd. We were planning on staying in a hotel with points, but everything seems to be booked in the city. Starting around July 7th hotels are easily found. After Stockholm we will be going South and flying out of Denmark, so if we leave Stockholm we would prefer to go North. I was wondering if anyone had ideas on how to spend from a few days to a week before we can get a Stockholm hotel. Thanks


What programs are those that you're planning to use the points with? Sweden is notoriously bad for international hotel chains, local actors such as Scandic and Clarion reign supreme. The only international with a significant foothold is the Carlsson group with its Radisson hotels.

Gotland is always an option

How about taking a ferry to the Åland Islands, renting a bicycle and enjoying the archipelago? Or making a round trip with the ferries, e.g. Stockholm-Helsinki, Finland-Tallinn, Estonia-Stockholm? Both can be done with very little money.

cosign the ferry idea. i'd look into stockholm-helsinki. very easy trip from stockholm.

cosign the ferry idea. i'd look into stockholm-helsinki. very easy trip from stockholm.

Or...take the ferry to Turku which is smaller and just as interesting, IMO.

What programs are those that you're planning to use the points with? Sweden is notoriously bad for international hotel chains, local actors such as Scandic and Clarion reign supreme. The only international with a significant foothold is the Carlsson group with its Radisson hotels.

Choice Hotels -- which includes the Clarion brand along with the like of Quality and Comfort hotels/inns/suites -- has the plurality of its customers based in the US and has a program that is very useful for hotel stays in Sweden. I wouldn't be surprised if Choice Hotels has more hotels in more cities in Sweden than Radisson.

Choice certainly provides better redemption point value than Radisson hotels affiliated program GoldPoints. I end up using Choice points for award stays or using Carlson's CARLSONF rate to pay cash at Radisson hotels given the value of points and relative lack of (award space) availability when it comes to Radisson's GoldPoints.

I didn't know Clarion was part of the Choice group, how clumsy of me.

With this in mind, I'd just use points to get a room at Clarion Hotel Sign which is a nice 4* with a very central location.

I didn't know Clarion was part of the Choice group, how clumsy of me.

With this in mind, I'd just use points to get a room at Clarion Hotel Sign which is a nice 4* with a very central location.

That is what I do, with that hotel being one of my most frequent redemptions, even as I have had to buy the points.

If you have to buy the points currently, Choice Hotels in the US sells them and right now has a 10% discount until year-end on purchases. There is a stipulated maximum purchase of 10k points in any calendar year for any given customer account. Do this now and in the beginning of January, and that's 2 nights right there per customer account. Even when buying the points without a discount from the regular rate offered by Choice Hotels, there is a lot of money to be saved this way.

I'm planning on being in Stockholm the first weekend of July, too.

SPG has no award space, IHG just pulled out of the city altogether, and the Sign is full.

Anyone have a Plan C? :confused:

I'm planning on being in Stockholm the first weekend of July, too.

SPG has no award space, IHG just pulled out of the city altogether, and the Sign is full.

Anyone have a Plan C? :confused:

Hilton Slussen?

I'm planning on being in Stockholm the first weekend of July, too.

SPG has no award space, IHG just pulled out of the city altogether, and the Sign is full.

Anyone have a Plan C? :confused:

Wow, Stockholm is becoming a real tourist honey pot.

If you want to splurge a bit there's always The Grand Hotel. Sweden's only five star hotel. Otherwise there's not all that many options, either of the Radisson Blus' works but only if you have the points with Goldpointsplus.

I'm planning on being in Stockholm the first weekend of July, too.

SPG has no award space, IHG just pulled out of the city altogether, and the Sign is full.

Anyone have a Plan C? :confused:

Radisson Blu Waterfront using the CARLSONF promo rate: a little more than $100 (USD) per night (includes tax) which includes buffet breakfast for guests. Not bad for 80 EUR per night. It's also available using points.

If using points is the primary objective, you can use Choice points for the Clarion hotel in the Sodermalm area of Stockholm. Also, if you have access to AA miles, look at using them for hotel stays -- could provide better value than redeeming with hotel points.

Hilton Slussen?

My fav pick in downtown Stockholm.

And if you are into really great Indian food:
NAHID ONAIM RESTAURANG, SODERMALMSALLEN 3

The husband and I are also in Stockholm that weekend, we arrive on the 2nd. We are staying with my family, so hotels are not an issue for us.

Since I have been before, I plan on taking him to see some of the things I saw the first time I went, 13 years ago: Vasa Museum, the summer palace, changing of the guards, etc. We are doing an excursion to Riga, Latvia, but will be flying instead of taking the big ferries to save time.

Thanks all for this information.. My family will be there also in July (13th) before heading on the Azamara cruise-YAY!^

Question .. of those hotels mentioned- I am traveling with 75yo parents (mom with hip/walking problem).. would you recommend yours for that age bracket (think old school/like quiet area etc)

(I was looking into old town area as possibility- Rica Hotel Gamla Stan) Thoughts? :confused:

Also any idea on taxi prices from ARN to old town? (I saw the Arlanda Express but can almost be sure I will not sell my parents on getting on it)

Thanks again
Christian:cool:

Thanks all for this information.. My family will be there also in July (13th) before heading on the Azamara cruise-YAY!^

Question .. of those hotels mentioned- I am traveling with 75yo parents (mom with hip/walking problem).. would you recommend yours for that age bracket (think old school/like quiet area etc)

(I was looking into old town area as possibility- Rica Hotel Gamla Stan) Thoughts? :confused:

Also any idea on taxi prices from ARN to old town? (I saw the Arlanda Express but can almost be sure I will not sell my parents on getting on it)

Thanks again
Christian:cool:
Hi, Old town is not the best option if you would like to have a quiet place - its always overcrowded with tourists. You should check Ostermalm or Sodermalm Area instead.
In Summer ARN-City taxi price is usually in 460-180 SEK range which is roughly around 50 EUR

Thanks all for this information.. My family will be there also in July (13th) before heading on the Azamara cruise-YAY!^

Question .. of those hotels mentioned- I am traveling with 75yo parents (mom with hip/walking problem).. would you recommend yours for that age bracket (think old school/like quiet area etc)

(I was looking into old town area as possibility- Rica Hotel Gamla Stan) Thoughts? :confused:

Also any idea on taxi prices from ARN to old town? (I saw the Arlanda Express but can almost be sure I will not sell my parents on getting on it)

Thanks again
Christian:cool:

Careful with the taxis at Arlanda Airport; there are a lot who overcharge you massively. Look for the yellow-coloured cabs of company "0202020" to get decent prices, and make sure you make a fixed price before driving to the center.

Thanks all for this information.. My family will be there also in July (13th) before heading on the Azamara cruise-YAY!^

Question .. of those hotels mentioned- I am traveling with 75yo parents (mom with hip/walking problem).. would you recommend yours for that age bracket (think old school/like quiet area etc)

(I was looking into old town area as possibility- Rica Hotel Gamla Stan) Thoughts? :confused:

Also any idea on taxi prices from ARN to old town? (I saw the Arlanda Express but can almost be sure I will not sell my parents on getting on it)

Thanks again
Christian:cool:

With 3 people -- especially when there are two such older persons in the party -- and staying anywhere beyond short walking distance from the Stockholm Central (main) train station, I'd recommend taking a taxi.

Make sure to get the price agreed upon before getting in the taxi when it comes to trips to/from the airport.

Radisson Blu Waterfront using the CARLSONF promo rate: a little more than $100 (USD) per night (includes tax) which includes buffet breakfast for guests. Not bad for 80 EUR per night. It's also available using points.

Thanks for this promo code, which I was able to use for a long weekend in August at the Radission Blu Waterfront. BTW, the code was not available for the other Radisson Blu hotels (Strand and Viking, I believe). How does the Waterfront compare with the other two?

Yes, this is worth reiterating:

"Socialist Sweden" has completely deregulated taxi pricing. Drivers are allowed to charge whatever they want. And they do!

I usually recommend guests in Stockholm to stick to the "big three" companies: Taxi Stockholm, Taxi Kurir, and Taxi 020.

VERY good to know about the taxis! Checking the Radisson waterfront as yea the coupon didn't work at others.. .. will reply here with other questions should they arrive..

will inform parents about the taxi deregulation and they might be more encouraged to do the train... will advise

Thanks a ton!!!

Yes, this is worth reiterating:

"Socialist Sweden" has completely deregulated taxi pricing. Drivers are allowed to charge whatever they want. And they do!

I usually recommend guests in Stockholm to stick to the "big three" companies: Taxi Stockholm, Taxi Kurir, and Taxi 020.

Even then, for trips to/from the airport, discuss the fare in advance of getting in the taxi.

Thanks for this promo code, which I was able to use for a long weekend in August at the Radission Blu Waterfront. BTW, the code was not available for the other Radisson Blu hotels (Strand and Viking, I believe). How does the Waterfront compare with the other two?

You are welcome, of course, as the promo code is great but the thanks for it goes to FT (which is how I too picked it up). [These 80USD/80EUR rates are great.]

The Radisson Blu Waterfront is a new Radisson property -- it's so new that it's the only Radisson Blu property in the Stockholm area which I have not even seen since I became aware of this property. [I might have seen it during construction, but really don't know and won't know until I get packed off to Stockholm next month.]

The Strand is a "more elegant" property and technically better part of town (going by real estate prices) than the Viking and Waterfront properties.

I cannot see the Waterfront property being a huge step behind the Viking property in any/many regards -- and I'd actually expect it to be nicer given it being much newer -- although the Viking property is on the busier side of the central train station and the most convenient property for taking the Arlanda Express train.

THanks again.. booking now. funny I was just on google maps and couldn't find it.. only construction of a big building and realized I was looking right at the hotel being built!
Gosh-what a great location!!

sorry me again.. in the "fine print it says this about the Radisson Blu Waterfront

Features:

- Discounted rate for family & friends of Carlson employees globally
- Guest will be charged equivalent of EUR 80


1. who's name should I give if they ask?

2. Guest= would guest mean 2nd adult aka my father/mother .. and in my room my brother??

sorry me again.. in the "fine print it says this about the Radisson Blu Waterfront

Features:

- Discounted rate for family & friends of Carlson employees globally
- Guest will be charged equivalent of EUR 80


1. who's name should I give if they ask?

2. Guest= would guest mean 2nd adult aka my father/mother .. and in my room my brother??

1. They won't be asked for a name -- at least not if something approaching a hundred of my bookings at this rate are anything to go by. If they are asked for a name, I'd just mention the name of the person checking me in as my new friend/new friend to be. :D IF asked, anyone's name will do, but a random general manger's name at another Radisson property would work just as well or better.

2. Guest is the primary named person on the reservation. The occupancy limit of the room being maximized doesn't change the rate. So if each room booked at this rate has an occupancy limit of 2 guests per room, then the rate per night per room is 80EUR equivalent (in local currency, however the hotel hands the conversion) regardless of there being two people in a room or not. In your situation mentioned above, it would 80 EUR per room per night, so for two rooms it would be 160EUR per night to accommodate the four of you.

1. They won't be asked for a name -- at least not if something approaching a hundred of my bookings at this rate are anything to go by. If they are asked for a name, I'd just mention the name of the person checking me in as my new friend/new friend to be. :D IF asked, anyone's name will do, but a random general manger's name at another Radisson property would work just as well or better.

2. Guest is the primary named person on the reservation. The occupancy limit of the room being maximized doesn't change the rate. So if each room booked at this rate has an occupancy limit of 2 guests per room, then the rate per night per room is 80EUR equivalent (in local currency, however the hotel hands the conversion) regardless of there being two people in a room or not. In your situation mentioned above, it would 80 EUR per room per night, so for two rooms it would be 160EUR per night to accommodate the four of you.

Thanks SO Much for all your help- now it makes much more sense!

Wow, so mnay people are going to be there the same weekend I am there for the first time, and I do find that hotels are booked solid starting July 2. At first I thought it was a special event, but after reading that so many other flyertalkers are there, it just high season then?

Wow, so mnay people are going to be there the same weekend I am there for the first time, and I do find that hotels are booked solid starting July 2. At first I thought it was a special event, but after reading that so many other flyertalkers are there, it just high season then?

Sweden in July is most definitely high season for tourists.